It took Bill Purves three months to walk across China from Hong Kong to the Mongolian border. He set off with just a rain poncho, tent flap and a small backpack, buying food as he went along, navigating by asking farmers for directions. Staying off the beaten path would be an understatement. Purves avoided tourist spots and towns larger than the smallest dot on the map. His path took him along paddy trails and berms. He camped out under bridges, haystacks or occasionally with a Chinese peasant family. This is a China travel book unlike any other. It has the feel of the "real" China, the China that is known to the large majority of its 1.

3 billion people who live on farms and in small towns. Dip into the text at almost any page and come across fascinating observations and insights about rural China not seen anywhere else in English. The text is illustrated with maps and photograps supplemented by an appendix giving advice on the practicalities of walking in China. Bill Purves is a Canadian engineer, longtime Hong Kong resident and competitive runner and race-walker. He is the author of Barefootin the Boardroom about daily life in a typical Chinese office and factory.