The authors of this book have set out not only to capture the magic & beauty of China, but also to provide a visual portrait of what many believe is fast evolving as the world`s next superpower. Travelling from the steppes & deserts of the north to the tropical forests of south-west China, they portray the men & women of the vast cities fuelling China`s development, as well as those in the villages, temples & centres of Chinese culture who in their different ways are the guardians of the nation`s heritage. The text also presents China`s extraordinary journey of a 3500-year-old culture into the 20th century, with chapters on the Imperial City, the Great Wall, Confucianism, the workings of the Chinese script, & the spoken language of Chinese.