These memories derive from a journey
that the author took in China in February and March of 1999
as a member of the Zhong Xian Archaeological Project. His
trip largely focused on the province of Sichuan, but several
days were spent in and around Beijing. An archaeological
study of salt was the purpose of the expedition, but in the
process of traveling hither and yon, Dr. Brown experienced
life in China that was undergoing major changes, both in
urban and rural areas. The account is extracted directly
from his detailed diary and offers many insights as to how
local peoples reacted to a team of strange archaeologists
that happened to wander into their lives.
Instead of the usual day-by-day
account of the travels as they played out, the author has
chosen to divide his memories by subject matter. Headings
include The Adventure of Travel, Burden Bearers, Hotel
Experiences, Life on the Roof Tops, Vendors and Their Wares,
Red Hot Cuisine, The Chinese People, and a concluding
section on The Rhythm of Life. As Dr. Brown says, "a journal
is a life experience as it is being lived, so hopefully the
reader will find some value in my relation. China is a
wonderful place, but unfortunately its character seldom can
be expressed adequately in words." Numerous beautiful
photographs enhance the text and give validity to the
(supposedly) Chinese proverb that, "a picture is worth a
thousand words." In this case, as the text amounts to 25,236
words and the picture count is 86, the adage may have to be
modified somewhat to "a picture is worth 293 words," which
is really quite a nice ratio.
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