Some basic facts about China -- Those who came by three Silk Roads -- China's first contacts with the West -- The legacy of Marco Polo -- Jesuits in China -- Prized goods from China -- Early Western exploration in Tibet and Yunnan -- Aftermath of the Opium War -- Americans and the China trade -- Role of missionaries in exploration, trade, and culture in China -- Przhevalsky : the man and the horse -- Distaff explorers -- The last imperialist -- Cities buried in sand -- Rocks and culture -- An American dinosaur hunter -- The giant panda argument -- The communist revolution -- The New Zealander who won the hearts of the Chinese -- Rapid growth of China's economy -- Illusion and reality.