Silk Road Stories, Cosmetic Cures, Peking Pigskin, and Architecture Absurdity

The Silk Road has functioned as a trade route and a gateway for all manner of ideas and religions since before recorded history. Today, it may have lost much of its luster, but trains and trucks continue to carry electronics and raw materials on a road that once carried Jesuits and silk. In the thousands of years of history held in the footsteps along the Silk Road, there are millions of stories. We bring you three of them (see page 30). The frst is from the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907), following a grizzled Chinese general to the gates of Central Asia, where he fghts a brutal battle to maintain his country’s most important trade route. The second tale follows a humble servant, an attendant to the Portuguese Jesuit Benedict Go?s, as the two travel in search of a mythical Christian kingdom hidden in Cathay. Finally, we take a look at a humble truck driver who follows the twists and turns of the modern Silk Road through China and beyond—a fresh look at a trade route that has weathered millennia.

Next, we set our sights on the high-rises and architecture of the new and improved Middle Kingdom. It wasn’t too long ago that the government tried to put the kibosh on weird architecture in China, with odd designs cluttering the skylines of every major city, but there seems to be no stopping the constant construction of these bizarre buildings. David Dawson takes a look at why these buildings persist and what makes China such a playground of architectural ambition in “Boomtown Blues” (see page 38).

From there, we move from skyscrapers to the bedroom mirror, as Ginger Huang studies modern trends in plastic surgery. The boom in plastic surgery in recent years has provided some very strange phenomena, with beauty taking on a more tangible meaning than ever before and serious surgery becoming extremely common. There’s more at work here than just vanity, and “Beneath Skin-Deep” (see page 50) tries to understand the specifcs of this strange contemporary cosmetic conundrum.

Also, you may not have realized, but China is making an attempt at professional American football leagues. A great deal of money has been put into promoting the all-American sport in the Middle Kingdom, and while it’s not yet paying dividends, it’s certainly an interesting look at how a sport gets off the ground in China. So, follow the likes of the Shanghai Nighthawks and the Chongqing Dockers to learn how China is embracing this new sport in “Pigskin in Peking” (see page 44).

Besides all that, we have the usual array of art, news, history, fction, and photography for your enjoyment. Head on over to Dragon’s Digest (see page 12) for some rather innovative, ancient fction in “Lord of Medicine” from author Zeng Jianhui, and if you’re in the mood for some art, check out artists Liu Jiahua and Yang Fudong in our Gallery (see page 58) section. We also have some very special photography from Yang Tianxin, featuring the beautiful world of beekeeping in Kaleidoscope (see page 18). If you didn’t get enough history in our cover story, check out Time Machine (see page 74), where we look at the serendipitous discovery (and theft) of the oldest printed book in the world. On the language front, learn how to visit a Chinese hospital in Social Chinese (see page 76), study the intricacies of the “silk”character in On the Character (see page 92), and get acquainted with some new faces in Street Talk (see page 11).

The worst of winter is over and spring is fnally here. So, while you’re enjoying the warm weather and hopefully the release of the icy smog, remember to check out our website now and again at theworldofchinese.com and keep an eye out for our digital supplements for your iPhone or iPad in China Dispatch.

So, from all of us here at TWOC, enjoy the weather while it lasts and stay safe.

Managing Editor

Tyler Roney