For Everyday Heroes
In China

It takes the graphic artist, Sascha Hommer, to China. In 2011, he spends four months in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, where he helps his friend Karl and Karl’s wife Linda in bringing out Citylife, the only English-language magazine about Chengdu.

Extracts from "In China":

Sascha Hommer: In China © Sascha Hommer

About the artist Sascha Hommer:

For his book "In China", Sascha Hommer kept a graphic diary. However, it was more about taking notes than an attempt to put any good drawings on paper.

Travelpedia: China

© Sascha Hommer (Detail)
Pandas, spicy food, bad smog, heavy traffic, the ease of being, mahjong, tea houses and the best nightlife in China: Chengdu is the capital of the province of Sichuan in southwest China. Chengdu is said to be the most relaxed metropolis in China, confident and happy to party and relax.
© Sascha Hommer (Detail)
There is Internet censorship in the People's Republic of China, also known as the Great Firewall of China or the “Golden Shield” project. For example, WhatsApp is blocked. WeChat is the Chinese answer to this and offers even more functions than the Facebook subsidiary. Almost all Chinese use the WhatsApp alternative, they even pay for their purchases.
© Sascha Hommer (Ausschnitt)
The most spoken language in the world is clearly Chinese. And that with more than a billion native speakers. Standard Chinese is the official language of the People's Republic of China. There are an incredible number of characters - around 50,000. About 3000 to 4000 characters are important for everyday life. Particularly hard for foreigners: Unfortunately, English doesn't always help on site.

Jonas Engelmann about "In China"

In no way does Hommer try to draw a realistic picture of the megacity, to present his Western readers with what appears to be an authentic picture of China, but focuses instead on the interpersonal encounters that shaped his time there."

Review

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For Everyday Heroes In China