Confucius Temple

A day of firsts and lasts

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December 10th 2008
Most of the day was spent sight-seeing. We went to Confucius’ birthplace and his tomb. Grace and Song had said the driver is generally very talkative, but he had never actually talked to me. Today he did—a first! The other first of the day, I finally used a Chinese toilet—yikes! If you’ve not seen them, they are basically a hole in the ground (a trough). I’d show a picture, but tha ... read more

Asia » China » Shandong » Qufu

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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