Great Wall Marathon/Half Marathon/8.5K Tour 2020 Beijing, Xi’An and Chengdu 13 Nights May 11 – May 24

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Great Wall Marathon/Half Marathon/8.5K Tour 2020 Beijing, Xi’An and Chengdu 13 Nights May 11 – May 24 Great Wall Marathon/Half Marathon/8.5K Tour 2020 Beijing, Xi’an and Chengdu 13 Nights May 11 – May 24 Sunday 10 May Depart USA to Beijing International flights own arrangement Monday 11 May Arrive Beijing and transfer to your hotel *We can book a private transfer or take a taxi to hotel JW MARRIOTT HOTEL A 5 star hotel located in Xuanwumen, the ancient heart of Beijing and within walking distance to Tiananmen Square. Settle in at the hotel and relax from your long journey. Dinner on own Tuesday 12 May B, L Beijing Get the “kinks” out with an optional early morning run and watch the traditional daily flag raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square. Breakfast at the hotel 8:30AM Morning Tour to Temple of Heaven and Silk Factory with lunch Afternoon at leisure 6:30AM Welcome to China “Happy Hour” at The Lounge Bar in hotel Dinner on own Wednesday 13 May B, L Beijing Breakfast at the hotel 8:30AM Summer Palace includes lunch Remainder of day at leisure Dinner on own Thursday 14 May B, L, D Beijing 6:30AM Early morning light breakfast at the hotel Today you dreams come true on this “mandatory” site inspection to the Great Wall! You will get to walk on the actual Wall for a 4-km, an incredible section of the Wall with spectacular view that will be part of your course on Saturday. Lunch is included. Return to hotel late afternoon 7:30PM A special carb-loading Pasta Dinner at local Italian Restaurant Friday 15 May B, L Beijing Breakfast at the hotel 8:30AM Morning Hutong Tour with pedicab ride and lunch Visit to the Old Beijing section and tea tasting at the Bell Tower Afternoon at leisure Prepare for race day and plan to tuck in early! Dinner on own Saturday 16 May B, L RACE DAY! 3:00AM Box breakfast from hotel THIS IS YOUR BIG DAY! Very early morning wake-up call for the 2 hour, 130 km drive by motorcoach to "our" piece of the Great Wall of Huangyaguan. It takes place on a part of the 6,000 km long Great Wall which is not generally visited by tourists. After an aerobic warm-up and speeches by local officials the race will start at 7:30am Sandwich lunches will be provided for everyone at the finish area. Also 20 minute massage on site is included after the race. Shuttle buses will take runners back to Beijing between 12 and 5pm. Dinner on own Sunday 17 May B, D Beijing Breakfast at the hotel Sleep in, relax and recover! Optional morning tour to Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City 5:00PM In the evening we all gather for the big celebration dinner. All participants will be picked up from the hotel and taken to the Party venue Monday 18 May B Beijing Optional tour to Lama Temple Free afternoon to do last minute shopping OR relaxing Dinner on own Tuesday 19 May B, L Beijing-Xian Breakfast at the hotel TBD Transfer to the airport for flight to Xi’an Meet local guide and drive into Xian to the Terra Cotta Warriors. This is one of the most fascinating archaeological sites in the world and a highlight of any China itinerary Lunch at a local restaurant inside the Digs compound Return to Xian to check into our hotel SHANGRI-LA HOTEL Optional Xian City Wall Bike Ride in evening. Dinner on own. Wednesday 20 May B,L Xi’an Breakfast at the hotel 6:30AM MT. Huashan tour 1.5 hours bus ride to Mt. Huashan The mountain offers several pathways as you challenge yourselves to hike the most beautiful mountain in Northern China. We will experience the cable car ride up and back to the mountain. You are free to choose to climb up either the Eastern or Western slopes. You can also walk the famous plank! Thursday 21 May B, D Xi’an Breakfast at the hotel Visit the Muslim Quarters Lunch on own at the Muslim Quarter Mid afternoon visit to Jade Factory 6:30PM Grand Opera House and Tang Dynasty Show with Dumpling Dinner Friday 22 May B Xi’an-Chengdu Transfer to railroad station for bullet train ride to Chengdu Guide greets and meets group Sightseeing at famous Old Broad and Narrow lanes area, Wuhou Temple and lunch Check in at hotel Afternoon at leisure Dinner on own Saturday 23 May B, L, D Chengdu Visit the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base with lunch TBD Farewell dinner at a Sichuanese restaurant Sunday 24 May B Transfer to Chengdu airport for your flight back home Flight arrangements on own from Chengdu End of Tour .
Recommended publications
  • Representations of Cities in Republican-Era Chinese Literature
    Representations of Cities in Republican-era Chinese Literature Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Hao Zhou, B.A. Graduate Program in East Asian Languages and Literatures The Ohio State University 2010 Thesis Committee: Kirk A. Denton, Advisor Heather Inwood Copyright by Hao Zhou 2010 Abstract The present study serves to explore the relationships between cities and literature by addressing the issues of space, time, and modernity in four works of fiction, Lao She’s Luotuo xiangzi (Camel Xiangzi, aka Rickshaw Boy), Mao Dun’s Ziye (Midnight), Ba Jin’s Han ye (Cold nights), and Zhang Ailing’s Qingcheng zhi lian (Love in a fallen city), and the four cities they depict, namely Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, and Hong Kong, respectively. In this thesis I analyze the depictions of the cities in the four works, and situate them in their historical and geographical contexts to examine the characteristics of each city as represented in the novels. In studying urban space in the literary texts, I try to address issues of the “imaginablity” of cities to question how physical urban space intertwines with the characters’ perception and imagination about the cities and their own psychological activities. These works are about the characters, the plots, or war in the first half of the twentieth century; they are also about cities, the human experience in urban space, and their understanding or reaction about the urban space. The experience of cities in Republican era fiction is a novel one, one associated with a new modern historical consciousness.
    [Show full text]
  • Beijing Subway Map
    Beijing Subway Map Ming Tombs North Changping Line Changping Xishankou 十三陵景区 昌平西山口 Changping Beishaowa 昌平 北邵洼 Changping Dongguan 昌平东关 Nanshao南邵 Daoxianghulu Yongfeng Shahe University Park Line 5 稻香湖路 永丰 沙河高教园 Bei'anhe Tiantongyuan North Nanfaxin Shimen Shunyi Line 16 北安河 Tundian Shahe沙河 天通苑北 南法信 石门 顺义 Wenyanglu Yongfeng South Fengbo 温阳路 屯佃 俸伯 Line 15 永丰南 Gonghuacheng Line 8 巩华城 Houshayu后沙峪 Xibeiwang西北旺 Yuzhilu Pingxifu Tiantongyuan 育知路 平西府 天通苑 Zhuxinzhuang Hualikan花梨坎 马连洼 朱辛庄 Malianwa Huilongguan Dongdajie Tiantongyuan South Life Science Park 回龙观东大街 China International Exhibition Center Huilongguan 天通苑南 Nongda'nanlu农大南路 生命科学园 Longze Line 13 Line 14 国展 龙泽 回龙观 Lishuiqiao Sunhe Huoying霍营 立水桥 Shan’gezhuang Terminal 2 Terminal 3 Xi’erqi西二旗 善各庄 孙河 T2航站楼 T3航站楼 Anheqiao North Line 4 Yuxin育新 Lishuiqiao South 安河桥北 Qinghe 立水桥南 Maquanying Beigongmen Yuanmingyuan Park Beiyuan Xiyuan 清河 Xixiaokou西小口 Beiyuanlu North 马泉营 北宫门 西苑 圆明园 South Gate of 北苑 Laiguangying来广营 Zhiwuyuan Shangdi Yongtaizhuang永泰庄 Forest Park 北苑路北 Cuigezhuang 植物园 上地 Lincuiqiao林萃桥 森林公园南门 Datunlu East Xiangshan East Gate of Peking University Qinghuadongluxikou Wangjing West Donghuqu东湖渠 崔各庄 香山 北京大学东门 清华东路西口 Anlilu安立路 大屯路东 Chapeng 望京西 Wan’an 茶棚 Western Suburban Line 万安 Zhongguancun Wudaokou Liudaokou Beishatan Olympic Green Guanzhuang Wangjing Wangjing East 中关村 五道口 六道口 北沙滩 奥林匹克公园 关庄 望京 望京东 Yiheyuanximen Line 15 Huixinxijie Beikou Olympic Sports Center 惠新西街北口 Futong阜通 颐和园西门 Haidian Huangzhuang Zhichunlu 奥体中心 Huixinxijie Nankou Shaoyaoju 海淀黄庄 知春路 惠新西街南口 芍药居 Beitucheng Wangjing South望京南 北土城
    [Show full text]
  • Shanghai, China Overview Introduction
    Shanghai, China Overview Introduction The name Shanghai still conjures images of romance, mystery and adventure, but for decades it was an austere backwater. After the success of Mao Zedong's communist revolution in 1949, the authorities clamped down hard on Shanghai, castigating China's second city for its prewar status as a playground of gangsters and colonial adventurers. And so it was. In its heyday, the 1920s and '30s, cosmopolitan Shanghai was a dynamic melting pot for people, ideas and money from all over the planet. Business boomed, fortunes were made, and everything seemed possible. It was a time of breakneck industrial progress, swaggering confidence and smoky jazz venues. Thanks to economic reforms implemented in the 1980s by Deng Xiaoping, Shanghai's commercial potential has reemerged and is flourishing again. Stand today on the historic Bund and look across the Huangpu River. The soaring 1,614-ft/492-m Shanghai World Financial Center tower looms over the ambitious skyline of the Pudong financial district. Alongside it are other key landmarks: the glittering, 88- story Jinmao Building; the rocket-shaped Oriental Pearl TV Tower; and the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The 128-story Shanghai Tower is the tallest building in China (and, after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the second-tallest in the world). Glass-and-steel skyscrapers reach for the clouds, Mercedes sedans cruise the neon-lit streets, luxury- brand boutiques stock all the stylish trappings available in New York, and the restaurant, bar and clubbing scene pulsates with an energy all its own. Perhaps more than any other city in Asia, Shanghai has the confidence and sheer determination to forge a glittering future as one of the world's most important commercial centers.
    [Show full text]
  • Making the Palace Machine Work Palace Machine the Making
    11 ASIAN HISTORY Siebert, (eds) & Ko Chen Making the Machine Palace Work Edited by Martina Siebert, Kai Jun Chen, and Dorothy Ko Making the Palace Machine Work Mobilizing People, Objects, and Nature in the Qing Empire Making the Palace Machine Work Asian History The aim of the series is to offer a forum for writers of monographs and occasionally anthologies on Asian history. The series focuses on cultural and historical studies of politics and intellectual ideas and crosscuts the disciplines of history, political science, sociology and cultural studies. Series Editor Hans Hågerdal, Linnaeus University, Sweden Editorial Board Roger Greatrex, Lund University David Henley, Leiden University Ariel Lopez, University of the Philippines Angela Schottenhammer, University of Salzburg Deborah Sutton, Lancaster University Making the Palace Machine Work Mobilizing People, Objects, and Nature in the Qing Empire Edited by Martina Siebert, Kai Jun Chen, and Dorothy Ko Amsterdam University Press Cover illustration: Artful adaptation of a section of the 1750 Complete Map of Beijing of the Qianlong Era (Qianlong Beijing quantu 乾隆北京全圖) showing the Imperial Household Department by Martina Siebert based on the digital copy from the Digital Silk Road project (http://dsr.nii.ac.jp/toyobunko/II-11-D-802, vol. 8, leaf 7) Cover design: Coördesign, Leiden Lay-out: Crius Group, Hulshout isbn 978 94 6372 035 9 e-isbn 978 90 4855 322 8 (pdf) doi 10.5117/9789463720359 nur 692 Creative Commons License CC BY NC ND (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0) The authors / Amsterdam University Press B.V., Amsterdam 2021 Some rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, any part of this book may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise).
    [Show full text]
  • Beijing Railway Station 北京站 / 13 Maojiangwan Hutong Dongcheng District Beijing 北京市东城区毛家湾胡同 13 号
    Beijing Railway Station 北京站 / 13 Maojiangwan Hutong Dongcheng District Beijing 北京市东城区毛家湾胡同 13 号 (86-010-51831812) Quick Guide General Information Board the Train / Leave the Station Transportation Station Details Station Map Useful Sentences General Information Beijing Railway Station (北京站) is located southeast of center of Beijing, inside the Second Ring. It used to be the largest railway station during the time of 1950s – 1980s. Subway Line 2 runs directly to the station and over 30 buses have stops here. Domestic trains and some international lines depart from this station, notably the lines linking Beijing to Moscow, Russia and Pyongyang, South Korea (DPRK). The station now operates normal trains and some high speed railways bounding south to Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Zhengzhou, Fuzhou and Changsha etc, bounding north to Harbin, Tianjin, Changchun, Dalian, Hohhot, Urumqi, Shijiazhuang, and Yinchuan etc. Beijing Railway Station is a vast station with nonstop crowds every day. Ground floor and second floor are open to passengers for ticketing, waiting, check-in and other services. If your train departs from this station, we suggest you be here at least 2 hours ahead of the departure time. Board the Train / Leave the Station Boarding progress at Beijing Railway Station: Station square Entrance and security check Ground floor Ticket Hall (售票大厅) Security check (also with tickets and travel documents) Enter waiting hall TOP Pick up tickets Buy tickets (with your travel documents) (with your travel documents and booking number) Find your own waiting room (some might be on the second floor) Wait for check-in Have tickets checked and take your luggage Walk through the passage and find your boarding platform Board the train and find your seat Leaving Beijing Railway Station: When you get off the train station, follow the crowds to the exit passage that links to the exit hall.
    [Show full text]
  • On C-E Translation of Beijing Subway Stations Names Under Skopos Theory
    US-China Foreign Language, June 2019, Vol. 17, No. 6, 297-304 doi:10.17265/1539-8080/2019.06.005 D DAVID PUBLISHING On C-E Translation of Beijing Subway Stations Names Under Skopos Theory LYU Liangqiu, LYU Shang North China Electric Power University, Beijing, China With the increasing international exchanges, the subway station’s English name is playing an increasingly important role in transportation. Based on the problems in the current English translation found in the investigation, this paper attempts to retranslate the problematic station names from the perspective of Skopos Theory. Finally, it is expected to propose suggestions and enlightenment for the standardization of subway stations’ English translation. Keywords: Beijing subway stations names, translation, Skopos Theory Introduction With close international exchanges, there are more and more foreigners in Beijing. Subway is progressively significant for their travel, so the English name of the subway station has also become a business card in Beijing. Beijing subway has 22 lines and 391 stations with a total length of 637 kilometers, which is of great importance in Beijing transportation. It is worth noting that there are still many irregularities in the current English names. For example, the translation of similar names is not uniform, and the inaccurate translation results are difficult in understanding. These irregularities will not only cause confusion for foreigners but also damage Beijing’s international image. Therefore, based on the Skopos Theory, this paper aims to retranslate subway station names with classification, and hopes to provide some reference for the English translation of the subway station. Features of Beijing Subway Station Translation The translation of Beijing subway station names is fairly essential.
    [Show full text]
  • Chinese Hereditary Mathematician Families of the Astronomical Bureau, 1620-1850
    City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 2-2015 Chinese Hereditary Mathematician Families of the Astronomical Bureau, 1620-1850 Ping-Ying Chang Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/538 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] CHINESE HEREDITARY MATHEMATICIAN FAMILIES OF THE ASTRONOMICAL BUREAU, 1620–1850 by PING-YING CHANG A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2015 ii © 2015 PING-YING CHANG All Rights Reserved iii This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in History in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Professor Joseph W. Dauben ________________________ _______________________________________________ Date Chair of Examining Committee Professor Helena Rosenblatt ________________________ _______________________________________________ Date Executive Officer Professor Richard Lufrano Professor David Gordon Professor Wann-Sheng Horng Supervisory Committee THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iv Abstract CHINESE HEREDITARY MATHEMATICIAN FAMILIES OF THE ASTRONOMICAL BUREAU, 1620–1850 by Ping-Ying Chang Adviser: Professor Joseph W. Dauben This dissertation presents a research that relied on the online Archive of the Grand Secretariat at the Institute of History of Philology of the Academia Sinica in Taiwan and many digitized archival materials to reconstruct the hereditary mathematician families of the Astronomical Bureau in Qing China.
    [Show full text]
  • A Case Study of Beijing Subway
    Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect Procedia Engineering 137 ( 2016 ) 49 – 58 GITSS2015 Evaluating Disruption in Rail Transit Network: A Case Study of Beijing Subway Haodong Yina,b, Baoming Hana,b, Dewei Lib,*, Ying wangb aState key lab of rail traffic control & safety, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, 100044, PR China bSchool of Traffic and Transportation, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, 100044, PR China Abstract Disruption means serious deviation from the planned operations. In this paper, static disruption management problems of rail transit network are discussed: the importance evaluation problem and the disruption impact problem. For importance evaluation problem, betweenness based evaluation indexes of stations, edges and lines are established based on K shortest paths and passenger flow; for disruption impact problems, the global efficiency is adopted to evaluate how well the subway system works before and after the disruptions. And three levels of attack strategies are designed to describe the disruptions. Finally, Beijing subway is studied. The result of case study shows: (1)our proposed importation evaluation model based on expanded betweenness concepts can be used to evaluate the subway’s importance in different levels; (2)removal of even a few lines, stations or edges with a high betweenness will result in a big decline in the efficiency of subway network; (3)Beijing subway network is robust against random disruptions but fragile for intentional attacks. © 2016 PublishedThe Authors. by Elsevier Published Ltd. byThis Elsevier is an open Ltd. access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license Peer-review(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ under responsibility of the Department).
    [Show full text]
  • The Geography of Tourist Hotels in Beijing, China
    Portland State University PDXScholar Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses 1991 The geography of tourist hotels in Beijing, China Hongshen Zhao Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds Part of the Geography Commons, and the Tourism and Travel Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Zhao, Hongshen, "The geography of tourist hotels in Beijing, China" (1991). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 4245. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.6129 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Hongshen Zhao for the Master of Arts in Geography presented October 18, 1991. Title: The Geography of Tourist Hotels in Beijing, China. APPROVED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE THESIS COMMITTEE: Thomas M. Poulsen, Chair Martha A. Works This thesis, utilizing data obtained through the author's working experience and on extensive academic investigation, aims to establish and analyze the locational deficiency of some 100 foreign tourist hotels in Beijing and its origin. To do so, an optimal hotel location is first determined by analysis of social, economic, cultural and environmental features of Beijing in relation to the tourism industry. Specifically, a standard package tour program of Beijing is established and then analyzed in spatial and 2 temporal terms, the result of which is further mapped by using a weighted mean center technique.
    [Show full text]
  • Risk Analysis and Control Factors Based on Excavation of a Large Underground Subway Station Under Construction
    S S symmetry Article Risk Analysis and Control Factors Based on Excavation of a Large Underground Subway Station under Construction Zhien Zhang 1,2,*, Mingli Huang 1,2 and Baohua Wu 3 1 School of Civil Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China; [email protected] 2 Tunneling and Underground Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education, Beijing 100044, China 3 China Railway 16th Bureau Group Co., Ltd., Beijing 100018, China; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +86-136-8311-4602 Received: 21 August 2020; Accepted: 24 September 2020; Published: 2 October 2020 Abstract: Considering the convenience of pedestrian transfer, reasonable structural stress and beautiful shape design, most subway stations adopt symmetrical design. At present, the new subway station is developing in the direction of a multidimensional space, as well as a large scale, and complex structure. Tunnel construction also presents unpredictability, coupling amplification and high risks. For example, a subway extension project involves construction, which would affect the normal use of the subway or damage its structure. Based on excavation of the largest underground subway station under construction in China, the Erligou station extension project (line 16 of Beijing Metro), and using theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, monitoring data, and other research methods, this paper quantitatively analyzes the risk of a large space station’s construction process on the adjacent existing station structure and track, as well as highlights key, high-risk sub-projects, or construction steps, combined with specific engineering measures to ensure safety during construction of a new station. The general rules concerning large space subway station construction are further summarized to provide reference for similar projects.
    [Show full text]
  • Global Gateway Beijing an International Center for Scholarship and Collaboration
    GLOBAL GATEWAY BEIJING AN INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR SCHOLARSHIP AND COLLABORATION WELCOME TO NOTRE DAME The University of Notre Dame boasts a network of extraordinary facilities and programs located around the world—the Notre Dame Global Gateways. Under the aegis of Notre Dame International (NDI), the Global Gateways are academic and intellectual centers where scholars, students, and leaders from universities, government, business, and the community gather to discuss issues of topical and enduring relevance. At each Global Gateway, the Notre Dame community and its many international partners and colleagues work together to advance knowledge across all disciplines with a view to the common good. Beijing, a thriving metropolis rich in history, culture, commerce, and political influence, is home to Notre Dame’s Global Gateway to Asia. The Beijing Global Gateway supports the University’s commitment to internationalize Notre Dame’s academic mission by creating and nurturing partnerships with universities, corporations, research institutes, and scholarly communities across Asia. These partnerships in mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand serve as the foundation for a broad range of academic programs. ASIA PROGRAMS Notre Dame’s Beijing Global Gateway LIU INSTITUTE is located in Zhongguancun, the famous The Beijing Global Gateway works technology hub at the heart of Beijing’s closely with Notre Dame’s Liu Institute university district. Top universities in for Asia and Asian Studies on expanding China, including Peking University, opportunities for faculty and students to Tsinghua University, Renmin University, engage with Asia. and Chinese Academy of Sciences, are all within a 10-minute drive from the SUMMER ACADEMIC Beijing Global Gateway.
    [Show full text]
  • China Delight
    Friendly Planet Travel China Delight China OVERVIEW Introduction These days, it's quite jarring to walk around parts of old Beijing. Although old grannies can still be seen pushing cabbages in rickety wooden carts amidst huddles of men playing chess, it's not uncommon to see them all suddenly scurry to the side to make way for a brand-new BMW luxury sedan squeezing through the narrow hutong (a traditional Beijing alleyway). The same could be said of the longtang-style alleys of Sichuan or a bustling marketplace in Sichuan. Modern China is a land of paradox, and it's becoming increasingly so in this era of unprecedented socioeconomic change. Relentless change—seen so clearly in projects like the Yangtze River dam and the relocation of thousands of people—has been an elemental part of China's modern character. Violent revolutions in the 20th century, burgeoning population growth (China is now the world's most populous country by far) and economic prosperity (brought about by a recent openness to the outside world) have almost made that change inevitable. China's cities are being transformed—Beijing and Shanghai are probably the most dynamic cities in the world right now. And the country's political position in the world is rising: The 2008 Olympics were awarded to Beijing, despite widespread concern about how the government treats its people. China has always been one of the most attractive travel destinations in the world, partly because so much history exists alongside the new, partly because it is still so unknown to outsiders. The country and its people remain a mystery.
    [Show full text]