Saturday, April 5, 2008

China, Historical city!



Tower on the west end of the Great Wall of China at Jia Yu Guan Pass


Monolithic scale, a long and potent history, a future looming large.

China isn't a country - it's a different world. Unless you have a couple of years and unlimited patience, it's best to follow a loose itinerary here, such as following the Silk Road, sailing down the Yangzi River, or exploring the Dr Seuss landscape of Guangxi Province.

From shop-till-you-drop metropolises to the desert landscapes of Xinjiang, China is a land of cultural and geographic schisms. It's not that it has completely done away with its Maoist past - it's more that the yin of revolutionary zeal is being balanced by the yang of economic pragmatism.



Nice souvenir - a handful of snakes for sale at Red Market



Infamous Gate of Heavenly Peace on Tiananmen Square



Wondrous Wanchai never sleeps



Mother and child sculpture outside art museum



Aqua antics at the Water Splashing Festival - Jinghong



Friends from the Sea, all ready to eat, at Temple Street Night Market



Temple of Heaven in Beijing, completed in 1420 and expanded by two Emperors



The deep blue of the luxurious Hyatt Regency on Taipa Island



Double-decker tramcars offer great cheap sight-seeing opportunities

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