Shortcuts
Avenue Edouard VII, Bund, Canton, Cathay Hotel, Chang’an Boulevard, Chunghanhai, Custom House, Forbidden City, French Concession, Fukien, Garden Bridge, Garden Hotel, Great Hall of the People, Great Wall of China, Hangchow, Hollywood Road, Hong Kong, Hopei, Huaihai Road, Huangshan Mountain, International Settlement, Kowloon, Lo Wu Bridge, Lunghua Pagoda, Nanking Road, Nanning City, Pearl River, Peking, Shanghai, Shanghai Bank, Shanghai Club, Shanghai People’s Square, Soochow Creek, Star Ferry Terminal, Summer Palace, West Lake, Whangpoo River, Yangtze River, Yan’an
Nanking Road
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Nanking Road, now known as Nanjing Road is the world’s longest shopping district, around 6 km long, and attracts over 1 million visitors daily. Click here and here to learn more about the history of Nanking Road.
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Nanning City
Nanning, meaning “South Tranquility,” is the capital of Guangxi independent region in southern China that borders Vietnam. Sometimes referred to the “Green City,” it is known for its abundance of lush tropical foliage and its thriving industry.
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Click here to read a brief history about Nanning City.
Click here to learn about Nanning City.
Click here to learn about the history and background of Nanning City.
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The Pearl River
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The Pearl River, also known as the Guangdong or the Canton River, runs through southern China. It is the river Pearl’s Baba suggested to escape in order to reach Hong Kong since the river empties right into The Pearl River Delta right next to Hong Kong.
Click here to learn more about the Pearl River delta.
Tributaries: These are some of the rivers that merge with the Pearl River as it moves toward the delta.
Click here to learn more about the Pearl River.
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Peking
Peking is now known as Beijing. Beijing means “Northen Capital.” Beijing is a large city capital and has a major impact in the in the establishment of China over the centuries. It is the center for transportation, government, culture, and education. Beijing also holds the many historical landmarks such as the Forbidden City and numerous temples.
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Click here to learn more about the history of Beijing.
Click here to learn more about the history of Beijing.
Click here to discover the historical landmarks and attractions of Beijing.
Click here to briefly read information about Beijing.
Click here to view a map of Beijing and all its famous landmarks.
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Shanghai
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Shanghai is split into two regions by the Whangpoo River, now known as the Huangpu River. On the East side is the area known as Pudong. Opposite to Pudong across the river is the Bund. Click here to learn more about how Shanghai progressed from the 1950s to present day.
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Shanghai Bank
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The Shanghai Bank is located along the Bund as building No.12. It is now known as the HSBC Building. Click here to learn more about this building. To learn more about the building’s history and design, click here.
“Each wall of the magnificent marble-faced, octagonal entrance hall contained a mural depicting one of the Bank’s eight major locations: Bangkok, Calcutta, Hong Kong, Long don, New York, Paris, Tokyo and Shanghai. Under the dome the Royal Air Force Club had a specially-designed clubroom featuring mosaics of World War I aircraft. The Bank now serves as the office of Shanghai’s Mayor and his considerable staff. Flanking the front entrance up until 1966 were a pair of bronze lions, their noses and paws rubbed bright by passing Chinese hoping to improve their “joss” or luck. The lions were carted away during the Cultural Revolution and are now languishing in the basement of the Shanghai Museum, possibly awaiting reoccupation of the bank building by the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank” (English.Eastday.Com).
Shanghai Club
The Shanghai Club was the No.2 building along the Bund and was built in 1910 by the British. It featured “the longest bar in the world”. (Below left)
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Click here here, and here to learn more background information on the Shanghai Club.
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Shanghai People’s Square
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Click here and here to learn more about Shanghai People’s Square, a site for mass gatherings and important activities. It used to the be the Race Club where Pearl’s father gambled and lost so much money. Click here to learn more about the history of the Race Club.
The Race Club
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The grandstand still exists but serves today to store books as the municipal library.
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Soochow Creek
Soochow Creek flows under the Garden Bridge to the East to join the Whangpoo River. The famous Garden Bridge, the first real bridge over the Soochow Creek, was built in 1907.
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Soochow Creek is now known as Suzhou Creek. Click here to learn more about the ecological comeback of the creek.
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The Star Ferry Terminal
This is the Ferry that Pearl took once she reached Hong Kong in order to reach Canton to the Chinese Mainland. This crossing still exists today, taking people across Victoria Harbor. Click here for more information on the Star Ferry Company.
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Summer Palace
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The Summer palace is situated northwest of Beijing, China. It is a palace that represents the philosophy and practice of Chinese Garden design. As of 1924 it is a public park.
Click on map for an enlarged version
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West Lake
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West Lake’s Chinese name is Xī Hú, and it is located in Hangzhou, China. It is one of the most famous and scenic tourist spots in Hangzhou. Unfortunately, the lake began to dry up, and is now maintained through man-made methods. Click here to learn the history of West Lake. Click here to learn some fun legends about the creation of West Lake. Click here to see how the beautiful West Lake looks in the winter time.
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Whangpoo River
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Whangpoo River is known as the mother river of Shanghai. It empties into the mouth of the Yangtze River and consists of four Shanghai bridges.
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Click here and here to learn more about the Whangpoo River, the largest river in Shanghai, which now seems to be known as Huangpu River. Click here to learn about Osaka in Shanghai World Expo that was hosted along the shores of Whangpoo River.
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Yangtze River
The Yangtze River is the largest and longest river in China stretching 3,915 miles long. It is the third longest in the world. This river divides China from the North and South. For endless years, Yangtze River has been used for transportation, industry, war, irrigation, and sanitation.
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Click here to learn about the Yangtze River and its most impressive sections.
Click here to read full information about the Yangtze River.
Click here to learn about the history and culture of Yangtze River.
Click here to read more about the Yangtze River.
Click here to learn about the history of Yangtze River and its attractions.
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Yan’an
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Click here to learn more about Yan’an, where Z.G. and Chairman Mao were comrades in the caves together. It became the center of the Chinese communist revolution where Chairman Mao launched a series of training programs to “correct unorthodox tendencies” to mold the peasants into the communist model.
Inside Dreams of Joy 
WOW! Thanks so much for providing exactly what I was hoping to find after finishing Dreams of Joy. My new curiousity regarding China has just found a great resource for satisfaction! Ms. See does such a spectacular job with descriptive details about location, cultural practices and political history in this novel that I feel compelled to research further. I love when a piece of literature does that! Thank you for your excellent works, including also Snow Flower and Shanghai Girls (I’m heading to the library now to find the others)!
Both books drew me into to a period and culture about which I really have little knowledge and provided me a fascinating, intensive read which now leaves me wanting more! I have read other books by Lisa but now I intend to read the ones I have not yet enjoyed . Thank you for your vision and your ability to bring a story to life! Susan