title: Beautiful Xiangxi
author: Reader's Digest editors
description: Shen Congwen (1902-1988), one of China's foremost scholars and writers, is the prolific author of more than 70 books that focus primarily on the life and customs of the people of the western Hunan province. He is considered one of China's leading twentieth century writers. <P> Zuo Ya, a member of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain and the Chinese Photographer Association, spent 20 years and took over 10,000 pictures capturing the spirit of Shen Congwen's Xiangxi. She now lives in Zhuhai, a southern Chinese town next to Macau.
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  > WORTH THE WAIT
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  > CHASITY BOWLIN
  
  >
  
  
  ![](images/00002.jpg)[
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Contents
  
  >
  
  
  [Contacting the Author](index_split_005.html#filepos5953)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [Also by Chasity Bowlin](index_split_006.html#filepos7122)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [Prologue](index_split_007.html#filepos11440)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [Chapter 1](index_split_008.html#filepos16414)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [Chapter 2](index_split_009.html#filepos34351)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [Chapter 3](index_split_010.html#filepos52871)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [Chapter 4](index_split_011.html#filepos62551)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [Chapter 5](index_split_012.html#filepos87856)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [Chapter 6](index_split_013.html#filepos109182)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [Chapter 7](index_split_014.html#filepos128414)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [Chapter 8](index_split_015.html#filepos142089)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [Chapter 9](index_split_016.html#filepos159070)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [Chapter 10](index_split_017.html#filepos172462)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [Chapter 11](index_split_018.html#filepos189738)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [Chapter 12](index_split_019.html#filepos213153)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [Chapter 13](index_split_020.html#filepos228576)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [Chap