Sailing through China

by Paul Theroux, Patrick Procktor (Illustrator)

An account of a cruise down the Yangtze River of China offers commentary on the author's journey from Chungking to Shanghai, his fellow travelers, and the Chinese people, culture, scenery, landmarks, and cities

Genres: Travel, China, Nonfiction, Asia, Travelogue, Nautical

64 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Paul Edward Theroux is an American travel writer and novelist, whose best known work is The Great Railway Bazaar (1975), a travelogue about a trip he made by train from Great Britain through Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, through South Asia, then South-East Asia, up through East Asia, as far east as Japan, and then back across Russia to his point of origin. Although perhaps best known as a travelogue writer, Theroux has also published numerous works of fiction, some of which were made into feature films. He was awarded the 1981 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his novel The Mosquito Coast.

He is the father of Marcel and Louis Theroux, and the brother of Alexander and Peter. Justin Theroux is his nephew.

Reviews

[Lobstergirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Theroux sailed down the Yangtze in 1980 (we know the year because the Gang of Four trial is underway) with a bunch of American millionaires, "and though it seems a contradiction to say so, these millionaires represented a cross-section of American society. Some had inherited their money, some had got it from divorce settlements, or had married into it, or had made it from nothing. One had made it from brokering, another from gun accessories, another from burglar alarms... All of them had travelled before. Half had already been to China once and knew their way around Inner Mongolia. The rest were novices and called Mao 'Mayo', and confused Thailand with Taiwan, and Fuji with Fiji."

"It struck me that many of the American passengers were sedentary types. One man said to me, 'Back home, my wife and I lead a very sedimentary life.'"

Theroux did occasionally get off the boat. He concludes that "The Chinese were practical, unspiritual, materialistic, baffled and hungry, and these qualities had brought a crudity and a terrible fatigue to their country. In order to stay alive they had to kill the imagination; the result was a vegetable economy and a monochrome culture."

[Raghu · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a surprisingly short book, rather a booklet, by Paul Theroux, spanning barely 64 pages. Theroux takes a luxury boat ride down the great Yangtze river in China in 1984, starting from Chungking (Chongqing) and ending in the city of Shanghai. Unlike his other travels, he does this trip in the company of a number of American millionaires. If one has read his later work on China, `Riding the Iron Rooster', one would find that some of the views expressed here are echoed there as well. Since I read this book in 2014, a good thirty years after it was written, I had the luxury of looking at the prognosis made in the book about the future of China and comparing it with what we know today.

It is clear that Theroux is not a Sinophile. So, no one should read this book looking for `feeling good about China'. Nor is he a fan of his `millionaire' travelling companions. I was aware of what Theroux thought of China, having read `Riding the Iron Rooster'. But I was surprised by his pessimism about mankind's future as well. It looks as though China depressed him quite a bit.

On China and the future, he writes, "...travelling down the Yangtze is also a glimpse of the future. In a hundred years or so, under a cold uncolonized moon, what we call the civilized world will all look like China, muddy and senile and old-fangled: no trees, no birds and shortages of fuel, meat and metal; but plenty of pushcarts, cobblestones, ditch-diggers and wooden inventions. Nine hundred million farmers splashing through puddles and the rest of the population growing weak and blind working the crashing looms in black factories........Our future is this mildly poisoned earth and its smoky air. We are in for hunger and hard work, the highest stage of poverty - no starvation but crudeness everywhere, clumsy art, simple language, bad books, brutal laws, plain vegetables and clothes of one color. It will be damp and dull....wil be monochrome and crowded....a version of China....the Chinese are practical, unspiritual, materialistic, baffled and hungry and these qualities had brought a crudity and terrible fatigue to their country. In order to stay alive they had to kill the imagination; the result was a vegetable economy and a monochrome culture." Surely, these are searing words.
In 1984, China had slogans written all over about all sorts of things. Theroux says, "...In China, anyone will write anything anywhere. For example, `Love Public Property' would be written on the face of a fine historical building, defacing it in the process". He remarks about barren hills along the Yangtze and pollution in the cities even in 1984, when China's modernization had just began. So, the pollution in China that we read about so much these days, is perhaps not entirely due to the rapid industrialization.

Elsewhere there are some original observations about his millionaire travelling companions on the boat. He observes that they ask about how much water flowed through a particular spot on the Yangtze, the depth, the width and the population here and there, the voltage on an electric transformer and so on. Demanding statistics was a way of getting one's money's worth when you spend $10000 to sail down China, concludes the author.

Reading the book in 2014, one can see how many of these judgements about China or the future have not been anywhere as bad as envisaged. I doubt if anyone would call China a monochrome culture today or would think that our future in 2084 is destined to be one of poverty and deprivation. Hangzhou and Suzhou (Hankow, Suchow) are known to be pretty garden cities in China and three gorges on the Yangtze is supposed to be a magnificent sight. But Paul Theroux hardly makes a positive remark about either.

I think one should read the author's `Riding the Iron Rooster' to get a composite view of what he says about China. Reading this booklet in isolation does not do justice to Paul Theroux.

[Daren · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1980, Theroux travelled 1500 miles downstream from Chungking to Shanghai, using a variety of boats. His fellow travellers were millionaire Americans, and he was on the move most of the time.

This is a short book, originally published as Sailing Through China, but published again in the Penguin 60s series as Down the Yangtze. It really is more of an essay or article than a book.

Having said that, it really is classic Theroux travel writing. He is miserable, he is negative, he mocks his fellow travellers as much as he takes in his surroundings - P5 - "Half of them had been to China before, and knew their way around Inner Mongolia. The rest were novices, and called Mao "Mayo", and confused Thailand with Taiwan, and Fuji with Fiji. They were as tenacious and practical as the Chinese, and just as ethnocentric, just much funnier and better at cards."

His own summary at the end says "Any change in China would be for the worse, which is a pity because it seems so bad when I sailed through it."

[Stephanie Vogel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a lovely book in scale, just takes an hour or so to read. In it, you journey down the Yangtze River with Paul Theroux in the 1980s. There are charming (but unrelated) illustrations throughout. Although there were moments that felt somewhat dated and maybe a little culturally insensitive, I enjoyed this trek. I particularly liked his description of Western millionaires, who are an interesting counterpoint to the landscape. Worth a read. Would love someone to write the same book with a modern perspective to respond to the last paragraph of this book: "Any change in China would be for the worse." I like to imagine Mr. Theroux at home, removing his foot from his mouth, with chopsticks.

[Jeroen Kraan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic find in a second-hand shop. I've read a lot of Theroux, but had never even heard of this tiny little book. Written right after the start of reform & opening, it depicts a China that few westerners saw and that has now vanished. Theroux certainly wasn't expecting China to change so enormously, and of course he couldn't have known about the impact modern China would have on the Yangtze specifically. He writes: '[T]he gorges look powerful and permanent, and make every person and artefact look puny. They will be here long after Man has destroyed himself with bombs.' Yikes. The gorges may still be there, but many of them have been submerged, just like several of the villages, cities and cultural relics that Theroux saw. The development of China has made his time capsule all the more interesting.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although dated, this is an excellent example of travel writing of high caliber---although not perfect. Theroux somehow hitched up with a wealthy bunch of travelers (some of whom come off particularly poorly), and his focus on them, l think, weakens the book somewhat. The writing at times is wonderful, though one wishes he had a little more humor. Strong points are his observation of the continuity along the Yangtze, though some descriptions might make travelers less interested in taking the voyage. I am glad I picked up this slim volume.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slight volume, of interest partially because some of the trip has now been flooded by the Three Gorges Dam. He brings together comments from earlier European travelers, his own descriptions of the scene, and observations of his traveling companions, a small group of shallow American millionaires.

[Jrobertus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very slim volume about a boat trip Theroux took in 1982 down the Yangtze river from Chunking toward Shanghai. He is accompanied by a score or so of Americans who are almost all multi-millionaires. This allows him to comment on the grandeur of the natural river, the lives and society of the local Chinese, and the millionaires, most of who seem like self centered jerks. The writing is lovely, almost poetic, and the observations generally seemed profound. It was a very engaging, gentle, and thoughtful read. His conversations with locals, from the ship captain to street boys in river towns were particularly interesting.

[Jane Armour · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the Penguin 60s - 60 miniatures by famous authors published to celebrate Penguin’s 60th anniversary circa 1995.

This is an extract from Theroux’s “Sailing through China”. It’s a short 56 pages and provides a glimpse into Theroux’s journey: ‘luxury’ sailing down the mighty Yangtze River with a group of American millionaires in 1980 when hard-line Maoists were in power. Fascinating.

[Catrinamaria · Rating 3 out of 5]

A snapshot of life in China in 1980 when the trip down the Yangtze with wealthy Americans was taken. Almost a prose poem with a strong sense of landscape and individual characters. An appetiser for more Paul Theroux travel writing. In his end note Theroux says, “China is a different country now.” Maybe that’s always true?

[Ellen Church · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's rather bittersweet to read this short piece about traveling down the Yangtze River, through the gorges now disappeared under the Three Gorges Dam. Also interesting to imagine the change that these Chinese people described by Theroux would see over the next 37 years. Yet somehow the conceit of the Ugly American Millionaire tourist has not changed one whit.

[Jmolentin]

Theroux always takes interesting trips. The one described in this book is most unlike him; travelling with millionaires. Thirty some years ago China was sch a differnet place. It was good to be reminded of that.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great, quick read given to me by my good friend Lash. Mr. Theroux's writing is witty and engaging. It's a fun and interesting romp down the Yangtze in the mid-80s.

[Sourojit Das · Rating 4 out of 5]

Possibly not as well known as some of Theroux's other works, it is a crisp read

[Robert Swanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, a magazine article really.
Always good to read Paul Theroux cover ground I've been on, and compare it with my travels years afterwards.

[MedusaGems · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book at an estate sale and boy am I glad I bought it. It was a really good book and helped me understand it more as I had already had interest in reading it.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read an interview with Paul Theroux and was very interested to read some of his writing. In this story from 1983, he travels down the Yangtze with a group of American millionaires. His observations about the river make it seem like a force to be reckoned with, respected, and feared. The Americans he traveled with seemed to live in a small world with their opinions to shield them. Interestingly he said that people with that amount of wealth rarely read. Instead, they would refer to their travels. They had no need to read if they could experience a place for themselves and get the information firsthand. Theroux's view of China was that it was dirt poor, his outlook for the country was grim at that time. He says near the end of the book that he can't see China any other way than it is, otherwise 5% woudl be conspicuously wealthy and the rest of the country would be in poverty, so it exists with people as equals with no beggars.

[Coenraad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Theroux is a well-known travel writer, and this extended essay demonstrates his skill and charm. He describes a 1980 trip down the Yangtze river in China, from Chung-king to Shanghai. He depicts his fellow travellers (mostly American millionaires) with as much wit and sharply observed detail as he does the Chinese he encounters. He includes references to previous travellers along the same route, and points out how things have changed - and didn't. It would be interesting to read an account of a present day traveller comparing the current reality to Theroux's observations. But then that traveller must write as well.

Theroux span sy fyn waarnemings- en interpretasievermoë in om sy reis langs China se belangrike Jangtse-rivier saam met 'n groep Amerikaanse miljoenêrs te beskryf. Hy kontrasteer sy waarnemings in 1980 met dié van vroeëre reisigers. Ek sou graag sy vertelling wil vergelyk met dié van 'n hedendaagse reisiger, maar dan moet dié net so goed skryf as Theroux.

[Frank Jacobs · Rating 3 out of 5]

A small book about a great river, and a reflection in miniature on the economic disparities between a boatful of American millionaires sailing upstream, and the piss-poor country that early 1980s China then still was; reading it in the 2010s, when those disparities have almost reversed, gives you the curious sensation of reading a historical record of a much more ancient past.

[Á · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Theroux's travel writing and when I found this in a Santa Cruz, CA bookstore I had to get it. I believe that this is included in a collection, maybe Fresh Air Fiend?, but I have an obsessive completionist habit. The holy grail? No, but it still has a spot of honor in my shelf.

[Elizabeth Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting a honest to goodness book, no it is just a 64 pages travel essay. It is written in the 70's and the way they lived in China during that time is deplorable. His descriptions of the country side does make me want to find another recent book about China and read about it.

[Rick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one of Theroux's best. Very short, and doesn't have his normal literary connections to the places he visits.

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice snapshot of a trip through China at the start of the 80s. I think this is a cut down version of an out of print full length book, but it works great as a 60 page essay.

[Babak Fakhamzadeh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short but excellent little travelogue of Theroux' experience sailing down Yangtze in 1981.

[Dennis Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very brief book... More sketches of a river journey down the Yangtze than a coherent book. Having said that I think Theroux captures the transition from the China of Mao and the new Superpower.

[Euskobelga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certains passages un peu longs... mais d'autres magnifiques, comme la dernière partie qui raconte le trajet vers Lhasa.

[Friton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical Theroux. This one is short and almost more about Americans than China.