The Dean of Shandong: Confessions of a Minor Bureaucrat at a Chinese University

Bell, Daniel. The Dean of Shandong: Confessions of a Minor Bureaucrat at a Chinese University. 2023. 208p. ISBN 9780691247120.

A renowned Canadian scholar of Confucian studies, Dr. Daniel Bell was nominated in 2016 to serve as the Dean of the School of Political Science and Public Administration at Shandong University in China, effective January 1, 2017. As a fluent speaker of Mandarin and lover of the Chinese culture, Bell found it an honor to be the first foreigner appointed to serve in a politically sensitive position in a Chinese university. 

In his position as Dean, Bell had to navigate the bureaucracy of a university, coupled with the restrictions imposed by the Communist Party. Publications in Chinese journals had to be run through the censors before being approved. Publications in foreign journals did not. Despite decades of learning the language and the culture, Bell still found himself committing faux pas that led to misunderstandings.

His appointment catalyzed views from the West that he might be too pro-Beijing, and his interviews and opportunities to speak to Western reporters decreased as the years went by. Though he himself had not changed, his perceived connection to the Communist Party line was enough to reduce his engagement with the political and journalistic world of the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Despite all these restrictions, however, Bell provides a unique view on current Chinese academics. He describes a society changing rapidly, but that still clings to traditional modes such as hair dying for leaders, to avoid the optic of getting old. He explains how leadership is more collective, and compares and contrasts the relative strengths of the Chinese system versus Western democracies.

Fans of China will appreciate Bell's deep dive behind the headlines to explore what life in Communist China is really like and how Chinese citizens perceive the Western powers.

Descendant of the Crane

He, Joan. Descendant of the Crane. 2019. 416p. ISBN 9780807515518. 

Hesina has led a privileged life. As the daughter of the King of Yan, she has been trained to one day succeed him. However, she always thought that it would much later in her life that this would happen. Instead, when her father is found having been poisoned, she is thrusted onto the Yan throne, where she must hold her kingdom together while enemies threaten her borders. Meanwhile sooth, people who are imbued with magical abilities to see into the future and who are considered heretics deserving of death by a thousand cuts, are suspected of infiltrating the imperial capital, causing tensions among neighbors who suspect each other.

Wanting to avenge her father's death and find out who the killer was, Hesina herself engages the services of a sooth to discover any hint that can lead her to the person responsible. This quest soon turns deadly as the investigation conducted by the tribunal reveals a nefarious plot to destroy Yan. Relying on her family members, and unsure if she can trust them, Hesina recruits the mysterious Akira, a man currently held in the dungeon for unspecified crimes. Brilliant but odd, Akira agrees to help Hesina. 

But the forces allied against them quickly grow in strength and ready themselves to destroy the Yan kingdom once and for all. Will Hesina be willing to pay the cost required to protect her nation?

Monkey

Wu, Cheng-en. Monkey. 2020. 819 mins. ISBN 978-1094016429.

Monkey rules over a tribe of monkeys on the summit of a mountain. There, Monkey acquires enough smarts, weapons, and skills to pretend to join the Jade Emperor's court in Heaven. Monkey may be many things, but what he is most certainly not is patient and humble. In confrontations with deities, Monkey makes enemies, and fights many battles. He is quarrelsome enough that even the Jade Emperor is forced to banish him from Heaven. 

Seeking enlightenment, Monkey heads to a renowned school, where he learns the many forms designed to reach Buddha's grace. He unfortunately angers Buddha himself, who casts him off and imprisons him underneath a mountain. For five hundred years, Monkey is stuck and must reflect on his wanton ways.

When a monk tasked to head west from China to India, to retrieve holy scriptures and bring them back to the Chinese court passes by, he rescues Monkey, who joins him as a disciple. Accompanied by others who are also castaways from Heaven, the small group make their way to India where, after countless perils, adventures, and confrontations with demons, they secure an audience with Buddha himself, and gain a copy of the holy scriptures.

Returning to China, the group is redeemed and achieves enlightenment, and even Monkey learns to become a better individual.

Originally written in the 16th century but most likely told even before, this story tells of the many adventures of the Monkey King. Combining folk tales with lessons on humility and achieving enlightenment, these stories are entertaining and filled with advice. Fans of this story will also enjoy The Epic Crush of Genie Lo, inspired from the Monkey King's epic tales, or the graphic novel American Born Chines.

The Imperial Cruise: A Secret History of Empire and War

Bradley, James. The Imperial Cruise: A Secret History of Empire and War. 2009. 387p. ISBN 978-0-316-00895-2. Available at 359.4 BRA on the library shelves.

By the late 1880s, the United States had declared the frontier settled, and Americans now stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Racist theories espoused by many in American leadership claimed that Native Americans had been defeated because they were uncivilized and barbarians. White Protestant Americans, they claimed, were the superior beings both physically and intellectually. They had followed the sun westward and claimed land for their superior race. When a conflict with Spain occurred, the United States stretched its imperial hands and grabbed Hawaii and the Philippines, while making Cuba and Puerto Rico de facto colonies.

Theodore Roosevelt was a proponent of these racist theories, and he used his considerable power as president of the United States to implement a secret policy of Asian domination. By 1905, the United States were involved in counterinsurgency actions in the Philippines, and were watching with envy European powers carve China. Japan had just defeated Russia, the first time a non-White power had inflicted a loss on a White Christian power. Roosevelt saw this as the perfect opportunity to crack China and allow American businesses to enter its large market.

In a series of secret meetings, Roosevelt illegally negotiated with the Japanese to provide them support to implement their own Monroe Doctrine in Asia to "promote" civilization. These meetings culminated in the annexation of Korea, which the United States had signed a treaty to protect, by the Japanese in exchange for a free hand in the Philippines and with a foothold in China. To cement all of these secret transactions, Roosevelt sent his Secretary of War, William Taft, and his loose cannon of a daughter, on a months long cruise in the Pacific. 

Roosevelt's limited and racist views did not see the long game, and the agreements he made would later directly lead to the Japanese attack in Pearl Harbor, as well as the rise of ultimate triumph of the Communists in China and of the Korean War, costing the United States blood and treasure.

Fans of history will appreciate the impact that short-sightedness, expansionism and the threat of military action had on the political trajectory of the United States.

The Forbidden Temptation of Baseball

Jones Yang, Dori. The Forbidden Temptation of Baseball. 2017. 241p. ISBN 978-1-943006-33-5. Available as an eBook from Overdrive.

Woo Ka-Leong and his brother are embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. The Emperor of China has decided that in order to modernize his country, promising students must go abroad and learn English and technical skills in the United States, before returning to China with advanced degrees to guide the country into the modern age. After studying English in Shanghai for a year, the two brothers and a contingent of about 30 other students head East across the Pacific, then on a train from San Francisco to Hartford. Along the way, the train is robbed, but Elder brother stops them from stealing their gold.

In wintry New England, the students realize that America is very different than what they learned. Welcomed into the Swann’s home, Leon adapts well to his new life, but Elder Brother doesn’t. Leon becomes intrigued by the game of baseball when he discovers the glove of the Swann’s only son, Owen, who died in a tragic accident a year earlier. That accident also incapacitated Miss Charlotte, the Swann’s youngest daughter. He’s also fascinated by trains and steam engines.

Taught by Miss Julia, the Swann’s oldest daughter, the two Chinese boys are often reunited with others in their educational mission, but always return to their foster home. Leon learns how to play baseball, and joins the local team. As Elder Brother’s moods continue to descend into depression and anger, Leon’s progresses quickly in English. With school entrance exams and baseball playoffs coming soon, Leon’s and Elder Brother’s acculturation to American society will be severely tested, and they will need to decide whether they wish to pursue their education or uphold their Chinese traditions.

A great historical novel, The Forbidden Temptation of Baseball presents details of life in the late 19th century New England, as well as the perspective of someone trying to learn the language and adapt to a new society. Fans of history and those interested by recent immigration debates will appreciate how alienation and integration can often go hand in hand.

American Born Chinese

Yang, Gene Lueh. American Born Chinese. 2006. 233p. ISBN 978-1-59643-208-6. Available in the Graphic Novels section of the library.

Jin Wang’s parents are Chinese, and arrived in America only a week apart, yet did not meet until a year and a half later. They dated and married, and eventually Jin was born. The family lived in San Francisco’s Chinatown for nine years before moving out. Jin went to a new elementary school, where he was the only Asian student in 3rd grade, aside from Suzy Nakamura. Jin had to acclimate to a hostile classroom where many of the kids picked on him. In 5th grade, he meets Wen Chen, a new student from Taiwan. Wen tries to make friends with Jin, but Jin is not interested, until Wen takes out a new Transformer. They then become best friends.

The Monkey King is one of the many deities of the Chinese. Rulers of all monkeys in Flower Fruit Mountain, he was denied entry at a deity party, and took it out on all of them by fighting them and winning. Already a Kung Fu master but feeling excluded, he decided to learn more and achieved even more enlightenment. Angry with him, the other gods try to arrest him, only to be defeated again. Eventually, Tze-Yo-Tzuh, He who was, is, and will ever be talked to him. In his hubris, the Monkey King defied his wishes, and was sentenced to lay under a pile of rocks for 500 years.

Cousin Chin-Kee comes to visit Danny once a year, and every time he manages to embarrass Danny so profoundly that he has to change school. This year is no exception. Danny is furious that his cousin is here. A perfect Chinese stereotype, Chin-Kee is smart, too eager, and mispronounces his Ls and Rs. And he manages to humiliate Danny at every turn by being too Chinese.

These three stories all merge to form one tale of acceptance of oneself and one’s ethnic heritage. In this fast-paced graphic novel, Jin discovers that to be happy he needs to be true to himself and his Chinese origins.

Outrun the Moon

Lee, Stacey. Outrun the Moon. 2016. 391p. 607 mins. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Mercy Wong is dedicated to achieving her goal of owning her own enterprise and pulling her family out of poverty. Living with her little brother, her mother, and her father in a small apartment in San Francisco’s Chinatown in 1906, Mercy experiences daily discrimination. Her father runs a laundromat and works sixteen hours a day, seven days a week. Her younger brother is sick and frequently needs medicines. Her mother is a fortune teller who has predicted her own death. Americans dislike the Chinese and have closed off their borders to more Chinese immigration, so even though Mercy is born in the United States and therefore a citizen, she’s considered an alien by the local population.

Having read and thoroughly internalized a treatise on business, Mercy embarks on a mission to join the most prestigious high school for girls in San Francisco, the St. Clare’s School for Girls, where the scions of San Francisco’s rich families go to perfect their education and social graces before meeting a husband. Mercy, however, plans on developing her business acumen and make contacts. Her friend Tom, whom she is romantically interested in, wants to build air machines and refuses to join his father in his herbalist business, planning instead to move to Seattle to work with a certain individual named Boeing.

Mercy convinces Mister Du Lac, a board member of the school and the owner of the most prestigious chocolate maker in the country to help her join the school. She has to pretend to be a Chinese heiress even though she’s never been to China and doesn’t know many of her culture’s more refined customs. None of that deters Mercy, however, who will persevere through mean girls at the boarding school, a strict and disciplinarian headmistress, and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fires that destroy most of the city to achieve her goals of not only succeeding in American society but changing it as well. Filled with humor, this book provides a great look at a relatively unknown period of American history.

Terra-Cotta Soldiers: Army of Stone

Dean, Arlan. Terra-Cotta Soldiers: Army of Stone. Part of the Digging Up the Past series. 2005. 48p. ISBN 0-516-25124-4. Available at 931 DEA on the library shelves.

More than 2,200 years ago, China was divided in seven states, all warring with each other for dominance over the region. One of these states was ruled by a strong man named Chao Cheng. Using novel military tactics, he succeeded in conquering all of the six remaining states one at a time until he was able to unify China. He crowned himself emperor and took the name Qin Shi Huangdi.

Among his many accomplishments were the standardization of the Chinese language and of weights and measures. He also reformed the government and the military. Most importantly, though, Qin Shi Huangdi is known for commissioning a large terra-cotta army that would follow him in the afterlife. His tomb was erected at great costs, both in terms of money and in terms of human capital. Covering over 20 square miles, it included palaces, training fields, and all of the comforts he had enjoyed in life. To protect it all he commissioned an army that could guard him in the afterlife.

Each soldier in this 8,000 strong army is modeled after a specific individual, and comes equipped with weapons and armor of the era. Brightly painted, the army also featured horses and wagons. Discovered in 1974 by farmers, the site has been extensively excavated by archaeologists and has been placed on UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

Sijie, Dai. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. 2002. 184p. ISBN 9780385722209. Available at FIC DAI on the library shelves as well as an audiobook on Overdrive.

In the 1960s, China underwent a convulsing period of its history called the Cultural Revolution. Chairman Mao unleashed legions of fanatics determined to uproot bourgeois and counter-revolutionaries throughout the country. Those who had the misfortune to be educated or better off than the average were forcibly made to present excuses and to apologize. They were also oftentime sent away for re-education into Communist ideas.

The narrator of this story, along with his best friend Luo, are children of professional families. Luo’s father is a famous dentist and even worked on Mao’s teeth. The narrator’s mother is a famous doctor. Having been declared enemies of the people, they are sent to a mountain to work as peasants in the local fields, where their re-education will instill in them pride in their Communist heritage. Arriving on site, they discover that the peasants are backwards and uncultured. The narrator almost loses his violin, his only possession, but Luo manages to convince the village headman that it is used to play music to glorify Mao.

The two of them settle into a hard working routine, until their talents as storytellers are discovered. Suddenly, they are dispensed from work to attend movies in the closest town, two days’ travel away, and then return to the village to retell the story to everyone. One of the most highly sought person in this region is the seamster, who comes around and creates clothes for the residents. His daughter, also a seamstress, is said to be beautiful. Luo and the narrator eventually meet her and they fall desperately in love.

During one of their trip to town they meet with Four Eyes, who is also on the mountain to be re-educated. His mother is a famous poet, and Four Eyes has made the cardinal sin of taking books with him. Though he has tried to keep them hidden, the boys discover them and eventually badger Four Eyes into lending them a thin book by Balzac. Luo and the narrator decide that they will read this book to the Little Seamstress.

By consuming these foreign and illegal novels in China, they are doing more than corrupting their ideas. They are opening their souls and their sight to other worlds beyond their desperate circumstances. And once out, it is hard to tame desire back into its cage. As the three of them grow ever closer, hard choices will have to be made, and not everyone can live happily.