Prior to traveling to a new destination I love to rent foreign films to help me prepare for the journey, enabling me to become accustomed to the people, culture and history. Netflix, an online movie rental agency, has a wonderful selection of foreign films. Once you are a member you can search for foreign films by country. Chinese films often leave you with a beautiful message with an insight into the hearts of the people. Here are some Chinese films I have watched and enjoyed, all found on Netflix.
MOVIES
The Road Home , Hero,
Eat Drink Man Woman
The King of Masks (one of my favorites)
Raise the Red Lanterns
Shower
Balzac and the Little Seamstress
The Blue Kite, The Painted Veil (Yangtze River village-beautiful )
**Please feel free to add to this list by posting a comment.
FAVORITE NOVELS
Daughter of the River: An Autobiograpy: Hong Ying
River Town Two Years on the Yangtze: Peter Hessler
Single Pebble: John Hersey
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China: Jung Chang
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: Lisa See
Becoming Madame Mao: Anchee Min
HISTORICAL BOOKS**
Understanding China: A Guide to China’s Economy, History and Political Culture by John Bryan Starr, Hill and Wang
Genghis Khan by Jack Weatherford
The Great Wall by Julia Lovell
China by Damian Harper
Mandarin Phrasebook, Justin Ben-Adam Rudelson, Charles Qinhave
The Diary of Ma Yen: The Struggles and Hopes of a Chinese Schoolgirl by Ma Yan
Oracle Bones by Peter Hessler
The Changing Face of China, One Billion Customers and Power Shift
The State of China Atlas
The Chinese Negotiator
The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
China Shakes the World by James Kynge
The Changing Face of China: From Mao to Market by John Gittings
One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China by James McGregor
Power Shift: China and Asia’s New Dynamics by David Shambaugh
The State of China Atlas: Mapping the World’s Fastest Growing Economy by Stephanie Hemelryk Donald and Robert Benewick
The Chinese Negotiator by Robert M. March and Su-Hua Wu
China's Great Train by Abrahm Lustgarten, New York: Henry Holt
China Road: A Journey Into the Future of a Rising Power by Rob Gifford
Beijing: From Imperial Capital to Olympic City by Lillian M. Li, Alison J. Dray-Novey, and Haili Kong
The Lonely Planet China is an excellent guide book.
China: Eyewitness Travel Guide by DK Publishing
There are also many books, documentaries and travel videos on China available at your public library. Again, an excellent way to get to know China.
Susan and Maria
P.S. Check out your local Adult Ed offerings for a beginning or conversational Chinese language class. Many towns are now offering them.
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