Bird's Nest

Last day in Beijing

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May 23rd 2010
my last day in Beijing. I started the day with the antiques / flea market in the South-East of the city. They sell anything and everything ("a chap can unload, is sold off the barrel...") much of it kitch and faux-antiques. It was fun to browse but I didn't ever think seriously about buying the apparently priceless antique plate and then carting it round the rest of China with me. My ... read more

Asia » China » Beijing » Olympic Park

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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