The Emperor Far Away

Far from the glittering cities of Beijing and Shanghai, China’s borderlands are populated by around one hundred million people who are not Han Chinese. For many of these restive minorities, the old Chinese adage ‘the mountains are high and the Emperor far away’, meaning Beijing’s grip on power is tenuous and its influence unwelcome, continues to resonate. Travelling through China’s most distant and unknown reaches, David Eimer explores the increasingly tense relationship between the Han Chinese and the ethnic minorities. Deconstructing the myths represented by Beijing, Eimer reveals a shocking and fascinating picture of a China that is more of an empire than a country.

“Engaging . Narrated by this curious Englishman and peopled by a cast of natives, settlers, tourists, and ex-pats, this absorbing book is a tantalizing introduction to China's diversity and the ethnic and political dynamics at the extremes of its empire . Should interest travel junkies and students of ethnography and geopolitics”

Engaging … Narrated by this curious Englishman and peopled by a cast of natives, settlers, tourists, and ex-pats, this absorbing book is a tantalizing introduction to China’s diversity and the ethnic and political dynamics at the extremes of its empire … Should interest travel junkies and students of ethnography and geopolitics Publishers Weekly
A swift-moving, colorful account of the bewildering array of fiercely independent ethnic groups within an uneasy Chinese “home” Kirkus
A witty and endearing travelogue, and one which presents a view of the country which may surprise even seasoned China watchers … An excellent exposition on how China’s hard-line stance on the immovability of its borders is affecting the lives of millions living on the fringes of both a country and a society South China Morning Post
Honest and nostalgic, David Eimer’s book is as much about his experience of modern-day China as the problem of Han totalitarianism Shortlist
The best of a number of recent synoptic books about the country … Eimer deftly mixes journalistic analysis with personal experiences. These include some salty tales, as the frontier towns he visits are lively places Conde Nast Traveller
Eimer explores the little-visited outer reaches of a nation that’s more empire than country to meet the people chafing under the CCP’s diktats as the state shifts into superpower gear Wanderlust
Bookshelves are now groaning under the weight of China travelogues, but Eimer has forged genuinely new ground as he recounts his travels to China’s furthest corners … A fascinating picture of a part of the country rarely examined in the many books on China’s go-go economy and fast-changing society *** Daily Telegraph
An engaging journal of his travels through some of these liminal lands … Lovely writing Ben Chu, Independent
Eimer has colourful material … A well-written adventure in far-flung places that the world needs to know more about if it is to understand China The Times
Eimer is especially adept at ferreting out obscure historical facts … Part travelogue with vivid descriptions of landscapes and people Scotsman
A fine piece of reportage, which goes a long way to explaining why the Han are seen so often as the representatives of a colonial power, and why separatists, rather than pro-democracy campaigners, are now the greatest concern in Beijing Daily Telegraph
Eimer ... has forged genuinely new ground Daily Telegraph *

David Eimer was the China Correspondent for the Sunday Telegraph from 2007 to 2012, while also working as a columnist and feature writer for the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. Having first visited China in 1988, he has travelled in almost every province of the country and lived in Beijing from 2005-2012. Currently based in Bangkok, Eimer was the Daily Telegraph’s Southeast Asia Correspondent from 2012 to 2014.

Far from the glittering cities of Beijing and Shanghai, China's borderlands are populated by around one hundred million people who are not Han Chinese. For many of these restive minorities, the old Chinese adage 'the mountains are high and the Emperor far away', meaning Beijing's grip on power is tenuous and its influence unwelcome, continues to resonate. Travelling through China's most distant and unknown reaches, David Eimer explores the increasingly tense relationship between the Han Chinese and the ethnic minorities. Deconstructing the myths represented by Beijing, Eimer reveals a shocking and fascinating picture of a China that is more of an empire than a country.

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