His book on Hangzhou, By the Hills Embraced, is inspired by a poem praising Hangzhou by Bai Juyi, a famous poet from the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

The book records the history and culture of Hangzhou and its satellite cities from ancient to modern times. Neither a personal experience nor a travel guide, it also includes, according to Stephen, “the stories of individual persons – some renowned, others perhaps little known – each of whom contributed in some way to significant events or the development and evolution of local culture and whose work and lives, whether remembered, little known or forgotten, are celebrated by the millions of Chinese people who visit Hangzhou and the West Lake every year.”

Stephen L. Koss is also the author of Beautiful Su: A Social and Cultural History of Suzhou, China.