Terrific to see Scottish artist Anna Hotchkis featured in the “Great Scots in China” series published by the Scottish Government in China and the UK Embassy. Born in Renfrewshire in 1885, Hotchkis trained at Glasgow School of Art and Edinburgh College of Art as well as being associated with the artist community in Kirkcudbright, Dumfriesshire. She also spent time in Beijing and Northern China, painting. Here’s the full article here. BTW: if you want even more on Hotchkis I wrote about her for the SCMP magazine a while back here
Frank Dorn’s A Map and History of Peiping: Formerly Known as Peking, 1936, first edition, Peiyang Press Ltd., Peiping 1936….which includes Dorn’s famous map of Peking many of you may known from my book Midnight in Peking. The frontispiece below is complete with Dorn’s illustrations of Chinese, Manchu and Mongols.
China Books Review has issued its best of 2025 list across a bunch of categories (NB: my own pick is in the novels section if you’re into Shanghai- and Hong Kong-set historical fiction) ….. click here to read
A Chinese export silver-mounted black lacquer 2-handled tea tray, retailed by Hung Chong, with artisan mark, rectangular form, with faux bamboo handles, and central presentation plaque in 1937 to Mr JC Pullen on the occasion of his marriage, from the Asiatic Petroleum Co Ltd of Shanghai. Afraid I know very little about Mr Pullen except he lived at one time on Route Mayen (Huading Road) in the French Concession.
A photo album of “The Sino-Japanese Hostilities 1937 in Shanghai” sold by Ah Fong 819 Nanking Road Shanghai. Designed to be bought primarily by Shanghailanders I assume it contains a series of widely republished images of the events of summer 1937 including some graphic shots of the bombs of Bloody Saturday on the International Settlement and Frenchtown. The photos came in this brilliantly produced special album….
For English language readers outside China, these translations of The Running Flameand Soft Burial help to reframe Fang Fang as a writer of more than Wuhan Diary. I review these two new translation from Fang Fang (and Michael Berry) from Columbia University Press – sorry it’s paywalled but now is a great time to take out a subscription to the Mekong Review– (click here to subscribe)…
The Beatles, on what would be their final world tour, arrived in a place unlike any other. The Philippines was home to America’s biggest military bases in the region at a time when Vietnam was ramping up to its height. The Marcoses were photogenic, and on the surface at least, poster children for democracy: Ferdinand and Imelda were dubbed the ‘Jackie and JFK’ of Asia, by Life Magazine. The Beatles management saw the tour as a lucrative opportunity to open up new markets.
At some point before their arrival invitations were sent directly and via the local promoter, to lunch at the Presidential Palace. Whether those invitations were responded to or not is disputed. But when escorts arrived to get the band on the morning of July 4, 1966, their manager, Brian Epstein, refused to go. This did not go down well. Over 300 people, including Imelda and her family, were left standing on live TV.
Despite two large and successful concerts, official displeasure left the Beatles fearful for their security and desperate to leave. A torrid time at the airport at the hands of Palace guards left them swearing never to return – and determined to end their touring career. Initially, the band distinguished between the fans and the officials but later they all got lumped together into one ‘bad’ experience. The Beatles went on to greater creative heights as a studio-based band. The country, so little known in the West, became defined by the story.
Ask yourself – have I got all 5 “China Revisited” concise historic reprints of travel writing on Hong Kong, Macao & southern China ranging from the Victorian era to the 1930s complete with illustrations, annotations & introductions? And if not, why not? And how soon can I get them from Blacksmith Books, Bookazine or my kocal independent bookshop? Christmas is coming!! Remember the China Hand in your life….
