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In this documentary book, China correspondent Michiel Hulshof and architect Daan Roggeveen embark on a quest of discovery for China's emerging megacities.

Over the next two decades around 300 million Chinese villagers will move to the city, creating the largest urban society the world has ever seen. Small towns are transforming at breakneck pace into huge metropolises. In size they rival global cities like Rio de Janeiro, London and Moscow, but their names are unknown in the rest of the world.

How the City Moved to Mr. Sun lifts the veil from these unexplored megacities in the heart of China. It lays bare the ruthless logic behind this incredible growth, and presents in loving detail the mass of humanity washed up in this unstoppable process. Highly readable, full of insightful analysis and deeply human stories of modern city life, this book challenges assumptions about the nature of Chinese society, and asks the question: can China transform its triumph of brick and concrete into a model that will conquer the world?

This publication has been made possible through funding by the BKVB Foundation and the Netherlands Architecture Fund.

About the authors: Journalist Michiel Hulshof and architect Daan Roggeveen oversee the Go West Project, a multidisciplinary think tank that focusses on the development of China’s emerging megacities. Michiel Hulshof is a China correspondent for the Dutch weekly Vrij Nederland. Daan Roggeveen is an independent architect who works on architectural and urban projects in China and Europe. As a team, they write articles and make photo essays for Dutch, Chinese and international media. They organised events and exhibitions in Amsterdam, Beijing, London, Shanghai and Shenzhen. They lecture at Hong Kong University in Shanghai on a regular basis.

Please note: This is the English edition of this publication.