Beijing Bound: A Foreigner Discovers China

by Glen Loveland

A captivating memoir set in pre-Olympic Beijing, Beijing Bound takes readers on an intimate journey through China’s capital at a moment of profound transformation. In 2007, Glen Loveland left his role as a congressional staffer in Washington, D.C., for a PR job in Beijing, stepping into a city racing to redefine itself—a place where ancient hutongs stood in the shadow of soaring skyscrapers, and where tradition and ambition collided in unexpected ways.

With warmth and wit, Loveland captures the spirit of a Beijing on the brink of change: the final months before the 2008 Olympics reshaped the city forever. As a gay American expat navigating love, career, and identity in China’s capital, he offers unique insights into everything from office politics to dating culture, from culinary adventures to the subtle ways Chinese society was beginning to open up—before charting a different course.

Part travelogue, part cultural commentary, and part personal narrative, Beijing Bound provides a rare glimpse of China during a time of unbridled optimism, when the “Chinese Dream” felt like an invitation to the world rather than a challenge to it. Loveland’s story is both deeply personal and broadly resonant, exploring themes of belonging, cultural adaptation, and the cost of progress through the lens of daily life in one of the world’s most dynamic cities.

For anyone curious about modern China, LGBTQ+ experiences abroad, or the art of building a life in a foreign land, Beijing Bound offers an authentic and nuanced portrait of the Chinese capital at a crossroads.

390 pages, Paperback

Published January 9, 2025

Reviews

[Gloria Lan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beijing Bound offers a rare and deeply human perspective on China, one that bridges the personal and the political with grace and insight. Glen Loveland’s journey—from Capitol Hill press secretary to Beijing expatriate—unfolds during a transformative decade leading up to the 2008 Olympics, when China was opening its doors to the world. While so many stories focus on immigrants moving West, this memoir flips the narrative, chronicling an American’s journey East to build a life in China. Ahead of its time, the book captures China’s seismic changes not through sweeping geopolitical trends, but through intimate, ground-level portraits: young professionals balancing family expectations, entrepreneurs chasing new dreams, and communities adapting to dizzying social change. The chapter on Ningbo is particularly moving, weaving together individual lives and local relationships with masterful storytelling. What sets this memoir apart is its exploration of cultural understanding as a two-way street—how Chinese and Western practices influence each other, and how personal connections endure despite political tensions. In an era of growing mistrust between East and West, Beijing Bound is a poignant reminder of the human ties that bind us, offering essential perspective for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of our interconnected world.

[Keri · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are some of the most common questions we ask expats, exchange students, and off-the-beaten-path travelers. Glen Loveland attempts to answer these questions in his book "Beijing Bound," which is part journal and part memoir.

"Beijing Bound" is a wonderful addition to the collection of travel stories that often go unnoticed. While reading this book, I couldn't help but think of Jessica Nabongo's "The Catch Me If You Can" and the YouTubers Flying the Nest. Traveling is an adventure that takes you out of your comfort zone, allowing you to learn and experience things that you might otherwise miss. The images portrayed by the news and your country's travel advisory overshadow the wonders that these places hold.