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 27th 2008Asia » China » Jiangsu » Xuzhou
Something in the way it feels out here makes me so happy
Settling in here and starting to get really comfy. Although I’m still lacking things I feel are essential I am enjoying my time h ... 5 photos[full story]
March 25th 2008Asia » China » Jiangsu » Xuzhou
So I’ve been in China now for about 3 weeks, seems a rather short amount of time and yet enough time has past for me to get into the groove of how most things work around here. I have discov ... 9 photos[full story]
March 2nd 2008Asia » China » Jiangsu » Xuzhou I’ve been living in a city called Xuzhou for the last four days, and I will continue to stay here for the next six months. I have an apartment with two other teachers near the heart of the city. ... 15 photos[full story]
February 10th 2008Asia » China » Jiangsu » Xuzhou De Pekín son 6hr en tren hasta la ciudad de Xuzhou, en la provincia de Jiangsu. En Xuzhou vive la familia de mi profesora y nos quedamos unas tres semanas para festejar Año Nuevo Chino.
La historia ... 35 photos[full story]
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