Sunrise in Beijing

Qingming Festival

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April 4th 2012
The 104th day after the winter solstice here in China marks the beginning of Qingming Festival, or Tomb Sweeping Day. This is a time for the Chinese people to visit the graves of their ancestors, so the students had an opportunity to go home to visit their families on a long weekend. This allowed Nick and I to spend a few days in Beijing. Among the several ways to travel the 700+ miles from Ch ... read more

Asia » China » Beijing » Tian'anmen

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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