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Background: For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight.

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By Tesha
August 16th 2008

Nearly there

Asia » China » Beijing

Key holder
Once put in this holder, the key turned on the power in the room at the Green Park Hotel.

JUST WHERE ARE THEY BRINGING ME? By the time I reached Beijing on Friday night I was exhausted. (Go figure, huh?) So I rambled around the airport in a daze, trying to find internet connection to check on the hotel numbers Jesse had given me. I couldn’t figure out how to get online though - all the pages explaning details were in Chinese. So I just kept walking, figuring there had to be a tourism info desk somewhere. I finally found it, and they booked my hotel for me. I even paid for it right there. The girls working the desk [View Full Entry]

By EJL
August 15th 2008

Team USA!

Asia » China » Beijing

Split pants....
and y'all thought I was joking!

Happy Birthday Adam! In honor of this important birthday for this very special kid, I have become a complete sports nut. I have also become very US-centric while here. I have never before been much of a nationalist (so to speak) during the Olympics - more of an internationalist, cheer for everyone kind of spectator - but I have suddenly become insanely supportive of the US Team and all US athletes. At every event I find myself on my feet, screaming for the Americans, going nuts when they win or do well. But this is the fault of the Chinese, really. [View Full Entry]

By kalliewalker
August 15th 2008

You're not dreaming, this is all real...

Asia » China » Beijing

Window seat
For more pictures, click here: http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2041795&l=6a9f6&id=11403958

Beijing..... Wow. I'm in Beijing! We got to Dubai after a 6 hour flight from Frankfurt at 6:00am... It was 35 degrees celcius already... That's almost 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The 9 hour flight to Beijing was the best flight I've ever had, despite it's length. I'm sure there was a nice little grease spot on the window, because I had my head plastered to it the whole time. The plane was half empty, I had a window seat, and nobody next to me. About halfway through the flight I dropped my lens cap behind my seat and a French guy introduced [View Full Entry]

By Lauren and Sara
August 15th 2008

Beijing....An 18 Million Person Mess

Asia » China » Beijing

Sara in her chic Grayline poncho

A couple key cultural things we have quickly learned about Chinese people: 1) They don't form lines. People just go wherever and whenever they feel like it. If the line is too slow they will just cut to the front of you and everyone else. AND...the vendor/cashier will let them. 2) They never say excuse me. Just when you are trying to be nice and get out of the way of an elderly person, they will be the ones to shove you out of the way the hardest. We have learned to use our size to our advantage. AND.....if you get [View Full Entry]

By mbaade
August 14th 2008

da nile is a river in africa

Asia » China » Beijing

this way!

Thursday 14 August 2008 Okay, my heart still aches and I still tear up when I think about flying away from Beijing this evening, but that’s nothing that a healthy dose of denial won’t help! To answer all of your comments… Nicaragua updates will be here, on TravelBlog, not on xanga. Yes, we did indeed go to boxing and it was AWESOME! More on that in a sec. Abeyta, that SUCKS that Mexico won’t show proper Olympic coverage…. in case you didn’t hear - and obviously didn’t get to watch, the Chinese beat USA for the gold in women’s gymnasti [View Full Entry]

By Tesha
August 14th 2008

On my way

Asia » China » Beijing

Sebastian hangs out
Oh, something new to sleep on. Sebastian was all over it.

LESSON FROM A BOEING 747 Apparently, even on airplanes people congregate in the bathroom. You can’t exactly huddle together inside an airplane bathroom and tell secrets. Instead, you gather outside the tiny bathroom in the little area the stewardesses use to turn their carts. When I walked back I questioned the number of people standing there, but factored in the length of the flight and the number of people there. After 10 minutes and no one had gone in or out, I started to get impatient. But there was another woman who had been there first on my side, and a [View Full Entry]

By mbaade
August 13th 2008

my heart aches

Asia » China » Beijing

It’s my last night in China for who knows how long. And it makes me sad. Yes, I am embarking on the next great adventure by becoming a PCV in Nicaragua. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to miss Beijing like whoa. Or that it’s not going to be VERY STRANGE to go home and see “my” city on TV and watch American athletes competing instead of being inundated with Chinese athletes’ prowess. I like China. I love Beijing. I love the food… especially gong bao ji ding and Xinjiang [musl [View Full Entry]

By Lauren and Sara
August 13th 2008

Forbidden City a.k.a The Hard to Find City

Asia » China » Beijing » Forbidden City

Zhongshan Park
We originally thought that this was the entrance to the Forbidden City!

They definitely call it the Forbidden City for a reason! On our first day without Li, we started out confident that we would be able to find our way around the Beijing. Our mission for the day was to see the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. The city has Olympic volunteers on almost every block there to help people. Well, we learned today that they aren't exactly the most helpful volunteers we have come across! After 2 buses - and 1 1/2 hours later, we finally arrived at the Forbidden City (or at least what we thought was the Forbidden City). [View Full Entry]

By Cereal6991
August 12th 2008

Double Sporty

Asia » China » Beijing

National Aquatics Stadium
Nicknamed the Water Cube. Swimming and diving take place here.

Today, Bobo woke me up by poking my head until I opened my eyes. I am going with my uncle in the morning to see swimming at the Water Cube. I woke up at about 7:30. As usual, breakfast, toast and peaches. I thought of bringing my Chinese flag to swimming even though China isn’t the best at it. We left at 8:00 and took the regular route to the Olympic Green. My uncle didn’t know how to get there, so I took him with me. Since it was Monday, everybody had to go to work. The subways were crowded with [View Full Entry]

By tkdfreak
August 12th 2008

Shopping and Cards and Beijing Roast Duck

Asia » China » Beijing

Nichole and Issac
Nicole and Issac. I think Issac looks like some sort of creature but I can't figure out which one. Maybe a mouse?

So yesterday Olivia asked me if I had any interest in going to a whole sale clothes market with her today, and I heartily agreed. Its not that I like to shop, or that I like clothes at all, but I was excited to see the market and I was excited to hang out with Olivia, Issac, and Nichole. The market opens early and closes early so we decided to meet there at 10 am. We got up this morning, but didn't end up leaving the house till around 10. We took the bus to the market, which was my first [View Full Entry]

Travel Blog » Asia » China » Beijing