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Beijing: Tues, Sept 23rd

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September 23rd 2014
Today was full-on and damp. A wake-up call @ 5.45am set the tone for the day and the coach left at 7am prompt. First stop was The Great Wall, where luckily the rain was only light enabling us to clamber up to one of the higher Watch Towers (although some colleagues scampered up even higher) - this is indeed a remarkable construction. Next stop was a Jade factory - the hard sell was unwanted, but t ... 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