Memo from Mexico signals new literary wave in China

SHANGHAI - A new Chinese-language book about a Mexican journalist's personal experience of the past five World Expos, up to Zaragoza 2008 in Spain, could mark the start of the next literary trend as millions of foreigners clamor to study Mandarin.

Destination: Expo by Guillermo Garcia Tirado does not exhibit the literary prowess of Lu Xun (1881-1936), considered the founder of modern Chinese literature. It also skims over the first 130 years of World Expos, unlike the detailed World of Exposition Reader by the Shanghai Information Office.

But what makes it unique is Garcia's infectious passion for Expo, and China, and its more contemporary focus, while showing how foreign writers are beginning to key into the Chinese market. He even divided the book into eight chapters for Chinese-style good luck.