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.
April 1st 2008Asia » China » Henan
Sorry that it took me more then a month to get this entry out. Teaching your own language is tougher than it appears. Honestly, when I started writing this entry, it began, "after a week of clas ... [full story]
March 25th 2008Asia » China » Henan it's time to say goodbye to china...
The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of sleep deprivation, long train rides, sunflower seeds and music. The three fungal horses set off from Kunming in mid- ... 2 photos[full story]
February 26th 2008Asia » China » Henan
It is quite different from Beijing...it's real China.
The city is small by Chinese standards, but roughly 750,000 people call it home. Of which I would say around 50-75 are foreigners...mostly ... [full story]
February 4th 2008Asia » China » Henan » Kaifeng On Friday, Jan. 18th we found ourselves back in Hong Kong with goal #1 being, change Stephanie’s tourist visa to a work visa. After crossing the Shenzhen/Hong Kong border at Luowu, we headed str ... 21 photos[full story]
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