The Rise of West Lake

"[A]n eminently readable history of place that defies easy categorization with regard to scholarly genre."

"What is most admirable about this book is the accessible manner in which the subject matter is presented. The author effortlessly selects gems of wisdom, grounded in the realities of the place, and presents this to the readers in an easily digestible way...a key reading in the history of tourism and also in tourism geography, particularly for those interested in topics related to China."

"Represents a major contribution to the field of China studies in general, Song dynasty studies in particular, and the fields of urban studies, leisure and tourism, place studies, and material and visual culture"

"The Rise of West Lake: A Cultural Landmark in the Song Dynasty explains the political, commercial, and cultural developments that led to West Lake’s prominence in the gaze of Chinese sightseers for close to a millennium. But the book does more than just recount the emergence of West Lake as a sightseeing destination...The result is a richly textured analysis that has much to offer historians of Middle Period China (800–1440), but is accessible to non-specialists as well."

"Xiaolin Duan is great at telling the story of how beautiful West Lake became a tourist destination, political symbol, extension of the imperial capital city of Hangzhou, market place, religious place, poetic symbol, and idealized image and idea."

"The scholarship in the book demonstrates a skillful command of primary sources, a broad knowledge of secondary literature, and attentiveness to literary and artistic conventions. It should be of interest to those who study premodern Chinese literature and culture, art history, urban history, place studies, commercial culture, and early modernity. The book will also serve as a great secondary reading for courses on travel literature, poetry and paintings, early modern history, Chinese cities, and material culture."

"Excellent. . . . Duan demonstrates a strong and impressive command of both primary and secondary sources."

"A major contribution to the field of China studies in general, Song dynasty studies in particular, and the fields of urban studies, leisure and tourism, place studies, and material and visual culture."