The New

Beijing: High rise hutong

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April 22nd 2009
As my train snaked through the suburbs of backstage Beijing - construction sites alternating with old tower blocks with stained air conditioning units - I already suspected that there was little I would understand about this huge contraption of a city. There was history in the air, for sure - seeping from the brickwork and the vanished temples and arches that hung in the ether. But it was a histor ... 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