Indian adventures

Hong enjoyed sitting idly on the bank of Ganges. "On one side people wash clothing, pilgrims perform ritual ablutions, and on the other side, there are people cremating their dead," says Hong. "And you feel you are seeing the cycle of life."

Besides sight-seeing, the book is full of Hong and Carter's interesting adventures.

In Bollywood, Hong and Carter were excitedly recruited as extras in an advertisement with famous Indian actor Amir Khan, but were sad to discover their performance was cut from the final version.

They also explored the Dharavi of Mumbai, the largest slum in India. In order to get a birds-eye-view of the slum like in the movie Slumdog Millionaire, they climbed the only high-rise in the area, but when they got down, they were surrounded and were sent to the police station.

Such adventures were common during their travels, but every time they had a happy ending. "Most Indian people are friendly and helpful," says Hong. "And their enthusiasm sometimes is overwhelming."

The vivid photos in the book are taken by Carter, a freelance photographer who in 2010 published his photo album China:

Portrait of a People, taken during his tour of the country between 2006 and 2008.

In the end of the book, Hong adds an appendix about the preparation for traveling India, such as visa information, medical vaccinations required, and some useful suggestions on what to bring.

India launched the Visit India Year 2015 campaign in Beijing last month and the country is expecting more Chinese tourists. Hong hopes her book will encourage more Chinese to abandon their stereotypes of India, and to experience the country on their own terms.