Did you make a New Year’s Resolution to read and learn more? Setting a goal to read more books is one of the best choices to make for the new year 2022. Reading is a relaxing pastime and a way to learn and discover more about the world. If you want to learn more about China this year, these are the most amazing books to read about China and some of my personal favorites!

Get your bookshelf ready and a cozy chair to sit in while you tackle these great books to read about China in 2022.

#1: China in Ten Words by Yu Hua

If you have not read a lot about modern China, this book is the perfect starting point. The famous contemporary writer Yu Hua takes you on a tour of modern China and its society and economy through ten Chinese words.

#2: Land of Big Numbers by Te-Ping Chen

One of my favorite books of 2021, Land of Big Numbers is a collection of ten short stories of characters from modern China. Through stories of ordinary life, you can get a deeper understanding of today’s life in China.

#3: AI Superpowers by Kai-Fu Lee

As the race to dominance in AI and other tech fields grows, you should absolutely have this incredible book by AI pioneer and China expert Kai-Fu Lee on your shelf to understand China’s role in the future.

#4: Street of Eternal Happiness by Rob Schmitz

Set in modern-day Shanghai, journalist Rob Schmitz takes readers on a journey up and down the shops and homes of Changle Lu, a street he translates as “Street of Eternal Happiness.”

#5: China’s Second Continent by Howard French

As China-Africa ties grow stronger and more numerous, this book is essential reading to understand the lives, motivations, and perspectives of the Chinese migrants working on the African continent.

#6: Mao Zedong: A Life by Jonathan Spence

This famous China scholar sadly passed away on Dec 25, 2021, but his books deserve to be read again and again as they stand the test of time. This book covers the life of Mao Zedong from humble origins to leader of the People’s Republic of China, and is essential to understand modern China’s most famous leader.

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Savannah Billman

Savannah Billman has a master's degree in Chinese Law and Society at the Yenching Academy of Peking University. She holds a B.A. from NYU Shanghai and has also written for The World of Chinese, TechNode, SupChina, and Sixth Tone.

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