When Chris Taylor went to Hong Kong in 2003 he expected to teach history to enthusiastic students, stay for two years and then go home to England. Instead he discovered the vastness of China. Ten years and 33 provinces later he became that rarest of commodities; a westerner who scratched beneath the surface and explored beyond Great Wall, shopping malls and Terracotta Warriors in order to understand this fascinating, frustrating and beautiful country. From the mega cities of the East to the wild, untamed landscapes of the West and the icebound challenges of the frozen North, Riding the Dragon is an inspiring portrayal of every province and the everyday people of a country that may shape the 21st century and yet is still little understood.