The Astor hotel - built 1846

Shanghai behind the Bund - National Day, 60 years on

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October 2nd 2009
After catching the train from Suzhou to Shanghai on probably one of the busiest days in the year - National Day - 60 years on. And, after sitting with thousands in the station watching on plasma screens, Hu JinTao drive through the barren avenues of Beijing except for the a million army soldiers lining it for miles and miles along with military tanks and war fare for the National Day Parade - and ... read more

Asia » China » Shanghai

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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