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Travel Essays & Travelogues

High Tech and Hot Pot

Revealing Encounters Inside the Real China

by (author) Stephan Orth

translated by Jamie McIntosh

Publisher
Greystone Books Ltd
Initial publish date
Aug 2020
Category
Essays & Travelogues, Travel, China
  • Downloadable audio file

    ISBN
    9781771645652
    Publish Date
    Oct 2020
    List Price
    $22.95
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781771645621
    Publish Date
    Aug 2020
    List Price
    $22.95

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Description

An award-winning writer reveals a changing China—one conversation and adventure at a time.

When Stephan Orth lands in China, he knows it’s his last visit, having lied about his job as a journalist to get into the country. So, he makes the most of it, couch-surfing with locals instead of hitting the nearest hotel. Starting in Macau—a former Portuguese colony and now gambler’s paradise—Orth takes on the world’s biggest casino. Next, he visits Shenzen, where more than 200 million sidewalk cameras monitor citizens who win and lose points on Sesame Credit, an app that sends data to Alibaba—and to the government. As his adventure continues, Orth encounters a bewildering mix of new tech and old traditions. Over a steaming bowl of hot pot, he learns ancient chopstick etiquette from a policewoman who later demos the facial recognition app she could use to detain him. He eats dog meat as a guest of honor one day—and finds himself censored on live TV the next. He even seriously considers joining an outlawed sect. Self-deprecatingly funny, compassionate, and observant, High Tech and Hot Pot is a formidable addition to a well-loved series, and offers a timely travelogue of an enigmatic country poised to become the world’s next superpower.

About the authors

Stephan Orth is an award-winning journalist and best-selling author. For nine years, he was online travel editor for Der Spiegel, one of Germany’s top news magazines, and he has contributed to National Geographic, the Courier-Mail, and Time Off magazine, among other publications. His next book, Couchsurfing in Russia, will publish in fall 2018. He lives in Hamburg, Germany.

Stephan Orth's profile page

Jamie McIntosh's profile page

Editorial Reviews

“This open-minded, bemused portrait of a history-rich yet futuristic China beguiles.”
Kirkus Reviews