Hessler, Peter. “Walking the Wall.” The New Yorker, May 21, 2007.
a major tremor in 1556:
Chen Genyuan. “Ming Dai Guanzhong Da Dizhen Dui Shanxi Wenwu Zaocheng de Pohuai” [Damage to Shaanxi Cultural Relics from the Ming Dynasty Guanzhong Earthquake]. Shoucang [Collection], August 2008.
the Ordos Desert: For the relationship between the Ordos Desert and the Great Wall, see Arthur Waldron: Ibid.
more than one-fourth of China’s land suffers from desertification:
Jia Xiaoxia. “Desertification: A Growing Threat in China.” Down to Earth: The Newsletter of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification 19 (December 2003): p. 2.
any benefits of willow planting would be short-lived: For background on Wushenqi (also written as Uxin Ju) and environmental issues in the Ordos:
Jiang Hong. “Grassland Campaigns in China’s Collective Era: Socialist Policies and Local Initiatives in Uxin Ju, a ‘Pastoral Dazhai.’” China’s Embedded Activism: Opportunities and Constraints of a Social Movement. London: Routledge, 2008. Pages 89–110.
———. “Reading China’s Environmental Crisis: ‘Mao’s War Against Nature’ Continues.” China Scope (September/October 2007): pp. 3–16.
———. “China’s Great Green Wall Proves Hollow.” The Epoch Times, July 30, 2009.
Part II
In 1924, Sun Yat-sen: For the history of Sun Yat-sen’s correspondence with Henry Ford, and the Chinese switch to the right-hand side of the road, see Thomas J. Campanella: Ibid.
a book called Beijing Jeep:
Mann, Jim. Beijing Jeep: A Case Study of Western Business in China. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1997.
Volkswagen and General Motors made more profits: For information about profit margins for foreign automakers, I relied on interviews with Michael Dunne, currently managing director of the China office at J. D. Power and Associates. Dunne also provided me with the history of the City Special, as well as background on Chery Automobile Co.
the government of Wuhu: For information about Chery, I interviewed a number of workers and company officials in Wuhu, including Lin Zhang, the general manager for Chery’s International Division, and Yin Tongyao, the company president. The company’s strategy of asking forgiveness rather than permission was explained to me by Chu Changjun, the Communist Party Deputy Secretary of the Wuhu Economic and Technological Development Area. I also spoke with John Dinkel and other foreign consultants and partners. For more information, see my article about Chery:
Hessler, Peter. “Car Town.” The New Yorker, September 26, 2005.
one step away from the complacency that comes with happiness: There are various and often conflicting explanations of the spelling of Chery’s name. Here I’ve relied on what company officials told me in Wuhu.
In Genghis Khan’s military: For background on Genghis Khan and the rise of the Mongols:
Weatherford, Jack. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2004.
Yin Geng’s words: Many of these quotations are from David Spindler’s unpublished research. He has published an article about Altan Khan and the “Raid of the Scorned Mongol Women”:
Spindler, David. “A Twice-Scorned Mongol Woman, the Raid of 1576, and the Building of the Brick Great Wall.” Ming Studies 60 (Fall 2009).
earliest known maps: For a discussion of the earliest known Chinese maps, and the impact of Pei Xiu, see the following article. (In English sources his name is often rendered as Pei Hsiu.):
Hsu, Mei-Ling. “The Han Maps and Early Chinese Cartography.” Annals of the Association of American Geographers 68, issue 1 (March 1978): pp. 45–60.
cartography developed out of astronomy: For background on the history of Western cartography, and contrasts in development with Chinese mapmaking, I interviewed Patricia Seed, a historian at the University of California, Irvine. Her article provides an introduction to early European maps of Africa:
Seed, Patricia. “The Cone of Africa…Took Shape in Lisbon.” Humanities 29, no. 6 (November/December 2008).
for Lu Xun:
Roberts, Claire, and Geremie R. Barmé, editors. The Great Wall of China. Sydney: Powerhouse Publishing, 2006. Page 24.
“more like a river than a barrier”:
Waldron, Arthur. “Scholarship and Patriotic Education: The Great Wall Conference, 1994.” China Quarterly 143 (September 1995): p. 846.
we stuck the severed heads: This quotation is from David Spindler’s research.
“Time seems to have lost all power”: For background on Aurel Stein in China:
Walker, Annabel. Aurel Stein: Pioneer of the Silk Road. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1998.
BOOK II: THE VILLAGE
Part I
Even as far back as the seventeenth century: For background on the book culture of imperial China:
Rawski, Evelyn Sakakida. Education and Popular Literacy in Ch’ing China. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 1979.
texts from the late Ming dynasty: This detail comes from David Spindler’s research.
in AD 1615, a crew of 2,400 soldiers: David Spindler has transcribed and studied the tablet above Sancha; these details are from his research.
118 boys born for every 100 girls:
“Rising Sex-Ratio Imbalance ‘A Danger’.” China Daily. January 23, 2007.
estimated that more than one million Chinese had been infected with H.I.V.: At the time of Wei Jia’s illness, the Western media carried many reports of unsanitary donor practices in China, and people feared that the country was on the verge of a major epidemic. In 2001, a United Nations report estimated that over one million Chinese had been infected, and they warned of a possible figure of twenty million by 2010. The Chinese government, on the other hand, estimated that there were only 840,000 H.I.V. and AIDS cases in 2003. In the following years, it became clear that the epidemic was not as widespread as many believed. In 2006, the figures were actually reduced: the Chinese government, working with the World Health Organization and the United Nation’s AIDS program, estimated that the total number of Chinese H.I.V. and AIDS cases was 650,000. For reference, see the articles below:
Rosenthal, Elisabeth. “China Now Facing an AIDS Epidemic, A Top Aide Admits.” The New York Times, August 24, 2001.
Yardley, Jim. “New Estimate in China Finds Fewer AIDS Cases.” The New York Times, January 26, 2006.
Part II
average net income for rural people increased by 11 percent: This and the other figures in this section come from “The Rural Land Question in China,” an excellent introduction to rural issues. This paper also gives a concise history of rural land policies since the Revolution. It was prepared by a number of Chinese and American academics who worked in conjunction with the Rural Development Institute. For background, I also spoke with two of the authors of this report, Zhu Keliang and Ye Jianping.
Zhu Keliang et al. “The Rural Land Question in China: Analysis and Recommendations Based on a Seventeen-Province Survey.” New York University Journal of International Law and Politics 38, no. 4 (Summer 2006): pp. 761–839.
sixty-six million farmers lost their land: This figure is from a recent summary of China’s rural issues, which also includes an analysis of proposed policy changes:
Cheng Li. “Hu Jintao’s Land Reform: Ambition, Ambiguity, and Anxiety.” China Leadership Monitor 27 (Winter 2009).
average rural household consisted of 4.55 people: Figures in this section are from Zhu Keliang et al.: Ibid.
paving 119,000 miles of rural roads: These figures, and the comparison with the previous half century, were given at a government press conference I attended in Beijing: “The Highlights of National Expressway Network Plan,” presented by Zhang Chunxian, Minister of Communications, on January 13, 2005.
in 2003, nearly half a million Beijing residents acquired their driver’s licenses: Total figure was 480,000, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
lo
oked almost exactly like the Chevy Spark: For the controversy regarding the Chery QQ, I spoke with Chery officials and also Timothy P. Stratford, general counsel for General Motors’ China Group.
dropped by 8.8 percent: This figure comes from the People’s Bank of China, and was reported by The New York Times:
Bradsher, Keith. “G.M. to Speed Up Expansion in China.” The New York Times, June 8, 2004.
leaped by 80 percent: This figure is from an interview with Yale Zhang, director of emerging markets vehicle forecasts at CSM Asia.
fewer than one in five used a loan: see Bradsher, Keith: Ibid.
Falun Gong: For background on the rise of Falun Gong, and the crackdown:
Johnson, Ian. Wild Grass: Three Stories of Change in Modern China. New York: Pantheon Books, 2004.
hundreds of believers died in custody: This was the figure generally reported by foreign newspapers during the period when the Wei family began to engage in business. Today, estimates are even higher; Amnesty International says that over two thousand believers have died in custody. For a more recent newspaper report:
Jacobs, Andrew. “China Still Presses Crusade Against Falun Gong.” The New York Times, April 27, 2009.
Part III
“Build New Countryside”: For background on this campaign, see Cheng Li: Ibid.
“Preserving the Progressiveness”: For background on this campaign:
Yardley, Jim. “China Attacks Its Woes With an Old Party Ritual.” The New York Times, March 9, 2006.
One volume was entitled “A Textbook for Urbanizing the Countryside”:
“Tuijin Nongcun Chengshihua Duben” [A Textbook for Urbanizing the Countryside]. Huairou Qu Shizheng Guanli Weiyuanhui [Huairou District Municipal Administration Committee]. July 2005.
cigarettes are even subsidized: This detail and the other facts about smoking in China are from my interview with Yang Gonghuan, deputy director general of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Trouble can start within the Party itself: For background on village elections, and the ways in which dissent sometimes occurs, I spoke with Kevin J. O’Brien, a political scientist who specializes in China at the University of California, Berkeley. See also:
O’Brien, Kevin J., and Rongbin Han. “Path to Democracy? Assessing Village Elections in China.” Journal of Contemporary China 18, no. 60 (June 2009): pp. 359–378.
BOOK III: THE FACTORY
Part I
officials announced plans: Details about China’s highway project, and Zhang Chunxian’s comments about Condoleezza Rice, are from the government press conference I attended on January 13, 2005 (see previous reference).
the Jinliwen Expressway: Background on the new road came from He Jiongwei at the Lishui City Department of Communications.
the town had 380 factories: Details about Qiaotou’s button production came from Ye Zhengxiang, chairman of the Qiaotou Button Association. The Wuyi Printing Association gave figures for Wuyi’s playing card production. Other figures came from the Wenzhou Educational Toy Association, the Wenzhou Shoe and Leather Association, the Wenzhou Smoking Paraphernalia Association, the Shengzhou Neckties Industry Association, and the Datang Textile Socks Industry Company.
nearly 80 percent of all Wenzhou entrepreneurs: Details on the educational level of Wenzhou business people, and local economic statistics, are from:
Lu Haoting. “Millionaire School.” China Daily, China Business Weekly, January 23, 2005.
The Jews of the East:
Ye Jiandong. Dongfang Youtairen: 50 Wei Wenzhou Shangren de Chuangye Gushi [The Jews of the East: The Commercial Stories of Fifty Wenzhou Entrepreneurs]. Beijing: Renmin Ribao Chubanshe [ People’s Daily Press], 2002.
a survey of local male millionaires:
“Wenzhou Qiyejia 2.14 Qinggan Shenghuo Diaocha” [Valentine’s Day Survey of the Love Life of Wenzhou Entrepreneurs]. Caifu [Fortune Weekly, a supplement of the newspaper Wenzhou Dushibao] 138 (February 14, 2006): p. 17.
Yang Xiaohong: He was the director of Lishui’s Economy Trade Committee.
Long-term exposure to DMF causes liver damage:
Redlich, Carrie A., et al. “Liver Disease Associated with Occupational Exposure to the Solvent Dimethylformamide.” Annals of Internal Medicine 108, issue 5 (May 1988): pp. 680–86.
Also see the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment’s “Chronic Toxicity Summary: N, N-Dimethylformamide,” December 2000.
Part II
annual per capita GDP: This figure, and the statistics about Lishui infrastructure, are from Yang Xiaohong, director of Lishui’s Economy Trade Committee.
infrastructure investment: This figure, along with the statistic about real estate, is from the local Lishui newspaper:
Lan Yan. “Wo Shi Jingji Baochi Jiao Kuai Zengzhang” [Our City Maintains a Relatively Fast Rate of Growth]. Chuzhou Wanbao [Chuzhou Evening News], July 28, 2006, p. 5.
Square and Round: For background on this self-help book, see:
Chang, Leslie T. Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China. New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2008.
Francis Cabot Lowell: For background on Lowell, see the introduction to:
Eisler, Benita, editor. The Lowell Offering: Writings by New England Mill Women (1840–1845). New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1998.
speeding ticket: Background on radar tickets in Zhejiang came from interviews with local police officers.
Part III
70 percent of Lishui’s total consumption of electricity: This figure is from director Yang Xiaohong.
number of Lishui households buying an automobile:
Zhang Qiao. “Mei Qian Hu Jumin Jiating Goumai Yong Qiche 20 Liang” [For Every Thousand Households, 20 New Cars Were Purchased]. Chuzhou Wanbao [Chuzhou Evening News], July 27, 2006.
87,000 “public-order disturbances”: “China Handles 87,000 Public Order Disturbance Cases.” People’s Daily, January 20, 2006.
Ancient Weir Art Village: For background on the Dagangtou artists’ commune, I referred to the local government proposal “Guyan Huaxiang Huibao Cailiao” [Report on the Ancient Weir Art Village], as well as:
Lan Weirong. “Lishui Huaxiang Chuangzuo Jidi Zai Quan Sheng Shao Jian” [The Lishui Artists’ Village Creates a Unique Base in the Province]. Chuzhou Wanbao [Chuzhou Evening News], November 29, 2006.
Part IV
the Yintai real estate company: For background on the Yintai case:
Zhang Daosheng. “Lishui Yintai Fanchan Feifa Jizi An Wancheng Jiezi Hu Zhaiquan Shenbao Shenhe” [Creditors’ Rights Are Declared in the Yintai Real Estate Illegal Fund-Raising Case]. Xinhua, March 4, 2009.
Dong Bishui. “Zhejiang Fangchan Shang Da Guimo Mingjian Rongzi Ju Kui 8 Yi Sun Ji 3 Wan Renci” [Large-scale Privately Invested Zhejiang Company Loses 800 Million Yuan and Damages 30,000 Investor Units]. Zhongguo Qingnian Bao, September 23, 2008.
Jiang Dongliang. “Feifa Jizi Zhi Huan” [The Anxiety Over Illegal Fund-Raising]. Faren, February 2, 2009.
two-year stimulus plan:
Barboza, David. “China Unveils Sweeping Plan for Economy.” The New York Times, November 9, 2008.
targeted rural regions: For background on the role of rural consumers in the stimulus plan, as well as proposed changes to rural land-use laws, see Cheng Li, “Hu Jintao’s Land Reform” (referred to earlier).
national economy was still growing:
Barboza, David. “Economy in China Regains Robust Pace of Growth.” The New York Times, July 17, 2009.
Chinese consumers bought more motor vehicles:
Bradsher, Keith. “China Influence Grows with Its Car Sales.” The New York Times, April 21, 2009.
About the Author
PETER HESSLER is a staff writer at The New Yorker, where he served as the Beijing correspondent from 2000 to 2007, and is also a contributing writer for National Geographic. He is the author of River Town, which won the Kiriyama Book Prize, and Oracle Bones, which was a finalist for the National B
ook Award. He won the 2008 National Magazine Award for excellence in reporting.
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ALSO BY PETER HESSLER
River Town
Oracle Bones
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Jacket design by Christine Van Bree
Copyright
COUNTRY DRIVING. Copyright © 2010 by Peter Hessler. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hessler, Peter
Country driving : a journey through China from farm to factory / Peter Hessler.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-06-180409-0
1. China—Description and travel. 2. Transportation, Automotive—China. I. Title.
DS712.H457 2010
303.48'320951—dc22 2009027502
EPub Edition © December 2009 ISBN: 978-0-06-196943-0
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Country Driving: A Journey Through China from Farm to Factory Page 49