Introduction: The flying voles of Gannan and the challenge of knowing Manchuria's natures
Landscapes of exile: nostalgia and natural history on the journey to Ningguta
Where the dragon arose: discovering the dragon through number and blood
Si(gh)ting the White Mountain: locating Mount Paektu/Changbai in a sacred landscape
Flowers along the Amur: making sense of plant diversity on the Amazon of Asia
Fossils of empire: the Jehol Biota and the age of coal
Plagueland: pursuing Yersinia pestis on the Manchurian-Mongolian grassland
Scientific redemption: the flying voles of Gannan revisited
Reclaimed: technology and embodied knowledge on the Sanjiang Plain
Conclusion: a view from the mountain.