对比与巧合，新闻与旧识，凝视与思考，语言，艺术，社会，科学，美景，风俗习惯。在华旅居35年的作者一步一步地发现了一个又一个奇迹，与读者们一起分享他在中国的所见所闻。

La richesse du patrimoine culturel d'une ville est generalement liee a sa Iongue histoire. Or depuis la haute antiquite, il y a 4e0 000 ans de cela, le developpement de la region de Beijing a ete continuel, et se poursuit encore de nos jours. Beijing est aujour- d'hui une metropole internationale tournee vers I'avenir. Ses vestiges et ses monuments, representatifs des diverses epoques de son histoire, rassemblent un riche patrimoine, qui fait de la ville un immense musee empli d'inestimables tresors. Ses 130 musees repertories, par leur abondance et leur variete, font le bonheur des touristes. Centre culturel de la Chine, Beijing pte de nombreux musees nationaux dont les collections permettent de decouvrir la quintessence de la culture chinoise. Les musees specialises retracent les progres realises dans les differents domaines. Par ailleurs de nombreuses demeures anciennes ayant appartenu de grandes figures sont autant de petits musees intimes. Les musees municipaux, quanta eux, temoignent de la specificite d

In such an era of cultural assimilation, when bulldozers nudge their way toward the increasingly fewer Beijing hutong and siheyuan, and Shanghai linong, it is not only the old city districts that are declining; the unique Chinese architecture, culture and lifestyle are vanishing with them. Fortunately, the vast territory of China is still dotted with old townscapes dating back thousands of years, carrying on the continuous history and civilization of China. Zhouzhuang, Fenghuang,Hongcun, Tongli, Pingyao, Luodai, Lijiang, Dali ...these old towns enjoy their own tranquility, far from the din of the cities, and exude their own distinctive flavor and delicacy without the pompous magnificence of imperial palaces. Their names are beautiful symbols of China because of their small picturesque bridges, flowing waters and local houses that have long been portrayed in Chinese ink and wash paintings, numerous exquisite brick,stone and wood carvings, arches erected to commemorate chaste widows, a welter of ethnic customs