Among Yaks, Monasteries, and Memories
A journey into the Tibetan grasslands of Gannan brings Hugh Battye into the rhythms of nomadic family life, local religious practice, and an unexpected memory of an earlier Christian presence in the region.
Hugh Battye
Hugh Battye spent fifteen years living in mainland China, where he studied Mandarin and taught English before completing a master’s degree and PhD in ethnology at Lanzhou University in Gansu Province. He received his PhD in 2020 and is currently based in the UK, where he continues to publish on China’s minority peoples. He is the author of A Tale of Two Chinas: A Fifteen Year Odyssey Through China’s Cultural Heartlands.
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Stamps and Negotiations
Fieldwork among the Bonan in Gansu begins with stamps, permissions, and a search for somewhere to stay, revealing along the way how differently a researcher and his hosts can understand hospitality, access, and an “authentic” experience.
China in the Plural
Drawing on fifteen years in mainland China, Hugh Battye reflects on the very different worlds he encountered—and on what can disappear when we speak of “China” as though it were a single cultural experience.