The Great Mosque in Xian

Beijing and Xian

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July 6th 2005
Our overnight train trip from Pingyao was very easy - certainly the train was much cleaner and because it was a tourist line we were less of a novelty. We really enjoy travelling on the sleeper trains actually. We arrived at Beijing West train station early in the morning and joined a throng of people all pushing their way off the platform. They only ever open a couple of small gates and a whole t ... read more

Asia » China » Beijing

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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