THERE IS GREAT REASON WHY CHINA IScalled the Middle Kingdom and its Chinesecharacter is a globe. For if the earth truly hasan origin梖rom the sweeping sands of the GobiDesert， to the 29，000 foot peak of Mt. Everest， to thelush， palm tree-lined shores of the Wanquan Riverand the sun-drenched tropical beaches of the HainanProvince桟hina would be it. Yet this book， andChina itself， is about much more than a beautifullandscape. China's nearly 1.2 billion people is thelargest population in the world， and with a writtenlanguage almost 4，000 years old and 56 recognizedethnic groups， its richness lies in the history anddiversity of the people and their interdependence withtheir surroundings： the people's development of theland， and the land's inspiration of the people. Thisunique， oversize volume celebrates the many splen-dors of China， and features 180 magnificent colorphotographs， including 36 pages offoldouts in whicheach image expands to nearly four feet wide.Since Marco Polo first returned from the Far East in1295 with exotic treasures and wondrous stories，China has been a land of great fascination to the West.Spectacular China captures all of the fantastic andintriguing natural wonders梩he breath-takingHuangshan Mountains and mist-wrapped peaks ofGuilin; the Golden Summit ofMt. Emei; the 3，400mile Yangtze River that is known as China's "sourceof wealth" and is the longest river in Asia; snowcovered Tibetan peaks; the towering precipicesof Qutang Gorge along the Yangtze River; andHangzhou's quiet， lotus filled West Lake. The rangeof visual treasures is as expansive as the 3.7 millionsquare miles of China itself.The people's impression on the land is just as signifi-cantrom the imperial and ancient， to the modernmetropolises， Spectacular China explores the majestyand mystery of China. Imperial treasures includethe formidable， palatial halls of the Forbidden City;the seven ancient capitals of Anyang， Xi'an， Luoyang，Kaifeng， Nanjing， Beijing， and Hangzhou; andthe 6，000 life-size terra cotta warriors of the secondcentury B.C. Emperor Qin Shi Huang's army.（continued on back flap）
鄂公网安备 42010302001612号 