An Armchair Travellers History Of Beijing

Download An Armchair Travellers History Of Beijing full books in PDF, epub, and Kindle. Read online An Armchair Travellers History Of Beijing ebook anywhere anytime directly on your device. Fast Download speed and no annoying ads. We cannot guarantee that every ebooks is available!

An Armchair Traveller's History of Beijing

Author : Jonathan Clements
Publisher : Haus Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1909961302
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (99 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis An Armchair Traveller's History of Beijing by : Jonathan Clements

Download or read book An Armchair Traveller's History of Beijing written by Jonathan Clements and published by Haus Publishing. This book was released on 2016-11-15 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As China’s global influence continues to rise, its capital, Beijing, has become increasingly important—and a popular tourist destination, greeting close to five million international visitors each year. An Armchair Traveller’s History of Beijing presents the capital from its earliest beginnings as a prehistoric campsite for Peking Man through its fluctuating fortunes under a dozen dynasties. Home to capitals of several states over time, the site of modern Beijing has been ruled by Mongolian chiefs and the glorious Ming emperors, whose tombs can still be found on its outskirts. Through Beijing, we can experience Chinese history itself, including its more famous residents—including Khubilai Khan, Mulan, and Marco Polo. Special emphasis is placed on Beijing’s precarious heritage in the twenty-first century, as modern construction wipes out much of the old city to make way for homes for twenty million people. This book also offers detailed information on sites of tourist interest, including the pros and cons of different sections of the Great Wall and the best ways to see the Forbidden City and the fast-disappearing relics of the city’s Manchu and Maoist eras. A chapter on food and drink examines not only local delicacies, but the many other Chinese dishes that form part of Beijing’s rich dining traditions. With its blend of rich history and expert tips, An Armchair Traveller’s History of Beijing is an essential introduction to one of the world’s most remarkable cities.

A Short History of Beijing

Author : Jonathan Clements
Publisher : Haus Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1913368475
Total Pages : 190 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (133 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis A Short History of Beijing by : Jonathan Clements

Download or read book A Short History of Beijing written by Jonathan Clements and published by Haus Publishing. This book was released on 2022-07-26 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A guide to the history of China’s capital, from before its rise to prominence as the seat of empires to the 2022 Winter Olympics. Before China’s capital became a sprawling megacity and international center of business and culture, its fortunes fluctuated under a dozen dynasties. It has been a capital for several states, including those headed by Mongolian chiefs and the glorious Ming emperors, whose tombs can still be found on its outskirts. And before all that, it was a campsite for primitive hominids, known as the Peking Man. A Short History of Beijing tells the story of this remarkable city, from its more famous residents—Khubilai Khan, Marco Polo, and Chairman Mao—right up to the twenty-first century, as modern construction wiped out so much of the old city to make way for its twenty-million-strong population. Through his timely and intimate portrait of the world’s most populous capital city, Jonathan Clements reveals the history of China itself.

A Traveller's History of China

Author : Stephen G. Haw
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780900075087
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (75 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis A Traveller's History of China by : Stephen G. Haw

Download or read book A Traveller's History of China written by Stephen G. Haw and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

A History of the Silk Road

Author : Jonathan Clements
Publisher : Haus Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1907973826
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (79 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis A History of the Silk Road by : Jonathan Clements

Download or read book A History of the Silk Road written by Jonathan Clements and published by Haus Publishing. This book was released on 2014-01-14 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Silk Road is not a place, but a journey, a route from the edges of the Mediterranean to the central plains of China, through high mountains and inhospitable deserts. For thousands of years its history has been a traveler’s history, of brief encounters in desert towns, snowbound passes and nameless forts. It was the conduit that first brought Buddhism, Christianity and Islam into China, and the site of much of the “Great Game” between 19th-century empires. Today, its central section encompasses several former Soviet republics, and the Chinese Autonomous Region of Xinjiang. The ancient trade route controversially crosses the sites of several forgotten kingdoms, buried in sand and only now revealing their secrets. A History of the Silk Road not only offers the reader a chronological outline of the region’s development, but also provides an invaluable introduction to its languages, literature, and arts. It takes a comprehensive and illuminating look at the rich history of this dynamic and little known region, and provides an easy-to-use reference source. Jonathan Clements pays particular attention to the fascinating historical sites which feature on any visitor’s itinerary and also gives special emphasis to the writings and reactions of travelers through the centuries.

A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages: The World Through Medieval Eyes

Author : Anthony Bale
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN 13 : 1324064587
Total Pages : 356 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (24 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages: The World Through Medieval Eyes by : Anthony Bale

Download or read book A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages: The World Through Medieval Eyes written by Anthony Bale and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2024-04-23 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A captivating journey of the expansive world of medieval travel, from London to Constantinople to the court of China and beyond. Europeans of the Middle Ages were the first to use travel guides to orient their wanderings, as they moved through a world punctuated with miraculous wonders and beguiling encounters. In this vivid and alluring history, medievalist Anthony Bale invites readers on an odyssey across the medieval world, recounting the advice that circulated among those venturing to the road for pilgrimage, trade, diplomacy, and war. Journeying alongside scholars, spies, and saints, from Western Europe to the Far East, the Antipodes and the ends of the earth, Bale provides indispensable information on the exchange rate between Bohemian ducats and Venetian groats, medieval cures for seasickness, and how to avoid extortionist tour guides and singing sirens. He takes us from the streets of Rome, more ruin than tourist spot, and tours of the Khan’s court in Beijing to Mamluk-controlled Jerusalem, where we ride asses across the holy terrain, and bustling bazaars of Tabriz. We also learn of rumored fantastical places, like ones where lambs grow on trees and giant canes grow fruit made of gems. And we are offered a glimpse of what non-European travelers thought of the West on their own travels. Using previously untranslated contemporaneous documents from a colorful range of travelers, and from as far and wide as Turkey, Iceland, North Africa, and Russia, A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages is a witty and unforgettable exploration of how Europeans understood—and often misunderstood—the larger world.

Traveller's History of China

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9789997028198
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (281 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Traveller's History of China by :

Download or read book Traveller's History of China written by and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

A Traveller's History of China

Author : Stephen G. Haw
Publisher : Interlink Publishing Group
ISBN 13 : 9781566564038
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (64 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis A Traveller's History of China by : Stephen G. Haw

Download or read book A Traveller's History of China written by Stephen G. Haw and published by Interlink Publishing Group. This book was released on 2001 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A Traveller's History of China" provides a concise but fascinating journey from the enormous country's earliest beginnings right up to the creation of the economic powerhouse that is China today. Illustrated with maps and line drawings, this literate and lively book makes ideal before-you-go reading, and is just as handy tucked into suitcase or backpack.

The Spell of China

Author : Archie Bell
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9789745242081
Total Pages : 262 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (42 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Spell of China by : Archie Bell

Download or read book The Spell of China written by Archie Bell and published by . This book was released on 2018-07-15 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Spell of China is truly a trip back in time; a spellbinding journey through early 20th century China and Korea, for the modern tourist, amateur historian and armchair traveller alike.

An Armchair Traveller's History of Tokyo

Author : Jonathan Clements
Publisher : Haus Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1909961590
Total Pages : 212 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (99 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis An Armchair Traveller's History of Tokyo by : Jonathan Clements

Download or read book An Armchair Traveller's History of Tokyo written by Jonathan Clements and published by Haus Publishing. This book was released on 2019-03-15 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With almost 13 million residents, Tokyo is now as much an icon of modernity as it is a city, with its neon-lit billboards, futuristic technology, and avant-garde fashion scene. But the long and fascinating history of Japan’s modern capital encompasses much, much more, and in An Armchair Traveller’s History of Tokyo, Jonathan Clements sketches the city’s amazing trajectory from its humble beginnings as a group of clearings in a forest on the Kanto plain all the way to its upcoming role as host of the 2020 Olympic Games. Tokyo, meaning “Eastern Capital,” has only enjoyed that name and status for 150 years. Before that, it was a medieval outpost designed to keep watch over rich farmlands. But this seemingly unassuming geographical location ultimately led to its status as a supercity. Though the imperial court ruled Japan from the sleepy city of Kyoto, the landowners of the Kanto plain where Tokyo lies held the true wealth and power in Japan, which they eventually asserted in a series of bloody civil wars. The Tokyo region became the administrative center of Japan’s Shogun overlords and the site of a vibrant urban culture home to theaters, taverns, and brothels. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, it became Japan’s true capital, home to the emperors, the seat of government, and a site of rapid urban growth. Anyone who’s ever longed to look upon Mount Fuji, embody the bravery of the Samurai, or savor the world’s finest sushi will find themselves transported from the comfort of their armchair while reading Clements’s account of Tokyo.

An Armchair Traveller's History of Finland

Author : Jonathan Clements
Publisher : Haus Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1909961019
Total Pages : 272 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (99 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis An Armchair Traveller's History of Finland by : Jonathan Clements

Download or read book An Armchair Traveller's History of Finland written by Jonathan Clements and published by Haus Publishing. This book was released on 2014-12-15 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the American mind, Finland is often swept up in the general group of Nordic countries, little known and seldom gaining prominence on its own. But as Jonathan Clements shows in An Armchair Traveller’s History of Finland, it has a long and fascinating history, one that offers oddities and excitements galore: from prehistoric herders to medieval lords, Christian martyrs and Viking kings, and the war heroes who held off the Soviet Union against long odds. Clements travels the length of the country as he tells these stories, along the way offering accounts of Finland’s public artworks, literary giants, legends and folktales, and famous figures. The result is the perfect introduction to Finland for armchair and actual travelers alike.

Beijing Then and Now®

Author : Brian Page
Publisher : Rizzoli Publications
ISBN 13 : 1911216821
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (112 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Beijing Then and Now® by : Brian Page

Download or read book Beijing Then and Now® written by Brian Page and published by Rizzoli Publications. This book was released on 2017-09-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beijing has several millennia of human history. It has been a city of regional importance for many centuries, first becoming the Chinese imperial capital in 1267. The city has been known by various names through the ages, reflecting a turbulent history of change. As the political and cultural heart of modern China, Beijing has grown dramatically since the Communist revolution of 1949.Beijing Then and Now shows how that dramatic modernization has affected the city and how, despite all the new building and modern infrastructure, some of the great historic sites have been preserved and maintained. Sites include: Deshengmen Arrow Tower, Qianmen Arrow Tower, Qianmen Gate, Entrance to the Imperial City, Mao's Mausoleum, Tiananmen Gate, Duanmen Gate, Entrance to the Forbidden City, Wumen Gate, Hall of Supreme Harmony, Jingshan, Beihai Park, the White Dagoba, Imperial Canal, Drum Tower, Beihai Lake, Bell Tower, Temple of Confucius, Hall of Classics, Imperial Observatory, Qianmen Boulevard, Hall of Prayer, Altar of Heaven, British Legation, Dong Tang, Marble Boat, Jade Belt Bridge, Ming Tombs, Spirit Road and the Great Wall of China.

History of Beijing

Author : Wander Stories
Publisher : WanderStories
ISBN 13 : 9949516951
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (495 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis History of Beijing by : Wander Stories

Download or read book History of Beijing written by Wander Stories and published by WanderStories. This book was released on 2012-05-15 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dear Traveler, Welcome to the WanderStories™ History of Beijing. Beijing is the capital of the world’s largest nation and one of the most populous cities on earth. Its history is as complex or as simple as you might like it to be. The first mention of Beijing as a city is in records from the Zhou dynasty in the 11th century B.C.E. And there’s no doubt that three thousand years that have passed since then have given the Chinese people plenty of time to shape one of the most unique cities on earth. There is only one thing to do now – visit! We, at WanderStories™, are storytellers. We don’t tell you where to eat or sleep, we don’t intend to replace a typical travel reference guide. Our mission is to be the best local guide that you would wish to have by your side when visiting the sights. So, we meet you at the sight and take you on a tour. WanderStories™ travel guides are unique because our storytelling style puts you alongside the best local guide who tells you fascinating stories and unusual facts recreating the passion and sacrifice that forged the beauty of these places right here in front of you, while a wealth of high quality photos, historic pictures, and illustrations brings your tour vividly to life. Our promise: • when you visit Beijing with this travel guide you will have the best local guide at your fingertips • when you read this travel guide in the comfort of your armchair you will feel as if you are actually visiting Beijing with the best local guide Let’s go! Your guide, WanderStories

A Comrade Lost and Found

Author : Jan Wong
Publisher : HMH
ISBN 13 : 0547488629
Total Pages : 341 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (474 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis A Comrade Lost and Found by : Jan Wong

Download or read book A Comrade Lost and Found written by Jan Wong and published by HMH. This book was released on 2010-02-02 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A “suspenseful, elegantly written” account of the author’s return to China after thirty years to search for the woman she betrayed to the authorities (Publishers Weekly, starred review). In the early 1970s, at the height of the Cultural Revolution, Jan Wong traveled from Canada to Beijing University—where she would become one of only two Westerners permitted to study. One day a fellow student, Yin Luoyi, asked for her help getting to the United States. Wong, then a starry-eyed Maoist from Montreal, immediately reported her to the authorities, and shortly thereafter Yin disappeared. Thirty-three years later, hoping to make amends, Wong revisits the Chinese capital to search for the person who has haunted her conscience. At the very least, she wants to discover whether Yin survived. But Wong finds the new Beijing bewildering. Phone numbers, addresses, and even names change with startling frequency. In a society determined to bury the past, Yin Luoyi will be hard to find. As Wong traces her way from one former comrade to the next, she unearths not only the fate of the woman she betrayed but the strange and dramatic transformation of contemporary China. In this memoir, she tells how her journey rekindled all of her love for—and disillusionment with—her ancestral land. “Gone is the semirural capital where the author’s ‘revolutionary’ course of study included bouts of hard labor and ‘self criticism’ sessions. In its place are eight-lane expressways lit up ‘like Christmas trees,’ shiny skyscrapers and the largest shopping mall in the world. Wong is a gifted storyteller, and hers is a deeply personal and richly detailed eyewitness account of China’s journey to glossy modernity.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

Beijing Tour Guide Top 5

Author : Wander Stories
Publisher : WanderStories
ISBN 13 : 9949553008
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (495 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Beijing Tour Guide Top 5 by : Wander Stories

Download or read book Beijing Tour Guide Top 5 written by Wander Stories and published by WanderStories. This book was released on 2014-11-10 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dear Traveler, Welcome to the WanderStories™ tour of the top 5 sights in Beijing: the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall of China, the Lama Temple, and Beihai Park. We are now ready to take you on your personal tour of these world famous landmarks. We will also tell you the history of Beijing and several additional stories about Chinese cuisine and table manners, traditions and customs, holidays and festivals, behavior and etiquette, Peking opera, Chinese humor and jokes. We, at WanderStories™, are storytellers. We don’t tell you where to eat or sleep, we don’t intend to replace a typical travel reference guide. Our mission is to be the best local guide that you would wish to have by your side when visiting the sights. So, we meet you at the sight and take you on a tour. WanderStories™ travel guides are unique because our storytelling style puts you alongside the best local guide who tells you fascinating stories and unusual facts recreating the passion and sacrifice that forged the beauty of these places right here in front of you, while a wealth of high quality photos, historic pictures, and illustrations brings your tour vividly to life. Our promise: • when you visit these top 5 sights in Beijing with this travel guide you will have the best local guide at your fingertips • when you read this travel guide in the comfort of your armchair you will feel as if you are actually visiting these top 5 sights in Beijing with the best local guide Welcome to Beijing, Beijing is the capital of the world’s largest nation and one of the most populous cities on earth. Its history is as complex or as simple as you might like it to be. The first mention of Beijing as a city is in records from the Zhou dynasty in the 11th century B.C.E. And there’s no doubt that three thousand years that have passed since then have given the Chinese people plenty of time to shape one of the most unique cities on earth. There is only one thing to do now – visit! Let’s go! Your guide, WanderStories

Beijing Tour Guide Top 3

Author : Wander Stories
Publisher : WanderStories
ISBN 13 : 9949516994
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (495 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Beijing Tour Guide Top 3 by : Wander Stories

Download or read book Beijing Tour Guide Top 3 written by Wander Stories and published by WanderStories. This book was released on 2014-11-10 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dear Traveler, Welcome to the WanderStories™ tour of the top 3 sights in Beijing: the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and the Great Wall of China. We are now ready to take you on your personal tour of these world famous landmarks. We will also tell you the history of Beijing and several additional stories about Chinese cuisine and table manners, traditions and customs, holidays and festivals, behavior and etiquette, Peking opera, Chinese humor and jokes. We, at WanderStories™, are storytellers. We don’t tell you where to eat or sleep, we don’t intend to replace a typical travel reference guide. Our mission is to be the best local guide that you would wish to have by your side when visiting the sights. So, we meet you at the sight and take you on a tour. WanderStories™ travel guides are unique because our storytelling style puts you alongside the best local guide who tells you fascinating stories and unusual facts recreating the passion and sacrifice that forged the beauty of these places right here in front of you, while a wealth of high quality photos, historic pictures, and illustrations brings your tour vividly to life. Our promise: • when you visit these top 3 sights in Beijing with this travel guide you will have the best local guide at your fingertips • when you read this travel guide in the comfort of your armchair you will feel as if you are actually visiting these top 3 sights in Beijing with the best local guide Welcome to Beijing, Beijing is the capital of the world’s largest nation and one of the most populous cities on earth. Its history is as complex or as simple as you might like it to be. The first mention of Beijing as a city is in records from the Zhou dynasty in the 11th century B.C.E. And there’s no doubt that three thousand years that have passed since then have given the Chinese people plenty of time to shape one of the most unique cities on earth. There is only one thing to do now – visit! Let’s go! Your guide, WanderStories

Beijing Tour Guide Top 10: a travel guide and tour as with the best local guide

Author : Wander Stories
Publisher : WanderStories
ISBN 13 : 9949516978
Total Pages : 1697 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (495 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Beijing Tour Guide Top 10: a travel guide and tour as with the best local guide by : Wander Stories

Download or read book Beijing Tour Guide Top 10: a travel guide and tour as with the best local guide written by Wander Stories and published by WanderStories. This book was released on 2015-01-24 with total page 1697 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dear Traveler, Welcome to the WanderStories™ tour of the top 10 sights in Beijing: the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall of China, the Lama Temple, Beihai Park, the Drum and Bell Towers, the Summer Palace, the Confucius Temple and the Beijing Imperial College, Tiananmen Square, and Jingshan Park. We are now ready to take you on your personal tour of these world famous landmarks. We will also tell you the history of Beijing and several additional stories about Chinese cuisine and table manners, traditions and customs, holidays and festivals, behavior and etiquette, Peking opera, Chinese humor and jokes. We, at WanderStories™, are storytellers. We don’t tell you where to eat or sleep, we don’t intend to replace a typical travel reference guide. Our mission is to be the best local guide that you would wish to have by your side when visiting the sights. So, we meet you at the sight and take you on a tour. WanderStories™ travel guides are unique because our storytelling style puts you alongside the best local guide who tells you fascinating stories and unusual facts recreating the passion and sacrifice that forged the beauty of these places right here in front of you, while a wealth of high quality photos, historic pictures, and illustrations brings your tour vividly to life. Our promise: • when you visit these top 10 sights in Beijing with this travel guide you will have the best local guide at your fingertips • when you read this travel guide in the comfort of your armchair you will feel as if you are actually visiting these top 10 sights in Beijing with the best local guide Welcome to Beijing, Beijing is the capital of the world’s largest nation and one of the most populous cities on earth. Its history is as complex or as simple as you might like it to be. The first mention of Beijing as a city is in records from the Zhou dynasty in the 11th century B.C.E. And there’s no doubt that three thousand years that have passed since then have given the Chinese people plenty of time to shape one of the most unique cities on earth. There is only one thing to do now – visit! Let’s go! Your guide, WanderStories

Beijing

Author : Linda Jaivin
Publisher : Reaktion Books
ISBN 13 : 1780233000
Total Pages : 288 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (82 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Beijing by : Linda Jaivin

Download or read book Beijing written by Linda Jaivin and published by Reaktion Books. This book was released on 2014-05-15 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reaktion’s new CityScopes series consists of concise, illustrated guides that provide a social and urban history from a city’s beginnings to the present day. Written by authors with unique and intimate knowledge of each city, these books offer fascinating vignettes on the quintessential and the quirky. In the first book of the series, Linda Jaivin explores a city at the heart of one of the world’s oldest civilizations and the capital of its newest superpower—Beijing. In China’s central city, Jaivin finds thousands of years of history dating back to our ancestors, a story that includes dynastic empires, sieges, massacres, rebellions, and political spectacle. Recounting the lively history of the city, Jaivin discovers the Peking Man and the capital’s many legendary incarnations, such as the Cambaluc that Marco Polo wrote about in awe. She reveals it to be full of charismatic personalities and dramatic events, a place that has produced some of China’s most iconic works of literature, theater, and music. She also offers thought-provoking essays on contemporary topics ranging from the elemental problems of air and water to the vibrant art scene and the architectural adventurism of the city’s “hyperbuildings.” Generously illustrated, this guide provides helpful maps and suggested itineraries as well as practical recommendations for hotels, restaurants, museums, and other sites. Taking readers to lakeshores, down into the subway, and around the bustling art districts, Beijing is the ultimate introduction to this extraordinary city for travelers and armchair explorers alike.