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Reginald Fleming Johnston was the foreign teacher of Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty. Johnston, who graduated from the University of Edinburgh and the University of Oxford, went to China in 1898 and served in the British colonial governments in Hong Kong and Weihaiwei. He was an authentic "China expert". He was very keen on traveling. While traveling, he investigated local customs, social conditions and public opinion on the spot, and wrote a large number of writings about China, which still have important historical data and academic research value. "From Beijing to Mandalay" is Johnston's long-distance travel adventure. The tour took place in the first half of 1906, passing through Beijing, North China, Wuhan, and up the Yangtze River into Sichuan. From now on, we will ride or walk over mountains and ridges, across northwest Yunnan, and into Myanmar. The end of the trip will be Mandalay, Myanmar. In this book, we can learn about the true appearance of China in the early 20th century, especially the mountains and rivers, natural scenery, cultural landscape, religious culture, etc. In the southwestern region. Johnston's writings have very detailed records, and the readability and historical value are very high. In the book, Johnston also conducted in-depth research and thinking on Chinese Buddhist culture and Confucian culture, and believed that the Western world should pay due respect to Eastern cultural traditions.

"Twilight in the Forbidden City" describes the special years from 1919 to 1924, when Johnston formed an indissoluble bond with China at the peak of his life. Johnston painted a unique and longing picture of life in the strange and closed world of the Forbidden City. Johnston was well versed in Chinese history and culture, so the rich historical details of that almost forgotten era emerged from his writing like a claw in the mud.