Forbidden City

China - Beijing

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July 9th 2008
The bus into Beijing was smart and air-conditioned, but from inside you could see how polluted the city was. Can they really be hosting an Olympic games here in a little over a month? I take in the tourist sites of Beijing, starting with the Forbidden City. I'd heard they'd built a Starbucks in the outer coutryard, but must have since removed it - thank God! As you'd imagine, for an attracti ... 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