36 Hours in Lijiang, China

            One cannot deny the increasingly popular, stereotypical view of Chinese cities as crowded, dirty, highly industrial pits with swarms of people hustling every which way.  However, in the article, 36 Hours in Lijiang, China, Jeannie Ralston gives her audience a different view of a Chinese city that differs from the stereotypical one. In this article, the author takes her readers on a 36 hour journey through Lijiang in order to get a taste of the beauty and originality of this breathtaking city. It is considered a fairyland blessed with fresh air, clear streams, breathtaking snow mountains and an undisturbed landscape inhabited by a friendly group of people. The author of this article is again Jeannie Ralston, the author of, The Unlikely Lavender Queen: A Memoir of Unexpected Blossoming. 

The context that prompted Ralston to write this article is the invisibility of Lijiang, China to many foreign travelers. Ralston feels like the beauty is going to waste. Therefore, Ralston’s purpose in writing this article is to give travelers a preview of the unique sites, activities, attractions, restaurants and cultural life of Jijiang. The audience for this text is any traveler interested in broadening their horizons and traveling to a place unheard of by most.

There are several rhetorical devices used in this article; although, the two that are most prominent are imagery and diction. Ralston constantly uses a strong sense of imagery to bring Lijiang to life. Throughout the 36-hour journey, Ralston adds a strong, sensual description to every place visited. To offer an example, in her opening statement, Ralston provides a descriptive setting of Lijiang that says, “The horizon here is Himalayan, and the blue sky above the city’s stone streets, willow-lined canals and black-tiled roofs is reliably visible”. Her illustrative words help to paint a base picture in the reader's mind before diving into the article. Additionally, Ralston use a very informal, conversational diction while writing. By doing so, the readers feel like they are traveling with Ralston rather than listening to her tell a tale. For instance, she writes, “The word “breathtaking” when applied to a Chinese city too often refers to respiratory-attack-inducing smog. But in the case of Lijiang, population 1.2 million, in the southwestern province of Yunnan, the word takes on its slack-jaw-in-awe meaning”. This funny, stereotypical sentence is crafted very nicely to again make the article very informal and conversational. In addition, the informality can be seen when Ralston also says, “So giddy-making are Lijiang’s offerings that the Old Town is filled with such vaguely fortune-cookie-like signs as ‘Mountains and rivers will be your friends and you will be with good reputation as a civilized tourist.’ Rough translation: Behave!’” Again, this informal diction makes the article more humorous, and enjoyable.

Overall, I do believe the author accomplished her purpose of writing an article that gives travelers a preview of the social and cultural life of the unique city of Lijiang. She provides a new place worth visiting every couple hours, leaving readers with a pretty good idea of what to expect from Lijiang. Her informal diction and imagery further help to persuade readers to visit the city. Overall, not only did the content of the article, but the style as well helped to present readers with a new site worth visiting.