VR Burkhardt – Peking’s Fox Tower – 1958

Posted: April 12th, 2023 | No Comments »

 I found this book in an art bookshop in London – Chinese Creeds and Customs Vol III by VR Burkhardt (who worked at the British Embassy in Peking between 1913-1923). The bookwas published in 1958 by the South China Morning Post. It includes some information on the Fox Tower (Dongbienmen) which interested me as obviosuly it is a key location in my book Midnight in Peking. It also intersted me as recently a blogger accused me of inventing the Fox Tower! A slightly odd accusation as the book includes a map of Peking from the 1930s identifying the Fox Tower, which is also referred to in numerous books from Juliet Bredon back in the day to Michael Aldrich more recently.

Burkhardt knew Peking very well and even sketched the Tower for his book.

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