Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. Introduction: Rain on the Summer Palace 1
4. 1. The Great Rivers 12
5. 2. Out of the Water The Myths and Origins of Ancient China 44
6. 3. Finding the Way Water as Source and Metaphor in Daoism and Confucianism 68
7. 4. Channels of Power How China’s Waterways Shaped its Political Landscape 96
8. 5. Voyages of the Eunuch Admiral How China Explored the World 131
9. 6. Rise and Fall of the Hydraulic State Taming the Waters by Bureaucracy 159
10. 7. War on the Waters Rivers and Lakes as Sites and Instruments of Conflict 188
11. 8. Mao’s Dams The Technocratic Vision of a New China 218
12. 9. The Fluid Art of Expression How Water Infuses Chinese Painting and Literature 254
13. 10. Water and China’s Future Threats, Promises and a New Dialogue 291
14. Acknowledgements 315
15. Picture Credits 316
16. Notes 317
17. Bibliography 327
18. Index 333