Best Chinese culture books at our Shanghai school

Books, like students, are our friends. And just like good friends, we prefer good books.

Yet sometimes it’s hard to find good books about China: some foreigners have thoroughly misunderstood the country, for whatever reason (commonly because they don’t speak the language). And there are many Chinese books, but only a tiny-tiny portion has been translated into English.

Here we listed ten that give an honest look into Chinese culture, Shanghai history, and also did we add a book that helps for learning in general.

They’re in our to-be-extended bookshelf in our French Concession school — which is close to the real Shanghai Library but not exactly inside the Shanghai Library. (We also have plenty of books in Yangpu).

So drop by for Chinese class and pick up a book to read at home, or put a book for others to read. You’re also welcome to recommend books to us!​

Available books on China

Wish Lanterns by Alec Ash

Foreigners writing a book about their foreign friends: a recipe hard to botch but more difficult to master. In essence, this book isn’t different than Road of Eternal Happiness or Young China, but is one of the best of such book. It’s difficult not to be moved by the coming of age of Fred, Dahai, Xiaoxiao, Snail, Lucifer and Mia — six Chinese individuals born in the late 80s — as they face the challenges of young and having to alternate between dreams and pragmatism.

Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin, translated by Chi-chen Wang

This is one of four of China’s great classical novels, also named The Story of the Stone. Written in the 18th century and is partly autobiographical, as it reflects the life of author Cao Xueqin itself — about his tribulations of his own family and, by extension, of the Qing dynasty.

Betwixt and Between by Margaret Sun

A memoir by Margaret Sun, born in Shanghai in 1935. Sun writes about her life that has taken her through several corners of China as well as the hope and despair history brought to her. For this it’s a great account of how China’s extraordinary history was experienced by ordinary citizens.

The Analects by Confucius (translated by D.C. Lau)

These 249 pages are a collection of Confucius’ sayings, compiled by his students shortly before his death in the year 497. Read it not only for personal wisdom, but also to understand Chinese tradition and philosophy better, which is in large part based on Confucianism. And as a language school, we and many of our students also fully agree with Confucius’ quote: “Is it not indeed a pleasure to acquire knowledge and constantly to exercise oneself therein?”

Factory Girls by Leslie T. Chang

More than a hundred million Chinese citizens work in factories in lives which the rest of the world is totally unaware off. Yet they’re the driving force behind China’s thriving economy. In this book, Leslie T. Chang tells their story, from day-to-day life details to how they view the world.

 

Oracle Bones by Peter Hessler

One of the most famous books about modern China: A humbling portrait of a changing country and some of its sons and daughters. This book is hard to place because it wraps up individual stories as well as a bigger picture of economic gains and disruptions and profits brought by that.

Ball Lightning by Liu Cixin (translated by Joel Martinsen)

Ball Lightning is science fiction without the spaceships or time travel, but at a more abstract, even philosophical level. The character of the book are vastly different from each other, unconventional in their own ways. Chen, the narrator of the book, is obsessed and unravels ball lightning piece by piece, while he himself develops into another person too. As a book it’s very loosely connected to Liu Cixin’s famous trilogy: The Three-Body Problem.

Also available at GoEast in Chinese!

Geography of Thought by Richard Nisbett

This little gem will change the way you think about thinking and introduces you to the fact that people from different cultures may see a slightly different world than you do. Written in clear language, it compares the dominant thinking structures of Westerners (e.g. US & Europe) with that of East Asians (e.g. China & Japan). It goes back to Aristoteles and Confucius but also using ecology, economy, and culture to rationalize it, as well as experiments to prove it.

Last boat out of Shanghai by Helen Zia

Helen Zia writes weaves together individual stories from Shanghai in the mid 20th century, as Chinese families fled to all over the world. Despite the title, the stories are very much about many places in Shanghai you can still visit today. Recommended and praised by our cheerful student 邬乐!

Educated by Tara Westover

Another book recommended by our student 邬乐. This book has nothing to do with China, but it has everything to do with learning. Tara Westover does not hide the horrors of her childhood as the book touches on violence, religion, patriarchy, parenting, family, conspiracy theories, self-confidence, and so much more. Bust most of all it’s about education. Despite what this paragraph may suggest, the book is filled with poetic flowing sentences, filled with a positive and inspiring message.

Also available at GoEast in Chinese!

You can add Jaap for more info, or to ask if a book is available to borrow.