This was so fascinating to read. China has gone through so much in the last century, that there's never a shortage of historical details to fill in my knowledge gap. This is certainly one such gap that I had no knowledge of, particularly the parts about foreigners living and enjoying life in China in between the wars. I had never heard of the Russian village, for example, and what Lushan meant for both the Chinese people and foreigners living there. I also really enjoy the photos you've included in this interview, offering a very rare glimpse of parts of China that I've never seen, neither in history books nor in real life.
Thank you, Louisa! I should have mentioned that Lushan is a UNESCO World Heritage Center. So much East-West history happened there-- first under Americans like Pearl Bucks's family, then under Chiang, then Mao, and now the latest version of modern China. The mountain weathers all the paroxysms, mostly serene. My grandfather's escape from Kuling during Chiang's scorched-earth era was not serene. I will tell that story here in my next East-West post. But by some miracle, the beautiful town, the wonders of nature have mostly endured. It remains a rare paradise.
This is super interesting, Aimee! So much has happened there and I'm glad it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site and hopefully it will be forever protected for its natural beauty. I've seen traditional paintbrush paintings of Lushan, and a friend of mine walked up those fearful steps with her family some years ago. The site seemed very crowded in my friend's photos. I hope tourism hasn't/won't cause destruction to the natural habitat there. I look forward to reading your story about your grandfather's escape!
This was so fascinating to read. China has gone through so much in the last century, that there's never a shortage of historical details to fill in my knowledge gap. This is certainly one such gap that I had no knowledge of, particularly the parts about foreigners living and enjoying life in China in between the wars. I had never heard of the Russian village, for example, and what Lushan meant for both the Chinese people and foreigners living there. I also really enjoy the photos you've included in this interview, offering a very rare glimpse of parts of China that I've never seen, neither in history books nor in real life.
Thank you, Louisa! I should have mentioned that Lushan is a UNESCO World Heritage Center. So much East-West history happened there-- first under Americans like Pearl Bucks's family, then under Chiang, then Mao, and now the latest version of modern China. The mountain weathers all the paroxysms, mostly serene. My grandfather's escape from Kuling during Chiang's scorched-earth era was not serene. I will tell that story here in my next East-West post. But by some miracle, the beautiful town, the wonders of nature have mostly endured. It remains a rare paradise.
This is super interesting, Aimee! So much has happened there and I'm glad it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site and hopefully it will be forever protected for its natural beauty. I've seen traditional paintbrush paintings of Lushan, and a friend of mine walked up those fearful steps with her family some years ago. The site seemed very crowded in my friend's photos. I hope tourism hasn't/won't cause destruction to the natural habitat there. I look forward to reading your story about your grandfather's escape!
Fascinating interview. As a history buff, I enjoyed imagining the China of that time through Ian’s eyes.
Thank you Jay! Yes. There weren’t many westerners in China then as everyone mostly was running for the exits. His perspective is rare.