The China Library

One of the best ways to gain some understanding of Chinese culture is through books. Whether it is a writer who has chosen to recount their experiences living and working in the Middle Kingdom, or an expert explaining the ins and outs of Chinese customs, there are so many gripping novels out there. Over the years, I’ve collected quite a few books about China and have created a list of my favorites below on Goodreads. I’ll also feature a few of my favorites in future posts. Enjoy, and happy reading!

Off the Silk Road China Library

River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze

by Peter Hessler

The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom

by Simon Winchester

The Tao of Pooh

by Benjamin Hoff

China: Empire of Living Symbols

by Cecilia Lindqvist

Riding the Iron Rooster: By Train Through China

by Paul Theroux

China Road: A Journey into the Future of a Rising Power

by Rob Gifford

Confucius Lives Next Door: What Living in the East Teaches Us About Living in the West

by T.R. Reid

Lost Horizon: A Novel

by James Hilton

China Dreams: 20 Visions of the Future

by William A. Callahan

China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know

by Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom

Debating China: The U.S.-China Relationship in Ten Conversations

by Nina Hachigian

Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China

by Evan Osnos

XI JINPING: THE GOVERNANCE OF CHINA

by Xi Jinping

Dislocating China: Muslims, Minorities, and Other Subaltern Subjects

by Dru C. Gladney

Fresh Off the Boat: A Memoir

by Eddie Huang

The River at the Center of the World: A Journey Up the Yangtze & Back in Chinese Time

by Simon Winchester

When China Rules the World: The End of the Western World and the Birth of a New Global Order

by Martin Jacques

Pékin: Capitale impériale, mégapole de demain

by Roger Darrobers

Lonely Planet: China

by Damian Harper

Tao Te Ching : A New English Version

by Lao Tzu

麦田里的守望者

by J.D. Salinger

Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio

by Pu Songling

Idiom Stories

by Wu Min

Mandarin Phrasebook

by Anthony Garnaut

The Dog: Stories

by Jack Livings

Frontiers of Heaven: A Journey to the End of China

by Stanley Stewart

Getting Around in China

by Fred Richardson

New Penguin Parallel Text: Short Stories in Chinese: Short Stories in Chinese

by John Balcom

Part of the China library in the Off the Silk Road office.