John Thomson was a pioneering Scottish photographer, geographer and traveller. He was one of the first photographers to travel to the Far East in the 1860s, documenting the people, landscapes and artefacts of modern-day Singapore, China, Vietnam and Cambodia in a series of extraordinary, high-quality images.
He was the first to instruct the Royal Geographic Society in the art of travel photography and he pioneered social reportage - his work, documenting the lives of the poorest street people in London, formed the basis for photojournalism. He photographed both paupers and princes, charming his way in the homes of the aristocracy and royalty in both Asia and England. The great Isabella Bird followed in his footsteps.
This tour follows in the footsteps of Thomson from Canton (Guangzhou) and up the coast to Beijing (Peking). It visits the places he visited and seeks out the sights he photographed that remain to this day. You will travel through the streets with local historic societies, learning about the society and history of Beijing and Shanghai in the period that Thomson was there.
This tour is led by the accomplished photographic historian, Deborah Ireland, who has lectured widely on Thomson and written about Isabella Bird's travels in China. For more information on Thomson and to see some of his work, please visit https://www.hpcbristol.net/photographer/thomson-john
Follow in the footsteps of John Thomson and Isabella Bird.
Visit the places John Thomson travelled to and see the sights he photographed that remain to this day.
Visit the places John Thomson travelled to and see the sights he photographed that remain to this day.
Visit the places John Thomson travelled to and see the sights he photographed that remain to this day.
Visit the places John Thomson travelled to and see the sights he photographed that remain to this day.
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Visit the ancient Silk Road hub of Xi’an, which was probably the first truly multicultural city in the world. Walk along its vast medieval city walls and visit atmospheric Calligraphy Street Market. See traditional Tang Dynasty Theatre, with its graceful, colourful performances, and visit the old Muslim quarter, which comes to vibrant life in the evening as the locals throng its many restaurants and food stalls. The high point of any visit to Xi’an is, of course, seeing the extraordinary necropolis of the Terracotta Warriors, which depict the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. These life size statues – each with individual expressions and details - were buried with the emperor in 210–209 BCE to protect the emperor in his afterlife.
Longer and fuller days. More walking and longer distances require more energy, good fitness, and mobility.
If you have some questions about this particular tour, you can contact the Jon Baines Tours team by phone or email.
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