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.
March 2nd 2008Asia » China » Fujian When I first started thinking about what I wanted to see in China, aside from the obvious tourist sites, I really wanted to visit some mountainous countryside that was far removed from the big cities. ... [full story]
February 29th 2008Asia » China » Fujian » Xiamen » Gulangyu It's now day 5 on the road and the time is nearing for me to leave Xiamen. Unfortunately the train for Guangzhou leaves in the evening so I have pretty much most of the day to spend waiting for this ... [full story]
February 29th 2008Asia » China » Fujian » Xiamen » Gulangyu It's now day 5 on the road and the time is nearing for me to leave Xiamen. Unfortunately the train for Guangzhou leaves in the evening so I have pretty much most of the day to spend waiting for this ... [full story]
February 27th 2008Asia » China » Fujian » Xiamen » Jimei I've arrived safely in Xiamen! The train journey wasn't as bad as I had expected and to be honest it passed pretty quickly!
I actually met a couple of Chinese guys before I even got on the train w ... [full story]
February 27th 2008Asia » China » Fujian » Xiamen » Jimei Well I had planned to keep this blog up to date on a daily basis, unfortunately the computers in the place I'm staying run at a snails pace and therefore its rather difficult to sometimes even get onl ... [full story]
February 27th 2008Asia » China » Fujian » Xiamen After our delayed flight from Bangkok (which Air Asia felt bad about, so they supplied every passenger with a burger from Burger King and a bottle of water), we arrived safely in Xiamen and caught a t ... [full story]
January 25th 2008Asia » China » Fujian » Xiamen » Gulangyu A five minute ferry ride from the city of Xiamen, Gulangyu is an island still transitioning from its colonial past. Its a fine example of China's cultural resilience. The look is still European, but ... 25 photos[full story]
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