CHINA AS SHE IS: A Comprehensive Album 1934

Shanghai 1934, Liang You Pub. 3/4 cloth, over grey and black boards, 474p., 10 folding charts, 20 color, many b.w. photos & plates,full text in English & Chinese, gold stamped covers 2nd impression, bit wear to head/tail, else spine solid.RARE *** *** *** . . . A MAJOR PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD OF CHINA . . . PRE-1937 JAPANESE DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT CHINA: . . This stunning work was done just two and a half years prior to Japanese systematic destruction of ancient China. . This is a major resource on all provinces of China, with a chapter on each, showing products, photographs of the sights and useful description of the art manufactures & art works, natural & historic beauty, many fold out statistical charts, a fabulous guide to the "real" China. By and large, the most comprehensive single photographic resource on the whole country ever done just before the Sino-Japanese war of 1937. . A SCARCE PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD ! This is an important photographic record of China prior to the mass destruction of coastal & interior Chinese cities by the Japanese. A substantial part of ancient China was permanently damaged and destroyed from 1937-1945. In that regard, we believe this is an important and historic photographic record of old China, as it has looked for centu ies. . *** THE CONTENTS: Per the foreword as written by the publishers: "We seek to present in the following pages a valuable collection of materials illustrative of the widely divergent aspects of Chinese life and manners and conducive to a sound understanding of the Middle Kingdom." . This book is arranged by province order, some 20 in all. In addition, a separate matching chapter on Manchuria, Sinkiang, Jehol, Chahar, Suiyan, Sikiang, Tibet & Mongolia is at the end. . Each chapter begins with a color photo of a famous place, followed by full description of the area, its mountains, rivers and physical features, main cities, capital, important buildings, famous and scenic spots, gardens, pagodas, temples, and lavishly illustrated with many b.w. photographs. . *** THE PHOTOGRAPHER: YUAN-HENG CHANG: . Beautifully photographed in b.w. by the eminent Chinese veteran photographer Mr. Yuan-Heng Chang. He was also associated in Shanghai with Liang Yu Publishing Co., as an editor. During his sojourn he traveled extensively throughout China contributing his photographs to this work as well as CHINA TODAY, CHINA'S SCENIC BEAUTY, CHINA'S SCULPTURAL BEAUTY and CHINA'S ARCHITECTURAL BEAUTY. Later he became the publisher and editor-in-chief of Liang Yu Hua Pao [Young Companion]. In 1948 Chang moved to Hong Kong. . Other photographs by T.S. Leung, P. Auyoung & W. Szeto. . *** FOLDING APPENDICES: This work contains 10 folding charts [maps] at the rear of the text. Such things as population count; count of foreign population; list of roads, railroads, trams, freight cars, trucks, buses, bicycles, cars and other modes of transportation, road mileage; list of rivers, distance; telegraph service to each province; educational statistics, number and location of schools; list of natural products, production, agricultural products by city and type of product; comparison of China's product production vs. foreign production. Excellent statistical study of the perio . . *** QUAINT ADVERTS: There are a number of period "quaint" advertisements at the rear several with both English & Chinese texts. The adverts promote Chinese-American publications, photo engraving [with English & Chinese], Sincere Company, with its 47 branches, New Asia Hotel, dental cream, cigarettes, steamship company, jewelers, wall paper, furnishings, and many others. Some with lovely photographs. . *** SIZE: This book is a large folio, 22 x 33 cm., and ca. 5.5 cm. thick, it weighs about 4kg. . *** LARGE AND HEAVY ITEM: This is a large and heavy item, appropriate insurance or registry, packing & shipping apply. . ***.