The Middle Kingdom as Middle Earth

For you friends and family that have hung around this blog for a while, my November column for beijing kids (now available online) won't be a surprise. It's about how often we quote The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit here in China

We would often view the Middle Kingdom as a stand-in for Middle Earth; both places felt equally mystical to us at times. In Xi’an seeing the Terracotta Warriors, we were at it again. We were struck by the fact that each clay sculpture was supposedly modeled on a real soldier who served Qin Shi Huang 2,000 years ago. It was as if we were actually looking at an ancient army, recruited or conscripted from all over China. Suddenly, I thought of something that Faramir says in The Two Towers after he kills an enemy Southron summoned by the Dark Lord Sauron: “I wonder what his name was, where his home is, his family? What lies or threats led him on the long march from his home?”

The rest can be found here.

Much of the quotes in the column I've blogged about at greater length, with pictures even. After the jump, there's a collection of links showing these.



"I have no memory of this place"

“I wonder what his name was, where his home is, his family? What lies or threats led him on the long march from his home?” 

“The beacons of Minas Tirith! The beacons are lit! Gondor calls for aid!”

"And Rohan will answer!"

“Far over the misty mountains cold/In dungeons deep and caverns cold. We must away ‘ere break of day/To seek the pale enchanted gold."

And here's one that didn't make the column due to the deadline.


"The way is shut./ It was made by those who are Dead./And the Dead keep it./ The way is shut."