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.
July 9th 2008Asia » China » Xinjiang » Kashgar I enter China high in the Tian Shan mountains, through the Torugart Pass. At 3700m above sea level it's about 2.5 times the height of Ben Nevis, and you can really feel it. The scenery however is spec ... 7 photos[full story]
June 8th 2008Asia » China » Xinjiang » Kashgar Hello
The night train to Xi'an to Beijing was an interesting experience. Our tour leader, Mark, scared us with stories about the Chinese train boarding skills - as everyone crams on all at once wi ... 17 photos[full story]
June 3rd 2008Asia » China » Xinjiang » Kashgar Sorry for the big break between entries, but accessing an internet cafe in Xinjiang has turned out to be pretty difficult. Well, not its almost over. I'll try to recap what has happened in the las ... [full story]
June 2nd 2008Asia » China » Xinjiang » Kashgar after 3 days without a full-body shower, a test to both my sanity and buttocks, i have finally reached kashgar - the final frontier of china. kashgar, is a city in the autonomous region of xinjiang. t ... [full story]
June 2nd 2008Asia » China » Xinjiang » Kashgar the past 48-72hrs or so have been an exercise in cultivating patience and zen and inner peace haha. having been on board 2 back-to-back 24 hr train ride, the solitude and serenity that engulfs you is ... 10 photos[full story]
May 18th 2008Asia » China » Xinjiang » Kashgar The second half of my trip through China has been so different from the first part that Its hard to believe its all one country. Just about everything is different except the money - which goes furthe ... 11 photos[full story]
May 5th 2008Asia » China » Xinjiang » Kashgar
May 1, 2008
According to the information in the “Lonely Planet” on China, the border with Pakistan opens on the 15th of April, sometimes later. This year the border opened on the 1st of ... 7 photos[full story]
March 28th 2008Asia » China » Xinjiang » Kashgar Salaam aleykum,
Zoals bekend konden we onze Tibetaanse plannen definitief opbergen na de Chinese invasie in het hoogland. Gelukkig konden we plan B nog uit de kast halen. De weg naar Xinjiang was l ... 25 photos[full story]
July 15th 2007Asia » China » Xinjiang » Kashgar The Silk Road has been connecting people for centuries, bridging spice traders with silk caravans long before backpackers every discovered its trails. It was here, in the most accidental fashion, tha ... 7 photos[full story]
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