Along the direction of the monsoon

The freedom of the soul must first experience a period of "self-exile"—this is a truth I've only gradually come to understand over the years. "Along the Monsoon" is a record of this "enlightenment" process. The journey contains both joy and happiness, as well as hardships and loss. The only constant is the yearning and pursuit of spiritual freedom. Looking back, I'm very glad I wrote "Along the Monsoon." It is both a true record of our world and a poignant recollection of the passage of time itself. —Liu Zichao · ★ Representative work by Liu Zichao, author of "A Satellite Lost": A journey from India to Southeast Asia, finding spiritual freedom in the land of gods. Young writer Liu Zichao sets out again, heading south with the wind, from India to the countries of Southeast Asia—Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Thailand—embarking on a transcendent journey chasing the monsoon. In the land of gods, in a crumbling era, he encounters people of all stripes, comprehends the beliefs that sustain humanity, and helps us rediscover spiritual freedom. ★ A journey of self-exile and enlightenment, written for all wandering souls: Life is an illusion, yet it flourishes like tropical plants. This is a journey of self-exile and enlightenment, written for all wandering souls. Along the way, you will encounter countless civilizations ravaged by time, meet thousands of people living on the borders of poverty, survival, and morality, and comprehend the Indian philosophy of "life is an illusion"; witness the world's most dangerous work in the hellish volcanic crater, and see Buddhism saving all beings in the alms procession of Luang Prabang. You will witness how life can be as lush, vibrant, and diverse as tropical plants. When the times are tough and the path ahead is narrow, go to a broader world, to see that in such a world, there are still such people, living such lives. ★ Trains cross India, slow boats sail to the South Seas, a sensory-rich tropical wander, steam, heat, and magic waft from the pages. Black smoke rises from bodies by the Ganges River, ancient temples on the Cambodia-Thailand border are surrounded by landmines, and gunshots ring out late at night in the Philippines. Listen to coconuts falling into the Mekong River, get drenched by tropical rain during island hopping, lose balance in a volcanic inferno. Trek through the last anarchist mountains, cross a dark kingdom on a luxury cruise, and find yourself in the world's largest slum. Continuing his elegant and humorous style, with a calm and insightful tone, Liu Zichao brings us stories and scenery like sea breezes, a wet, hot, and magical experience you've never had before. ★ Followed by Li Jian, Luo Xin, Xu Zhiyuan; a representative work by the One Way Street Annual Young Writer, includes unpublished travel poems and roadside photography. He is "the most outstanding travel writer of this generation" in Xu Zhiyuan's eyes. Singer Li Jian praised him for "breaking my prejudice against travelogues." Peking University Professor Luo Xin commented that he "has a true traveler's perspective." He won the One Way Street Library Literary Award · Annual Young Writer, and his works have won Douban's #1 Annual Book and annual good book awards from Sina, Sohu, New Weekly, and Southern Metropolis Daily. His new book "Along the Monsoon" sets out anew, a wilder Liu Zichao-style journey, including poems written along the way and multiple photographic works. ★ Scams in northern Myanmar, India's squalor—where do current chaotic phenomena come from? A book to shed prejudice and rediscover India and Southeast Asia. Scams in northern Myanmar, India's squalor, controversy over drug crackdowns in the Philippines... Where do current chaotic phenomena come from? Hindu sectarian conflicts, Cambodia-Thailand border disputes, anti-Chinese riots in Indonesia... How did history get into such a predicament? Follow in Liu Zichao's footsteps, and on this journey, witness the dramatic changes in India and Southeast Asia under the impact of globalization and modernization, analyzing the essence of different countries by "peeling back the layers of an onion." "The entire essence of a country—its history, character, attitude—can only be revealed by peeling it like an onion, layer by layer." · ◎ Content Introduction "Along the Monsoon" is one of Liu Zichao's representative travel literary works. He leads us to countries swept by the monsoon, capturing the soul of these regions undergoing dramatic changes through the intertwining of history and reality. By the Ganges River, amidst tearful pilgrims and black smoke rising from cremation pyres, he experiences the almost instinctive sense of life's continuation for Indians; in the Golden Triangle of northern Myanmar, he meets refined overseas Chinese descendants struggling to maintain the only Chinese school in the area; on the Thai-Cambodian border, he visits ancient temples surrounded by landmines, uncovering a hidden painful memory; at the Ijen volcano crater in Indonesia, sulphur workers making a living in hell extend a helping hand, and he realizes that human presence is the soul of Java. He witnesses a sense of dignity that modernization has failed to erode, and also sees the global exchange of money and love; he witnesses the loss of civilization and the birth of suffering, and also comprehends the beliefs that sustain humanity. He encounters people and lives of all stripes, and with an insightful and calm brush, he writes about how in such a world, there are still such people, living such lives. · Liu Zichao broke my prejudice against travelogues. What he recorded was simple and vivid, but beyond that, what interested me more were his thoughts and ideas, because the author's own vision, thought, and even spirit determine the depth and meaning of a journey. —Li Jian, Musician Liu Zichao's travels are different from those of ordinary tourists. He has a true traveler's perspective, going deep into streets and alleys, interacting with people, inheriting a very excellent tradition of travel literature. —Luo Xin, Professor of History at Peking University Among the burgeoning travel writing in the Chinese world, Zichao is a name that cannot be ignored. His curiosity, insight, hesitation, and habitual self-indulgence all exude a special charm. —Xu Zhiyuan, Writer, Founder of One Way Space With writers like Liu Zichao, we accelerate our understanding of the world. He makes difficult arrivals time and again, delves deep into local culture and history, and then, through exquisite and apt writing, unveils the mysterious veil of the world, sparking our desire to understand it. After reading Zichao's books, I always hope I can follow his route, and always hope I can write such books myself. —Yu Minhong, Founder of New Oriental Liu Zichao's work has a concise prose style, as well as a unique sense of humor, curiosity, and adventurous spirit, making it a joy to read. Liu Zichao is a keen observer of human nature and a very talented writer. —Jon Lee Anderson, Senior Correspondent for The New Yorker While modern people are accustomed to the convenience of information on the internet, he insists on physically entering the scene and recreating the journey through literature. The human conditions he witnesses and writes about refresh our coordinates and perspectives for viewing today's world. And those unfamiliar place names on the fringes and in the cracks of the world also become connected to us due to the presence of a Chinese writer. —One Way Street Literary Award Citation

2023-11-01

南海出版公司

New Classic Culture

304

9787573505798