Tiananmen Square is readying for Olympics

Thoughts on a week in Beijing

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September 19th 2007
I was wrong. It is possible to have a sunny day without smog in Beijing, as proved over the last day and a half. Once the heavy rain of Monday night and Tuesday morning cleared away, out came the sun between clouds, and it has been delightful with a light breeze and temperature in the mid-20s. Getting one's head around Beijing is hard. To begin, it is BIG! Think of the main business and top hot ... read more

Asia » China » Beijing » Temple of Heaven

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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