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.
January 24th 2007Asia » China » Qinghai » Xining On our last day in Tibet we visited the family of our guide in their small village between Lhasa and Shigatse. The village was shielded from the road by a high embankment and consisted of ... 12 photos[full story]
December 25th 2007Asia » China » Qinghai » Golok Many months have passed since my last entry. I’m in the US now and I guess I only think about updating my travel blog while I’m overseas and technically, travelling. And here at home, th ... 5 photos[full story]
December 7th 2007Asia » China » Qinghai » Xining
I had a bit of a sleep in this morning which was great, I think I need to catch up on some sleep after all those late nights drinking in Beijing. So I headed out got some breakfast and packed up a ... [full story]
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