China: Contrasting Contours

In 'China: Contrasting Contours', Raana Haider presents a travelogue structured around three cities—Beijing, Shanghai, and Kunming—to capture the dramatic transformations of a nation. The book explores how a civilization famed for its ancient brilliance and communist revolution now embraces capitalism and consumerism with equal fervor. Haider contrasts the historic Great Wall and Forbidden City with Shanghai's futuristic skyline, and the tradition of calligraphic scrolls with the prevalence of Harry Potter posters in Chinese. She also highlights the cultural irony of a land that originated chow mein and dim sum now hosting countless KFCs and Starbucks outlets. The narrative touches on the rise of a new "Me Generation" of elites who have replaced the older "Mao Generation," and the revival of China's self-image as the world's center stage, symbolized by hosting the 2008 Olympics and the 2010 World Expo. Through her journeys within these metropolises, Haider weaves a tale that contrasts the glories of the past with the vibrancy of the present, offering readers a portrait of a country undergoing multiple metamorphoses.