Yellow River Odyssey - by Bill Porter (Paperback)

About the Book

Bill Porter, a.k.a Red Pine, connects modern China to its past in a riveting journey down the Yellow River.

Book Synopsis

Bill Porter follows the Yellow River, the world's sixth longest river, from its mouth to its source high in the Tibetan Plateau, a journey of more than three thousand miles through nine Chinese provinces. The trip takes the master translator into what was once the cradle of Chinese civilization and to the hometowns and graves of key historical figures such as Confucius, Mencius, Lao-tzu, and Chuang-tzu. Porter's depth of knowledge of Chinese history and culture is unparalleled. Yellow River Odyssey, already a bestseller in China, reveals a complex, fascinating, contradictory country. Porter masterfully digs beneath China's present-day materialism and the deep wounds of the Cultural Revolution to get at the roots of Chinese culture. And he does so with an ever-present wit and a keen eye for the telling detail. The book also includes more than fifty black-and-white photographs taken by Porter during his travels.

Bill Porter is an award-winning author and translator also known by his pen name, Red Pine. He is considered one of the foremost translators of Chinese texts, especially Buddhist and Taoist poetry and sutras. His translation work includes major Buddhist texts such as The Platform Sutra, The Diamond Sutra, and The Heart Sutra as well as the best-selling poetry collections Taoteching and Collected Songs of Cold Mountain. He is also the author of Zen Baggage and Road to Heaven: Encounters with Chinese Hermits. Porter lives in Port Townsend, Washington.

About the Author

Bill Porter: Bill Porter is an award-winning author and translator who uses the pen name Red Pine for his translations. He is considered one of the foremost translators of Chinese texts, especially Buddhist and Taoist poetry and sutras. Porter was born in Los Angeles in 1943 and grew up in the Idaho Panhandle. After a tour of duty in the US Army, Porter graduated from the University of California with a degree in anthropology, and attended graduate school at Columbia University. However, he left academia, moved to Taiwan and joined a Buddhist monastery, where he stayed for four years. After his stint in a monastery, Porter produced thousands of radio programs for stations in Taiwan and Hong Kong about his travels in China.

Porter's translation work includes major Buddhist texts such as The Platform Sutra, The Diamond Sutra and The Heart Sutra as well as best-selling poetry collections Taoteching and Collected Songs of Cold Mountain. He is also the author of Zen Baggage and Road to Heaven: Encounters with Chinese Hermits. Porter lives in Port Townsend, Washington.