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Michael Meyer
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The Last Days of Old Beijing: Life in the Vanishing Backstreets of a City Transformed Paperback – May 26, 2009

by Michael Meyer (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 149 ratings
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A fascinating, intimate portrait of Beijing through the lens of its oldest neighborhood, facing destruction as the city, and China, relentlessly modernizes.

Soon we will be able to say about old Beijing that what emperors, warlords, Japanese invaders, and Communist planners couldn't eradicate, the market economy has. Weaving historical vignettes of Beijing and China over a thousand years Michael Meyer captures the city's deep past as he illuminates its present, and especially the destruction of its ancient neighborhoods and the eradication of a way of life that has epitomized China's capital. With an insider's insight, The Last Days of Old Beijing is an invaluable witness to history, bringing into shining focus the ebb and flow of life in old Beijing at this pivotal moment.

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  1. Print length
    384 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Bloomsbury USA
  4. Publication date
    May 26, 2009
  5. Dimensions
    5.56 x 1 x 8.27 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0802717500
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0802717504
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Meyer's powerful book is to Beijing what Jane Jacobs's The Death and Life of Great American Cities was to New York City.” ―Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“An emissary from a nation that routinely junks its own past and starts anew, Meyer finds himself a champion of an unpopular cause.” ―Holly Brubach, T: The New York Times Style Magazine

“His book reads like a love letter to the hutongs and to Old Beijing itself, a snapshot snatched before the scene disappears forever.” ―Rob Gifford, Slate Magazine

“A charming memoir and a compelling work of narrative nonfiction about the city itself.” ―Ian Johnson, Wall Street Journal

“The book...is a delightfully observed view of a vast part of Chinese society that barely was glimpsed during the recent Olympics, yet is fading away.” ―Kim Ode, Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Heartfelt, understated, readable prose.” ―Utah Daily Herald

“But his history of land development in Beijing, from the time of the Italian Jesuit Matteo Ricci to Mao to the present, and of attempts in Hanoi, Havana and other Communist cities to preserve their own sense of place, are just as compelling (and sad) to read.” ―Richard B. Woodward, New York Times Travel Section.

“[A] substantive, smart book...Meyer knows the ins and outs of hutong history because he's one of the few Westerners to have ever lived in one.” ―Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air

“In The Last Days of Old Beijing: Life in the Vanishing Backstreets of a City Transformed, longtime resident Michael Meyer eloquently portrays the madness of the city during this period.” ―Karl Taro Greenfeld, Los Angeles Times

“Michael Meyer tells the story of Beijing's destruction from the perspective of one tiny hutong (narrow lane) neighbourhood to the south of Tiananmen Square where he taught in a school. A spiritedness shines through among his earthy neighbours, even in the face of what Mr. Meyer calls "the Hand", which, visiting always at night, paints the Chinese character for "destroy" on houses that are to be razed.” ―The Economist

“All in all, his record of the dying ways of a city is an impressive feat.” ―Kate Sekules, New York Times Book Review

About the Author

Michael Meyer first went to China in 1995 with the Peace Corps. The winner of a Lowell Thomas Award for travel writing, Meyer has also won a Whiting Writers' Award for nonfiction and a Guggenheim Fellowship. His stories have appeared in the New York Times, Time, Smithsonian, Sports Illustrated, Slate, the Financial Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Tribune. He is the author of The Last Days of Old Beijing, which became a bestseller in China, and he divides his time between Pittsburgh and Singapore.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury USA; Reprint edition (May 26, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0802717500
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0802717504
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.56 x 1 x 8.27 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 149 ratings

About the author

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Michael Meyer

Michael Meyer

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"Benjamin Franklin's Last Bet" author Michael Meyer took a wide route to the story, starting back in 1995, when he was sent to China as one of its first Peace Corps volunteers. His first book, the acclaimed "The Last Days of Old Beijing," resulted in a Whiting Writers’ Award for nonfiction, followed by a Guggenheim Fellowship. His second book, "In Manchuria," won a Lowell Thomas Award for Best Travel Book from the Society of American Travel Writers, as did the third book in his China trilogy, "The Road to Sleeping Dragon." Among other outlets, Meyer’s stories have appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Time, Smithsonian, Sports Illustrated, Slate, the Financial Times, Foreign Policy, Architectural Record, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Iowa Review, the Paris Review, and on National Public Radio’s This American Life. He has received a National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholar award, the Berlin Prize, and residencies at MacDowell, the New York Public Library’s Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers, and the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center in Italy.

Currently a Fulbright Scholar in Taipei and a Visiting Scholar at Oxford University's Centre for Life-Writing, Meyer is working on a biography of Taiwan. He is a professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh, where he teaching nonfiction writing. He lives in Mr. Rogers' actual neighborhood, Squirrel Hill.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
149 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the information in the book good, compelling, and comprehensive. They also describe the writing style as well-written, captivating, and approachable for Western readers. Readers describe the book as a terrific, enjoyable, and travelogue-type book. They find the stories interesting and entertaining. Overall, customers say the book is an invaluable record of a time and place.

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Information qualityWriting styleReadabilityInterestEntertainment value
18 customers mention "Information quality"18 positive0 negative

Customers find the information in the book good, compelling, and comprehensive. They appreciate the personal insight and statistics. Readers also describe the writing style as unique and provide a new perspective on the old debate.

"...a community slated for destruction, the book provides a compelling and comprehensive analysis of the current redevelopment situation in the city...." Read more

"...The book has plenty of facts and statistics for those readers who need that type of information - Mr. Meyer obviously had done his homework and..." Read more

"...He does impressions, he does history lessons, and he also does diligent research..." Read more

"...It's an accurate portrayal of the current conflicts as China's capital struggles to find balance between pushing itself forward as an established,..." Read more

11 customers mention "Writing style"11 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing style captivating and approachable for Western readers. They say the book is a worthwhile read.

"...However, the author's storytelling approach and vibrant writing style are unique and provide a new perspective on the old debate...." Read more

"...in modern Chinese literature, but in a way that is very approachable for the Western reader...." Read more

"...interested in China and/or urban planning, you will find this a worthwhile read." Read more

"...Michael Meyer's writing is engaging and personal...." Read more

9 customers mention "Readability"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book terrific, enjoyable, and informative. They also say it's a good travelogue-type book.

"This is a terrific book on the level of both memoir and reflection on urban development and the value added to communities in preserving historic..." Read more

"...A very interesting read, very satisfied with my purchase!" Read more

"...It was actually a good and informative read...." Read more

"...I thought it was a good travelogue-type book. My brother taught in China for a couple of years." Read more

8 customers mention "Interest"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book interesting, entertaining, and informative. They mention it's an invaluable record of a time and place.

"...There are very interesting stories of the author's experiences in Beijing, however, there is a plethora of information about other cities, other..." Read more

"Very interesting description of life in one of the old Beijing neighborhoods that were spared destruction to make room for high rise apartments...." Read more

"...had by truly participating in the subject, this book is an invaluable record of a time and a place." Read more

"...of Beijing and the rapid changes in China this book was very entertaining and informative." Read more

3 customers mention "Entertainment value"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining.

"Quite realistic, entertaining. Recommend to people who have little or no prior experience of old "China"." Read more

"Fun and educational...." Read more

"Well researched, interesting and entertaining..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

lms
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read before visiting Beijing
Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2010
Verified Purchase
This book is a non-fiction memoir, travelogue, and historical work about life in Beijing hutong. Hutong are narrow streets lined with old courtyard homes that are shared by many families and located in central Beijing. Written over the course of several years by an American ex-pat living and volunteering within a community slated for destruction, the book provides a compelling and comprehensive analysis of the current redevelopment situation in the city. The author's main premise is that the race to redevelop Central Beijing by government and private developers, the city is destroying the fabric of the traditional neighborhood and irreparably damaging the long-term growth of the economy and sustainability of the region. What is being lost is the community feeling, along with the basic functions of the neighborhood, in ways that will have impacts on Beijing, but also China as a whole.

Beijing's urban renewal program is not a new subject for Western accounts of Chinese growth, nor of Beijing's efforts to modernize the city. However, the author's storytelling approach and vibrant writing style are unique and provide a new perspective on the old debate. Unlike other accounts of the hutong destruction or reports of the city's extensive preparations for the Olympics, which focus on documenting the breadth of the destruction, this book zooms into the fate of one community to tell the story. The author provides personal anecdotes and stories from his time living and teaching in the Fresh Fish Junction area of Beijing to illustrate the impact of the demolitions on individuals. I highly recommend this book.
2 people found this helpful
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V. Mac
4.0 out of 5 stars The Last Days of Old Beijing
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2011
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This book is both what I hoped for and what I hoped it wouldn't be. There are very interesting stories of the author's experiences in Beijing, however, there is a plethora of information about other cities, other countries, that is quite dull reading. Too much information is almost as bad as not enough.

I am glad to have this book and even if I knew about all the extra info, I would still buy it. The service was very good and the book is in excellent condition.
One person found this helpful
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A. Silverstone
5.0 out of 5 stars Unique Viewpoint from American Living in Hutong
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2009
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Michael Meyer has constructed an engrossing book about life in the traditional lower class communities of Beijing. The courtyard houses are subdivided into small one or 2 room dwellings clustered around narrow lanes, hutong in Chinese. They do not have plumbing or even proper kitchens. There are public latrines and bathhouses for taking care of the necessities of life. This is not an easy way of life, at least to Westerners used to a higher standard of living. However, these hutongs thrive with a communitarian spirit that is absent anywhere else in the city. Meyer chronicled his two years of living like no other Westerner, among the poor in the hutong. Despite initial apprehension, his neighbors accept him as their own. Meyer alternates between life in the hutong, teaching English at a neighborhood elementary school and describing the rapid destruction of hutongs, especially in the run up to the Olympics, in the name of "progress" and the loss of the lifestyle associated with them. He also puts it in the context of the greater history of Beijing, and attempts at preservation in China and around the world. This fascinating book gives a realistic view of the hutong life that is rarely seen, even in modern Chinese literature, but in a way that is very approachable for the Western reader. Meyer excels when describing the lives and the travails of himself and his neighbors in the hutong.
4 people found this helpful
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Jim McCutcheon
5.0 out of 5 stars Not going to Beijing? You should still read this book!
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2011
Verified Purchase
"The Last Days" is a real-life drama of both the author who lived there and dedicated years to understanding life in the hutongs of Beijing, and of the residents of this traditional lifestyle neighborhood. Although the story-line centers on Michael Meyer's own experiences while living in a space smaller than many American's walk-in closets, his weaving together of the histories of both the hutong's and of China in general produces a depth of understanding for the reader that other travel writers can only dream of creating. The book has plenty of facts and statistics for those readers who need that type of information - Mr. Meyer obviously had done his homework and then some. For me, though, what made the book compelling were the life stories of his neighbors, from school children, to the wise elderly widow, to the man who could and did recycle everything for a living. In no uncertain terms he relates the frustrations of the few native Chinese who recognized that destruction of the hutongs destroys a piece of everyone's cultural foundations, and who sought to stop the work of The Hand that mysteriously identified buildings for destruction. Although the edition I read contained the 2009 epilogue, I'd love to read "Part 2" of the story to learn what has happened in the last few years.
If you plan on visiting Beijing, please read this before you go and then arrange a tour through one of the hutongs before they are all razed. If you are not going to Beijing, read the book for the insights it provides into a culture that is struggling to maintain a respect for its history while becoming a super-power in the 21st century.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Katerina
4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful look at Beijing's Hutong life
Reviewed in Australia on January 8, 2019
Verified Purchase
I read this while travelling in Beijing. It provides a wonderful insight into Hutong living and provided a better starting point for my daily walks through them. The mix of history and current impacts makes this a good read for anyone spending time in Beijing.
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Ian Kennedy
5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best books on Beking I've read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 9, 2009
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If you want a tourist guide don't buy this book. This is probably one for people really interested in the Chinese people (every day folk)not China. The author's total immersion system gives him a genuine view and experience of what it is like to live in a Beijing Hutong, among the lower social classes who scrape a living but are full of life and character. It gives an insiders view of a community. Their fears for the future and their struggles with authority. The ever present threat of demolition and relocation. The efforts of individuals to record or stop the wholesale desecration of a city. Meyer writes with great sensitivity and insight. I hope he writes another. Having seen the interview on youtube it would be a real treat to meet him and have him guide you around Beijing.
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Midshipman
4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 6, 2021
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Can't praise this book highly enough. The author writes movingly and from the inside as it were, about a fascinating world on the brink of extinction.
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Suzanne Australia
5.0 out of 5 stars I really enjoyed this book
Reviewed in Australia on August 10, 2015
Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed this book. It started me wanting to read more about China. The author has a very interesting viewpoint as he lived in parts of the city being destroyed. He also linked it to many other big cities in the world. This is a worthwhile read. .
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J
4.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 21, 2017
Verified Purchase
A fascinating book that helps to put a face to policy in contemporary China. Thoughtful and engaging, the book touches on many issues, not just the demise of the hutong.
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