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Land Without Ghosts: Chinese Impressions of America from the Mid-Nineteenth Century to the Present
Americans have long been fascinated with European views of the United States. The many Chinese commentaries on America, however, have remained largely unavailable to the English reader. Land without Ghosts presents for the first time selections on America from Chinese writings over the last 150 years. Included are extracts from the travel diaries of nineteenth-century diplomats, a first-hand account of blacks in 1930s Alabama and of the young white Communists working to organize them.
328 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
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January 9, 2025
Land Without Ghosts (available for free on hollis!) and i go way back - i wrote an essay on it for my very first class in college, a gened on Chinese history. Still, that was only on a couple small chapters. After a chance encounter with this book in Italy of all places, I knew it was time to fully read and review. (Also I'm writing this on an endless flight with nothing to do lol)
Land Without Ghosts is an anthology of Chinee perspectives on the USA, from the 1700s all the way to the time of Deng Xiaoping. The chosen works come from Chinese travelers, students, diplomats, academics, businesspeople, writers, and all other types, experiencing a changing america through a growing Chinese lens. Americans tend to not view China and America as having a ton of contact, and other than the Chinese Exlcusion Act, China and the US has very little political contact until the 70s. So it's interesting to see Chinese perspectives on our great country in the lead up.
(Notably, Western experiences visiting China have always been popular, from Marco Polo to Pearl Buck. And once with Edwin Stevens, a Yalie, starting the second bloodiest war in human history after visiting China. Oops.)
So, chapter by chapter, my review of things.
George Washington and the American Political System by Xu Jiyu: as the book notes, Xu never visited the US, so his knowledge and interest is limited to what he's read about American politics. He goes into great detail about the American voting system, and is most particularly interested in how the president, post-presidency, is just a regular dude. He also absolutely loves George Washington (same,tbh) comparing him positively to Ancient Chinese heroes, "more courageous than Sheng or Guang, braver than Cao or Liu." Americans did the same thing, to be fair, nicknaming him the American Cincinnatus. "Should he not be called the most exceptional among men!?"
Trains and Treaties by Zhigang, 1868: Notably part of Chinas first diplomatic mission to the US. Extremely impressed by trains, speaks positively about his encounter meeting pres. Johnson. Shocked at how much handshaking we do. Very much an interesting outsider perspective.
Strange Customs by Zhang Deyi, 1868. This is a very good essay, talking about the more mundane beauties of American life: a nice outdoor restaurant, the streets of new york (this will be a recurring theme), visiting the white house (humorously he believes the term white house is a mockery) and congress, and discussing American rituals, including adultery and kissing. Very enjoyable read. Finishes by explaining how lit Faneiul hall is (true!) Predicts a second civil war since the parties hate each other.
Glimpses of a Modern Society by Li Gui, 1876: He is very impressed by the power of women in American society, viewing china's waste of women (preventing education, outright having families kill female babies) as wasteful and inferior. Extremely impressed by American firefighters, "most perfect." Shocked that attractive prostitutes can be prosecuted.
Travel in the interior, Chen Lanbin, 1878: China meets Mormonism! (Imagine if the Taiping Rebellion was this instead). Kinda boring, just history
How to cope with Western Dinner Parties, Cai Jun, 1881: A very entertaining read. This is a guide for Chinese visitors to the United States of everything they should bring along to impress Americans, including fancy bowls and tea cups. Gives a lot for etiquette tips. One if the most in depth essays
Two Poems, Huang Zunxian, 1882 and 1885: Poetry about racism against Chinese people. Most interestingly is his opinion that Americans have ruined the ideals Washingotn set. The second poem, about the election of 1884, is far more interesting. Both parties are the same, super corrupt, politics is all realpolitik and issues are largely irrelevant. Actually a very entertaining poem, highly recommend.
Chinese in america, Zhang Yinhuan, 1886: this book gives mini biographies about all the Chinese writers, and is crazy how many are either executed or assainated or commit suicide. Sheesh. He discusses the awful and racist immigration system into SF of the time. His court case story, of the uncle, nephew, and knife, is super interesting, def read
Translators Notes to Uncle Tom's Cabin, Lin Shu, 1901: apparently UTC was super popular in China, and Lin views the American attitudes towards Chinese and African people similarly. Crazy how he also beings by glazing Washington. Lin changes the books name to "a black slaves cry to heaven" in an effort to fix the "inelegance" of the original.
The Power and Threat of America, Liang Qichao, 1903: the longest description in the book, Liang spent a lot of time and wrote a ton about the US. He discusses the high and lows of New York, beauty and poverty, and compares America's heavy wealth inequality to China's. He speaks reverent about his meeting with JP Morgan, and finds the trusts very bad. The most interesting part is his reflection on Teddy's speech about American power in the Pacific. He thinks heavily about the possible effects of Roosevelet expanding the power of the Monroe doctrine. Lynching and racism discussion - rather powerful. He's also very reflective, considering Chinese flaws relative to America. The notes on "village mentality", especially given his opinion that Teddy is wrong in his push for a more nationalized USA, are interesting and still resonate well today
Report on an Investigation of American Education, Huang Yanpei. 1915: notes that Americans don't skip gym class. Based. Comparss US education system positively next to chinas. Shocked by sex ed. I actually think his writings paints the US school system of the time in a very nice light. Big fan.
The American Women, Hu Shi, 1914-1918: compares "self made" American love to "duty made" Chinese love. Impressed by US women and family lives. His note on Mills view of eccentricity as a virtue, especially for American women, is telling of a cultural shift he sees. His comparison of "PHD type women" show his view of nuance. Very interesting article. Also spends a lot of focus on suffragettes
The Contradictory American Character, Tang Hualong, 1918: Tang discusses four contradictions in American life, the most interesting being the one between hard work and hard play, as the book puts it. Impressed by the intense busyness Americans feel toward both labor and leisure. He also discusses the contradiction between American individuality and publicity. Very cool. (His final contradiction is between US science and religion. A valid point, i just don't find he has much to say on the matter. Makes an interesting comparison with Chinese perspecrive at least).
Things about America and Americans, Xu Zhengkeng, 1918-1921: Time is money, money is money, Rockefeller rules the world. Most interesring part is his discussion of three different ways of greeting people:
China: where are you from?
England: who is your father?
USA: how rich are you?
Americans also Hella superstitious - true!
Presidential Elections, Li Gongpu, 1928: 18 years after writing this, Li is assassinating under mysterious circumstances. Huh. This is one of the most interesting essays in the whole book, as it discusses the actual political issues in the Hoover - Smith election: Prohibition and Catholicism. Very interesting to hear about Chinese perspecrive on protestant catholic relations this early on. He also just writes so happily and excitedly, def would read more by this guy
The American Family, Gongwang, 1932: beginning the section discussion the negatives of the US, Gongwang discusses all that is wrong with the US family unit. He tells a joke about a son charging his father comical rent to hyperbolic his point about Americans not really caring about family members. Also, viva Nevada divorce laws! Also too much materialism and hedonism. I don't view what he says as particularly accurate, but hey, this is why we seek other viewpoints and such
Alabama, Reds and Blacks: Zou Taofen, 1935:
Fun fact: in apartheid south Africa, Chinese people were consider black while Japanese were white. Anyways, this is an extremely interesting story of firsthand Chinese experience of the racial divide in Jim Crow Alabama. Zou is considered white but is horrified by the treatment of black people, and even more, by the absurdity. In particular, he talks of people using comical unconfortable stools on a bus to avoid sitting next to black people. The kicker is that he finds that the Chinese population in Selma and Birmingham is disproportionately successful, hence him being treated as white. Super interesting story. Also talk about interesting times meeting socialist activists.
Impressions on Reaching America, Lin Yutang, 1936: This essay more than any other focuses on America's natural beauty. The willows, the elms, the rivers, and the jovialness of all Americans to take part in this. He compares Americans to kids always wanting new toys. Speaks extremely positively about the USA compared to china. (Except the politics ,lol)
Burlesque, George Kao, 1937: I love this article: random Chinese guy finds himself in striptease shows. Feels like a family guy episode. Read this one. Comes with some... interesting illustrations
The shallowness of cultural tradition, Fei Xiaotong: My favorite essay in the book. He is the father of Chinese sociology so not surprising that he is do good at it. His main point is that Americans don't have a long history, and the American lifestyle and family structure is set up for kids to worship Superman, not their ancestors. His prose is really good, at times you feel like yours reading a classic novel, not a sociology piece. Please please read this article. He also praises the cultural mixing found all over America, which is pretty great.
Some Judgments about America, Xiao Qian, 1945: just a big overview. His writing is overshadowed by the accompanying illustrations drawn by Ye Qianyu depicting / satirizing American life, which are great
Betty: A portrait of Loneliness, Yang Gong, 1948: the first piece explicitly written as Communist propaganda (by a member of the pre-1949 ccp, no less), this is the story of a depressed American girl who's life is going nowhere. Tries to chart the loneliness of American life, so def interesting at the very least.
A day in the country, Du Hengzhi, 1946-1948: The most chill piece in the book, interior love this story. Just about a Chinese guy discovering southern hospitality, vitality, and vivacious southern girls. Jovial and super well written.
Americans Lack of Personal Style, Yin Haiguang, 1954: In addition to mocking American philosophers, this one has so many great quotes
- more punctual than Kant
- what america has most of are automobiles and what it has least of, I think, are things like style
- apart from the confucians, however, are any of chinas other types of personality at all attractive?
Black Ghost, Yu Guangzhong, 1965: A story in the style of Poe about visiting Poe's grave. Baltimore gonna Baltimore. Not my favorite but I don't live the art style, others def would
Eating in America, several guys, several years: The first story is a guy complaining that all American food sucks after having McDonald's once and going to one dinner party. Rude and wack. The second one contains the line: "apart from hardboiled eggs, turkey slices, ham slices, beets, and boiled potatoes, there is only one real dish" like bro what. Footnote in the third story discusses how Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving to remind us of how hard it was for the pilgrims, which is actually pretty funny. Overall, man, these writers complain a lot about our delicious food. Wack. The third is the most interesting, and tries for more nuance. But cmon.
Okay plane landed. There are more stories, read them!
Land Without Ghosts is an anthology of Chinee perspectives on the USA, from the 1700s all the way to the time of Deng Xiaoping. The chosen works come from Chinese travelers, students, diplomats, academics, businesspeople, writers, and all other types, experiencing a changing america through a growing Chinese lens. Americans tend to not view China and America as having a ton of contact, and other than the Chinese Exlcusion Act, China and the US has very little political contact until the 70s. So it's interesting to see Chinese perspectives on our great country in the lead up.
(Notably, Western experiences visiting China have always been popular, from Marco Polo to Pearl Buck. And once with Edwin Stevens, a Yalie, starting the second bloodiest war in human history after visiting China. Oops.)
So, chapter by chapter, my review of things.
George Washington and the American Political System by Xu Jiyu: as the book notes, Xu never visited the US, so his knowledge and interest is limited to what he's read about American politics. He goes into great detail about the American voting system, and is most particularly interested in how the president, post-presidency, is just a regular dude. He also absolutely loves George Washington (same,tbh) comparing him positively to Ancient Chinese heroes, "more courageous than Sheng or Guang, braver than Cao or Liu." Americans did the same thing, to be fair, nicknaming him the American Cincinnatus. "Should he not be called the most exceptional among men!?"
Trains and Treaties by Zhigang, 1868: Notably part of Chinas first diplomatic mission to the US. Extremely impressed by trains, speaks positively about his encounter meeting pres. Johnson. Shocked at how much handshaking we do. Very much an interesting outsider perspective.
Strange Customs by Zhang Deyi, 1868. This is a very good essay, talking about the more mundane beauties of American life: a nice outdoor restaurant, the streets of new york (this will be a recurring theme), visiting the white house (humorously he believes the term white house is a mockery) and congress, and discussing American rituals, including adultery and kissing. Very enjoyable read. Finishes by explaining how lit Faneiul hall is (true!) Predicts a second civil war since the parties hate each other.
Glimpses of a Modern Society by Li Gui, 1876: He is very impressed by the power of women in American society, viewing china's waste of women (preventing education, outright having families kill female babies) as wasteful and inferior. Extremely impressed by American firefighters, "most perfect." Shocked that attractive prostitutes can be prosecuted.
Travel in the interior, Chen Lanbin, 1878: China meets Mormonism! (Imagine if the Taiping Rebellion was this instead). Kinda boring, just history
How to cope with Western Dinner Parties, Cai Jun, 1881: A very entertaining read. This is a guide for Chinese visitors to the United States of everything they should bring along to impress Americans, including fancy bowls and tea cups. Gives a lot for etiquette tips. One if the most in depth essays
Two Poems, Huang Zunxian, 1882 and 1885: Poetry about racism against Chinese people. Most interestingly is his opinion that Americans have ruined the ideals Washingotn set. The second poem, about the election of 1884, is far more interesting. Both parties are the same, super corrupt, politics is all realpolitik and issues are largely irrelevant. Actually a very entertaining poem, highly recommend.
Chinese in america, Zhang Yinhuan, 1886: this book gives mini biographies about all the Chinese writers, and is crazy how many are either executed or assainated or commit suicide. Sheesh. He discusses the awful and racist immigration system into SF of the time. His court case story, of the uncle, nephew, and knife, is super interesting, def read
Translators Notes to Uncle Tom's Cabin, Lin Shu, 1901: apparently UTC was super popular in China, and Lin views the American attitudes towards Chinese and African people similarly. Crazy how he also beings by glazing Washington. Lin changes the books name to "a black slaves cry to heaven" in an effort to fix the "inelegance" of the original.
The Power and Threat of America, Liang Qichao, 1903: the longest description in the book, Liang spent a lot of time and wrote a ton about the US. He discusses the high and lows of New York, beauty and poverty, and compares America's heavy wealth inequality to China's. He speaks reverent about his meeting with JP Morgan, and finds the trusts very bad. The most interesting part is his reflection on Teddy's speech about American power in the Pacific. He thinks heavily about the possible effects of Roosevelet expanding the power of the Monroe doctrine. Lynching and racism discussion - rather powerful. He's also very reflective, considering Chinese flaws relative to America. The notes on "village mentality", especially given his opinion that Teddy is wrong in his push for a more nationalized USA, are interesting and still resonate well today
Report on an Investigation of American Education, Huang Yanpei. 1915: notes that Americans don't skip gym class. Based. Comparss US education system positively next to chinas. Shocked by sex ed. I actually think his writings paints the US school system of the time in a very nice light. Big fan.
The American Women, Hu Shi, 1914-1918: compares "self made" American love to "duty made" Chinese love. Impressed by US women and family lives. His note on Mills view of eccentricity as a virtue, especially for American women, is telling of a cultural shift he sees. His comparison of "PHD type women" show his view of nuance. Very interesting article. Also spends a lot of focus on suffragettes
The Contradictory American Character, Tang Hualong, 1918: Tang discusses four contradictions in American life, the most interesting being the one between hard work and hard play, as the book puts it. Impressed by the intense busyness Americans feel toward both labor and leisure. He also discusses the contradiction between American individuality and publicity. Very cool. (His final contradiction is between US science and religion. A valid point, i just don't find he has much to say on the matter. Makes an interesting comparison with Chinese perspecrive at least).
Things about America and Americans, Xu Zhengkeng, 1918-1921: Time is money, money is money, Rockefeller rules the world. Most interesring part is his discussion of three different ways of greeting people:
China: where are you from?
England: who is your father?
USA: how rich are you?
Americans also Hella superstitious - true!
Presidential Elections, Li Gongpu, 1928: 18 years after writing this, Li is assassinating under mysterious circumstances. Huh. This is one of the most interesting essays in the whole book, as it discusses the actual political issues in the Hoover - Smith election: Prohibition and Catholicism. Very interesting to hear about Chinese perspecrive on protestant catholic relations this early on. He also just writes so happily and excitedly, def would read more by this guy
The American Family, Gongwang, 1932: beginning the section discussion the negatives of the US, Gongwang discusses all that is wrong with the US family unit. He tells a joke about a son charging his father comical rent to hyperbolic his point about Americans not really caring about family members. Also, viva Nevada divorce laws! Also too much materialism and hedonism. I don't view what he says as particularly accurate, but hey, this is why we seek other viewpoints and such
Alabama, Reds and Blacks: Zou Taofen, 1935:
Fun fact: in apartheid south Africa, Chinese people were consider black while Japanese were white. Anyways, this is an extremely interesting story of firsthand Chinese experience of the racial divide in Jim Crow Alabama. Zou is considered white but is horrified by the treatment of black people, and even more, by the absurdity. In particular, he talks of people using comical unconfortable stools on a bus to avoid sitting next to black people. The kicker is that he finds that the Chinese population in Selma and Birmingham is disproportionately successful, hence him being treated as white. Super interesting story. Also talk about interesting times meeting socialist activists.
Impressions on Reaching America, Lin Yutang, 1936: This essay more than any other focuses on America's natural beauty. The willows, the elms, the rivers, and the jovialness of all Americans to take part in this. He compares Americans to kids always wanting new toys. Speaks extremely positively about the USA compared to china. (Except the politics ,lol)
Burlesque, George Kao, 1937: I love this article: random Chinese guy finds himself in striptease shows. Feels like a family guy episode. Read this one. Comes with some... interesting illustrations
The shallowness of cultural tradition, Fei Xiaotong: My favorite essay in the book. He is the father of Chinese sociology so not surprising that he is do good at it. His main point is that Americans don't have a long history, and the American lifestyle and family structure is set up for kids to worship Superman, not their ancestors. His prose is really good, at times you feel like yours reading a classic novel, not a sociology piece. Please please read this article. He also praises the cultural mixing found all over America, which is pretty great.
Some Judgments about America, Xiao Qian, 1945: just a big overview. His writing is overshadowed by the accompanying illustrations drawn by Ye Qianyu depicting / satirizing American life, which are great
Betty: A portrait of Loneliness, Yang Gong, 1948: the first piece explicitly written as Communist propaganda (by a member of the pre-1949 ccp, no less), this is the story of a depressed American girl who's life is going nowhere. Tries to chart the loneliness of American life, so def interesting at the very least.
A day in the country, Du Hengzhi, 1946-1948: The most chill piece in the book, interior love this story. Just about a Chinese guy discovering southern hospitality, vitality, and vivacious southern girls. Jovial and super well written.
Americans Lack of Personal Style, Yin Haiguang, 1954: In addition to mocking American philosophers, this one has so many great quotes
- more punctual than Kant
- what america has most of are automobiles and what it has least of, I think, are things like style
- apart from the confucians, however, are any of chinas other types of personality at all attractive?
Black Ghost, Yu Guangzhong, 1965: A story in the style of Poe about visiting Poe's grave. Baltimore gonna Baltimore. Not my favorite but I don't live the art style, others def would
Eating in America, several guys, several years: The first story is a guy complaining that all American food sucks after having McDonald's once and going to one dinner party. Rude and wack. The second one contains the line: "apart from hardboiled eggs, turkey slices, ham slices, beets, and boiled potatoes, there is only one real dish" like bro what. Footnote in the third story discusses how Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving to remind us of how hard it was for the pilgrims, which is actually pretty funny. Overall, man, these writers complain a lot about our delicious food. Wack. The third is the most interesting, and tries for more nuance. But cmon.
Okay plane landed. There are more stories, read them!
May 15, 2017
Perfectly fine for what it is.... a collection of essays about the US written by Chinese and Taiwanese.
While not riveting and not a page turner per say, it is interesting.
While not riveting and not a page turner per say, it is interesting.
March 16, 2015
I thought this was an interesting collection of firsthand accounts of America by Chinese visitors. Sort of by its nature, it was a bit "spotty"--covering some topics and time periods more than others, but I liked the editors' comments woven throughout to put the narratives in context.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews