'Enjoy China' is more than just a travel guide

he Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor, discovered in Xian in Shaanxi Province. Roh Keun-tae, the author of “Enjoy China,” says travelers can enjoy the unique culture that native Han Chinese and minority ethnic groups have made in Xian, the starting point for the ancient Silk Road. / Courtesy of Nexus Books

Cover of “Enjoy China”

By Park Jin-hai

China is known to Koreans as a country with a thousand faces. The fourth-largest country in the world, part of a vast continent with 56 different ethnic groups, often seems like a puzzling maze for travelers.

But a new travel book aims to solve that puzzle.

“Enjoy China,” written by longtime China aficionados Ko Seung-hee and Roh Keun-tae, is the latest version of Nexus Books’ popular “Enjoy” travel series that has sold over 1 million copies here.

The 924-page book, published last month, not only includes the latest travel information and tips the authors have gathered, but also offers a guiding light to those who lose their way when it comes to the vast land.

Divided into six regions, “Enjoy China” follows the ordinary travel guide book pattern, covering basic information on the cities, food and entertainment. Yet, what stands out most is the rich content that describes the unique culture of each Chinese city.

Ko, power travel blogger and a China fan who spends almost two months traveling the country each year, and co-author Roh, Ko’s husband and travel agency CEO, have given a handsome amount of space to explain real people’s stories in the region and their cultural backgrounds.

Ko Seung-hee, left, and Roh Keun-tae, co-authors of the book “Enjoy China”

“The cultural exchange between countries begins with travel,” Roh said. “But with those cheap package programs that focus more on drawing tourists than helping them understand China, many people tend to have the wrong experience of China.”

To prevent this, he and his wife spent three years writing the book ― one year to compile the vast amount of travel information they gathered and make a draft, and two years traveling back to China with the draft for more updated information.

“I wrote the travel guide because I believe that better understanding between the two countries enables travel to be sustainable,” Roh said.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its detailed descriptions, giving you the feeling there is a tour guide by your side. For instance, it says if you want to stay at a Seven Days Inn in Changchun, it recommends you check the room before reservation, since it offers different rates for window sizes, and it is a little noisy because it is close to a railway line. But it has great Wi-Fi.

The book also has detailed transportation information and offers a specific food guide that considers Koreans’ tastes.

It is a handy book if you want to pack up and hit the road at any minute for the great and mysterious country of China.

Ko has been a longtime travel writer and a popular blogger whose travel stories have drawn many fans since 2008. Co-author Roh runs China-specialized travel agency Hellopang, which has been providing rare China travel programs, including a 24-kilometer Tengger Desert crossing in a Jeep.