Mike Edwards, an assistant editor, has been writing and editing for NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC for almost 30 years. He has published some 40 articles, ranging from Virginia to Siberia. He started his career in newspapers, then spent six years in the U.S. Peace Corps, where he served in Afghanistan and several other countries. His stay in Afghanistan left Edwards with a still unslaked fascination for Asia. His latest article, on China’s Gold Coast, will appear in March 1997.