Temple of the Town Gods

Empire of the Smog

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November 12th 2007
Empire of the Smog Our Japanese adventure was bookended by Shanghai. We had spent three nights here before heading off on the ferry and three when we returned. Shanghai is a huge city, a highrise horizon stretching for miles in each direction, endless spires lit with neon at night, fading into the chemical haze. Immediately the city felt different to Beijing, less formal, less organised, a s ... read more

Asia » China » Shanghai

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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. A... ... read more