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Shandong 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 ElizabethR
March 13th 2007

Settling Into Life in Jinan

Asia » China » Shandong » Ji'Nan

Hello and welcome to my blog! I arrived in Jinan, China 2 weeks ago today. It is great to be here and feels good to be settling into a routine. I was living and working in Boston, Massachusetts (USA) but was looking for a teaching job overseas. I found a job and was off and running! I moved my belongings back to Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA), my hometown. Then I was off to China from there. My journey to China started on Sunday 25 February. Thanks to a major snowstorm in the Midwest, my initial flight was cancelled. It was beautiful but [View Full Entry]

By Clare Bear
March 12th 2007

Started Teaching In Jinan

Asia » China » Shandong » Ji'Nan

I have slowly but steadily warmed to Jinan. Its face changes as the day lengthens. In the early morning it is still and very cool, local people perform Tai Chi in the parks as I pass on my way to work. My favourite bakery takes delivery of soft sponges and sweet breads and crossing the road isn't an operation. By afternoon, the city has hurried itself into a circus, crossing the road is an ambitious task, kites soar high above parks and squares and below everyone is in a hurry. The evenings are lively and atmospheric, the city is lit up [View Full Entry]

By roesweld
March 10th 2007

Just Pictures to try to keep up

Asia » China » Shandong » Qingdao

A taxi waiting for customers
These seem to have replaced rick-shaws completely

These will just be pictures as I try to keep up. We are at a German-owned resort now and I may relax too much. [View Full Entry]

By roesweld
March 9th 2007

Trying to catch up in Beijing

Asia » China » Shandong » Qingdao

The Famed Pipe Machine
It was impossible to get it all at once.

I wanted to finish a little more about Qingdao and mention that we actually did fit in some business. It was hard, but, somehow, we managed. Jim had asked to see a machine actually making pipe. The next morning, Mr. Geng and the interpreter showed up at 8:00 and we were off for a 3 hour trip north to a town named Wei Pei to see a machine. The expressways are all toll roads and seemed to have no speed limits, so we cruised along at 160 to 180 km per hour. Mr. Geng was a good driver and Jim loves [View Full Entry]

By roesweld
March 8th 2007

Hospitality Chinese Style

Asia » China » Shandong » Qingdao

On the plane for Qingdao
The fields didn't look like any we had seen before.

When we last blogged, we had no idea what was in store for us as we went to Qingdao to order our pipe-making machine. We were met at the airport by the Managing Director and interpreter and the most amazing time of Chinese hospitality that seemed to never stop. We arrived at 3:00 in the afternoon. They found that we had booked a hotel and promptly cancelled that since they had a special room for us to stay in close to the factory. That surprised us and pleased us quite a bit. Mr. Geng (pronounced gong) had a VW called a [View Full Entry]

By Preston_66
February 10th 2007

This might just put a little Spring in your Festival.

Asia » China » Shandong » Qingdao

Britty
Britt playing around with giant fire sticks.

With the first "New Moon" on the first day of the Lunar Year, Spring Festival will officially begin. A time to be celebrated with your family by eating dumplings and giving thanks to all your thankful for. The Spring Festival is such an old tradition that it is not able to be traced. But what has always remained a constant in all the stories is a monster called "Nian" (year). A monster that would prey on the people of China the night before the New Year. A beast born very ugly and dragon like with a mouth so big that when [View Full Entry]

By carriebaron
January 19th 2007

Goodbye Dongying

Asia » China » Shandong

Greg and our train to Nanjing
Greg and I took an overnight train together from Dongying to Nanjing, and then Nanjing to Shanghai.

Adieu Dongying! Fairwell to your fine lands until we meet again! I travel onward to the city by the sea. I've posted some pictures of the Dongying suburbs for anyone whose interested in the area's countryside. [View Full Entry]

By Preston_66
January 11th 2007

Better Late Than Never

Asia » China » Shandong » Qingdao

Emma's fault
This cat managed to break all of our plates and bowls.. grrrrrrr .. Oh well She's damm Cute.

Wow Has it been a long time since I've posted a blog. Don't worry though I'm still alive and stilling kickin' it. Recently the internet has been horrible due to the earthquake in Taiwan. Supposidly some fiber optics cables were damaged during the quake making any western websites unbelievably slow. But becuase its been so long since I've posted a blog I figuered that I'd put up with it and just say hello. Christmas didn't feel like christmas becuase of the lack of snow on the ground but I figuer as you grow up its just like every other day. The [View Full Entry]

By carriebaron
January 5th 2007

I blame the earthquake

Asia » China » Shandong

Christmas dancing

Ok, ok. It's true, I'm a slacker. I'm horrible at writing emails, sending gifts and thank you letters in time, and I don't keep up with my blog. I GET IT. Well, I've turned a new leaf! (maybe it will last more than two months this time.) Ok, so let's go from CHristmas. Christmas, which I spent in Dongying with my fellow lonely foreigners. The university held a Christmas "party" which was MANDATORY. It was mainly performances. Video to arrive in a few weeks. yikes. There was also dancing, and by dancing I mean waltzing. I was forced to dance with [View Full Entry]

By Molls
December 7th 2006

Mount Taishan

Asia » China » Shandong

Thursday night I got a call from my friends Thomas and Raphael asking if I had any interest in going to climb Mount Taishan over the weekend. Taishan is located in Shandong province and it takes about 8 hours by train to get there. They said we would take the overnight train on Friday and all that was available was hard seats, no beds. Saturday morning we would arrive and explore the town Qufu famous for being the hometown of Confucious (the main attraction being the Confucious family mansion). After that we would take a bus to Tai'an, the small city [View Full Entry]

Travel Blog » Asia » China » Shandong