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Zhongshan Travel Blogs

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 Marjory no3
October 19th 2008

Long time.... Sorry!

Asia » China » Guangdong » Zhongshan

Hi everyone!!! First of all BIG BIG apologies for not keeping this up to date, I do have an excuse or two. 1. Working overtime, shortstaffed and teaching kindy so hours of prep. (GRRR) 2. My nice shiny new laptop broke!!!! It had to get sent away to Hong Kong, so I have been laptopless for 2 months. It is back now and working fine (fingers crossed, touch wood). So I am on my lunch break just now but I shall update this properly tonight and fill you in. I'm afraid to say I have not really been up to much [View Full Entry]

By Marjory no3
July 13th 2008

Welcome to Zhongshan

Asia » China » Guangdong » Zhongshan

Hi Everyone!!! Sorry it has been so long!!!! I finally have internet access in my flat. Communication here is not the easiest, phones work in the local area so while I am here please contact me by email. When I make visits to Hong Kong I will have my mobile (with the Hong Kong number) very confusing, I know so it is probably best if you just email me! Well life here is Zhongshan is interesting. The school is ok, a little unorganised at times, but everyone there is lovely. Summer school starts on Monday so it shall be rather hetic [View Full Entry]

By Marjory no3
May 11th 2008

Hong Kong and China

Asia » China » Guangdong » Zhongshan

HI Everyone! I'm still at home in Scotland but I only have 10 days left here, I leave on the 22nd May. I am going to spend around a month in Hong Kong and then I'm going to teach English in Zongshan for a year I think. It's all exciting and I have quite a bit to do before I go, including sorting out all the documents for the complicated visa. Anyway I thought this would be a good and easy way to keep in touch with everyone. Speak to you soon Marjory [View Full Entry]

By twobigknees
February 28th 2008

February 2008

Asia » China » Guangdong » Zhongshan

Kia ora all!! I've been meaning to write a group email for some considerable time now. I am in Zhongshan city in China, if you didn't know, and I am loving every moment of it. I left on February 18 to arrive in Hong Kong city where I stayed a night before making my way to this small city of four million. Hong kong's cool as. Lots of people and foreigners and lights. I'm sure I'll go there some more tis year! I arrived on Tuesday 19th via a ferry to Zhongshan where I was greeted by a number of teachers [View Full Entry]

By Brass Monkeys
December 13th 2007

Sunny December

Asia » China » Guangdong » Zhongshan

Light and shadow
The Temple in Macau

Ahh Yuletide approaches! Lessons have slackened off a little and we are left with a Christmas themed party for all the schools' students- bringing festive cheer to the office. In China, Xmas day is not a public holiday, but we are looking forward to a slap up meal on the day at a fellow teacher's place-mmmh! The days till we leave China are ticking down- about 5 weeks left now- we hope to head in the direction of Thailand in mid January. This being the case, we are relishing our time here- Cramming in the kung-fu lessons at weekends, stock piling [View Full Entry]

By Brass Monkeys
November 8th 2007

The way we live here

Asia » China » Guangdong » Zhongshan

Wheels of steel
Lelde's bike

Steven/ Zhongshan gets a brief mention in the LP- summing up, not a place to divert travellers for very long, but we have called it home now for 4 months now. We've thrown ourselves into some learning and cultural pursuits. We started going to a Kung-fu class a while back. This is an extract from my diary shortly after starting: Oct 29th 2007 'We've just got back from our second lesson kung-fu lesson. The younger of the two teachers taught us. He looks like a chiselled acolyte - Lelde thinks he should be in the movies- ... the instruction is clear, [View Full Entry]

By Brass Monkeys
September 6th 2007

There and back again

Asia » China » Guangdong » Zhongshan

The Galaxy casino Macau
This one had a bit of old world charm

We just completed a visa run across the Chinese border at Macau. This time we only stopped for a couple of hours- enough to see the some of Macau's casinos and to spot the sea. Macau has 95% Chinese inhabitants, 2 % Portuguese and 3% Macanese- a mix of both. I spent much of the short trip trying to spot the Macanese part of society without success- or maybe I saw them and didn't know it. Another fact is that Macau's territory is only 27.3 km squared, given to the Portuguese some time soon after the 16th Century for services rendered- [View Full Entry]

By Brass Monkeys
September 1st 2007

Pinch, punch, first of the month!

Asia » China » Guangdong » Zhongshan

Us and the band at Alexs' Bar.

Steven/ So time is flying, We're in the office on a Saturday, thought we'd add an entry here so you you know that we remain as teachers. We've got more classes now- of all levels- it's a good challenge. We both celebrated birthdays in August. We have found a cool bar here with a live band and friendly atmosphere- the whole place sang "Happy Birthday" to us on each of our birthdays- strange as they're only eight days appart so it was a bit like deja vous. Lelde got to blow candles out on a cake, on stage- it happended to [View Full Entry]

By Brass Monkeys
August 5th 2007

Scraping the surface

Asia » China » Guangdong » Zhongshan

hanging lanterns.
Just diwn the street from this we found a shop which was full with the lion heads used for the New Years' dances.

This weekend gone we decided to venture into Zhongshan and nose around the parks. What we found has changed my opinion of our home. Zhongshan really does have real life beyond the commerce and shopping. I was starting to think that all this place had to offer was endless shopping 'malls'! Zhongshan is situated in the delta of the Pearl River, so there have been foreign influences here for some time. At the mouth of the delta , on each side -facing each other-are Hong Kong and Macau, further up stream are what used to be called Canton( now Guangzhou) [View Full Entry]

By Brass Monkeys
July 14th 2007

Mini miami

Asia » China » Guangdong » Zhongshan

Row of palms.
This is our daily walk to work.

Steven/ Hello there, We are now in Guangdong province. Our plan to travel strictly overland has been briefly interupted by a China East airways flight from Kunming, Yunnan to Guanzhou( used to be Canton). This was on Sunday. We were flown here to start teaching English. We are just getting settled in and hope to stay at least until October, if not beyond. I think that, with overland travel, you experience changes around you gradually, whereas if you fly then you find yourself suddenly in what can be a completely new situation.The reason for the tiltle is that here in Guangdong, [View Full Entry]

Travel Blog » Asia » China » Guangdong » Zhongshan