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.
August 7th 2007Asia » China » Shandong » Ji'Nan As you may have gathered from my last blog entry, it's really hot and humid in the summer in Jinan. My days are spent in front of a fan and/or air-conditioning, watching DVDs of Scrubs and Lost and F ... [full story]
July 20th 2007Asia » China » Shandong » Ji'Nan Summer is in full blast here in Jinan, and it's hot, hot, hot! They say it's not the heat, it's the humidity, and that goes double in Jinan. I am dripping with sweat most days, and it's quite uncomf ... [full story]
January 17th 2008Asia » China » Shandong » Ji'Nan Winter is here, in full effect. Jinan is cold and dry, and everyone is wearing thermals these days! We've had our first snowfalls, mainly light flurries that are easily swept away off the sidewalks ... [full story]
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