Monday, January 7, 2019 HOUSTON/BEIJING Depart Houston Flying Overnight to Beijing, Crossing the International Date Line

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Monday, January 7, 2019 HOUSTON/BEIJING Depart Houston Flying Overnight to Beijing, Crossing the International Date Line THE KINKAID SCHOOL January 6 – 22, 2019 BEIJING, PINGYAO, XI’AN, CHENGDU, HANGZHOU & SHANGHAI Day 1 ~ Sunday, January 6, 2019 HOUSTON Late evening gathering at Houston Intercontinental Airport for “just after midnight” flight. Day 2 ~ Monday, January 7, 2019 HOUSTON/BEIJING Depart Houston flying overnight to Beijing, crossing the International Date Line. Day 3 ~ Tuesday, January 8, 2019 BEIJING Arrive Beijing. Meet, assist and transfer to the Grand Mercure Beijing Dongcheng, situated in the heart of the city. Breakfast and time to freshen up before heading out for an introductory orientation tour of Beijing. Beijing has a population of approximately 20 million, ranking it third in population behind Chongqing (33 million) and Shanghai (15 million). As the capital of China, Beijing is the most important city in the country and a great deal of government investment has been poured into developing the city’s infrastructure and preserving what remains of its imperial past. This melding of the new and the old represents the continuum of the ancient Daoist concept of “Yin” and “Yang”– opposing forces in balance to preserve harmony. Beijing is an apt example of this belief. Chang An Boulevard (the longest street in China) is full of glittering high-rise office and apartment towers. Yet just minutes away are neighborhoods that reflect another time and place when emperors ruled from deep within the Forbidden City. Beijing was once described as less a real city than “a series of villages” and in spite of the rapid transformation of the city’s façade, there remains the scatter shot charm of the Chinese village. Neighborhoods (those that remain) retain strong ties to the traditions of Chinese life by preserving the feel of village life where houses stand side by side, people meet at the local market, and the Buddhist temple is open to all. The first stop is Tiananmen Square, the central plaza that has become synonymous with Beijing. The Square is the largest public plaza on earth holding an estimated one million people at one time. Surrounding the square in each of the cardinal directions is a noted city landmark. At the north end of the Square is Chairman Mao’s Memorial Hall, the mausoleum built to hold the body of the late paramount leader, Mao Zedong (1893 – 1976), who was the first communist leader of China and the man credited with “making China stand up”. Despite many terrible mistakes which led to immeasurable suffering for his people, Chairman Mao’s contribution to China’s modern identity is still highly regarded by the Chinese. There is a popular saying that Chairman Mao is “70/30” – 70% good and 30% bad – in other words his contributions to the building of a modern China outweigh the negative aspects of his administration. That considered, the population still recognizes that it was Mao who led the country to its independent status and ended years of corruption and desperate poverty that afflicted the country prior to the communist victory of 1949. At the northern end of the Square stands Tiananmen (literally, “the Gate of Heavenly Peace”) the Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644) Gate that marked the entrance into the imperial and Forbidden cities. Today its imperial grandeur has a modern sensibility – a large portrait of Chairman Mao Zedong hangs for all to see and on each side of the portrait are slogans proclaiming long life to the People’s Republic of China and solidarity to the working people of the world. On the east and west sides of the Square stand two remarkable buildings built in the year 1959 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. On the western side is the “Great Hall of the People”, where China’s National People’s Congress meets each March and where visiting heads of state are often received and feted at banquets, while on the eastern side is the Museum of Chinese History. 1 In terms of Chinese history the Square is not old; it was expanded and developed under the Communists after 1949. Since its construction it has become a focal point of activity. On October 1, 1949 Chairman Mao proclaimed the founding of the “People’s Republic of China” before tens of thousands of cheering Chinese. During the months of July and August 1966 hundreds of thousands of young students paraded through the Square pledging their allegiance to Chairman and becoming his “little Red Soldiers” in the war against the old order. This signaled the onslaught of the Cultural Revolution (1966 – 1976), one of the most chaotic and destructive periods of modern China. From the Square, go through the Gate of Heavenly Peace to The Forbidden City. Take a walk through history exploring the palace that was once home to the ruling families of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Ming (1368 – 1644) and Qing (1644 – 1911) were the two final royal periods in Chinese dynastic history. Much has been written about the Forbidden City; today, learn about its illustrious and infamous history. The palace was first built between the years 1406 – 1420 during a crucial period of Chinese history. The Ming dynasty had overthrown the ruling Mongols (the descendants of Genghis Khan) and set up their capital in Nanjing (which lies along the banks of the Yangzi River far to the south of Beijing) but civil instability and the continued threat from the Mongols caused the third ruler of the Ming, Yong Le (ruled 1402 – 1424) to move the capital back to Beijing. He wanted to proclaim the power of the new dynasty and impress upon people the end of the Mongol period. He initiated the construction of a new palace, one that would surpass anything that had existed in the past. His palace, the Forbidden City, became the defining symbol of Ming (and later Qing) China. Although it is steeped in legend and lore, the Forbidden City remains an overwhelming site. It embodies the spirit and tenets of traditional Chinese thought becoming a potent symbol for many Chinese concepts. The palace covers 72 hectares (approximately 200 acres) and is divided into an outer and inner court. The Outer Court is comprised of the main entrance (the Wumen or Meridian Gate), the Gate of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Supreme Harmony and the Halls of Middle and Preserving Harmony. Here the emperor presided over the daily workings of royal administration – receiving dignitaries, reviewing troops, and attending to the business of governing. The Inner Court, hidden behind towering purple walls, housed the residential quarters for the royal family, which would include not only the emperor and his chief consort (the empress) but also the residences of the concubines, children and royal attendants. Symbolism plays a pivotal role in the design of the Forbidden City and it is worth remembering the following symbolic numbers and items that figure prominently in the palace layout. Nine brass knobs on the main palace doors is a symbol of the emperor – the number nine being the number before ten, symbol of perfection. There would be no more perfect being than the emperor. Nine in Chinese has the same pronunciation as “Longevity” and so represents a wish for the emperor’s longevity and good health. Five as in five windows and doors is also a symbol of imperial fortune and good luck and was also believed to be a balance for 9. Legend holds that the palace has 9,999 rooms ensuring the emperor a long life and security. A room in Chinese palace design constitutes four pillars or columns that may support the belief in the number of rooms. Notice the eaves on all the roofs – they are decorated by small guardian figures that are believed to be water spirits providing protection against fire, the most destructive force on the Palace. The roof tiles are a rich yellow, the color being the symbol of the earth – the emperor the “Son of Heaven on Earth”. The general population could not use the imperial yellow shade and violation of this edict could result in serious punishment. The red columns supporting the roofs of each building represent good luck and fortune, while the other colors: the green and blue–the royal colors of the Ming–represent heaven (Tian – blue) and wealth and prosperity (green). The symbolism of the palace design was supported by a life of strict adherence to ritual – the emperors became prisoners of their own world strictly adhering to their beliefs. Tour the palace from the south to the north entering into the outer court and exiting from the inner court. The last emperor to live in the Forbidden City was the emperor Hsuan Tong (1908 – 1911) better known as Henry Pu Yi (immortalized in the 1988 film The Last Emperor). After the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911 he was allowed to reside in the Inner Court until 1924 when he was ejected from the Palace by warlord troops, which had taken over control of Beijing. Following lunch, set off to explore one of the older Hutong neighborhoods of Beijing. The “Hutong” is residential district unique to Beijing. As the city continues to develop and modern office and apartment towers are built the Hutong districts are being lost forever. Hutong is a Chinese term for an ancient Mongolian or Manchurian (remember the last rulers of China during the Qing dynasty were not Han Chinese, they were Manchurians who came from the northeastern region of China) term that means, “water well”. Residential districts of Beijing probably grew up around a source of water (e.g., a well) and grew into a network of alleys.
Recommended publications
  • Shanghai at the Asian Art Museum Discipline: Visual Art
    I EDUCATOR GUIDE Subject: Shanghai at the Asian Art Museum Discipline: Visual Art SECTION I - OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................2 EPISODE THEME SUBJECT CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS OBJECTIVE STORY SYNOPSIS INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES EQUIPMENT NEEDED MATERIALS NEEDED INTELLIGENCES ADDRESSED SECTION II – CONTENT/CONTEXT ..................................................................................................3 CONTENT OVERVIEW THE BIG PICTURE RESOURCES – TEXTS RESOURCES – WEB SITES VIDEO RESOURCES BAY AREA FIELD TRIPS SECTION III – VOCABULARY.............................................................................................................6 SECTION IV – ENGAGING WITH SPARK .........................................................................................7 Vestiges of a Process: Shanghai Garden, by Zhang Jianjun. Still image from the SPARK story, 2010. SPARK Educator Guide – Shanghai at The Asian Art Museum 1 SECTION I - OVERVIEW SUBJECT • Hands‐on individual projects in which students Shanghai exhibition at The Asian Art Museum work independently • Hands‐on group projects in which students GRADE RANGES assist and support one another 6‐12 & Post‐secondary • Critical reflection on personal expressions and how they are seen and received by others CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES Visual Arts & Language Arts • To introduce students to historical and OBJECTIVE contemporary artwork from Shanghai
    [Show full text]
  • Inside January/February 2018 Volume 17, Number 1
    JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 VOLUME 17, NUMBER 1 INSIDE Shanghai: Its Galleries and Museums Conversations with Artists in the KADIST Collection Artist Features: Pak Sheung Chen, Tsang Kin Wah, Zhu Fadong, Zhang Huan US$12.00 NT$350.00 PRINTED IN TAIWAN 1 Vol. 17 No. 1 8 VOLUME 17, NUMBER 1, JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 CONTENTS 30 4 Editor’s Note 6 Contributors 8 Contemporary Art and the Contemporary Art Museum: Shanghai and Its Biennale John Clark 30 (Inter)Dependency: Privately Owned Art Museums in State-Sponsored West Bund 46 Xing Zhao 46 Out of Sight: Conversations with Artists in the KADIST Collection Biljana Ciric 66 Pak Sheung Chuen: Art as a Personal Journey in Times of Political Upheaval Julia Gwendolyn Schneider 80 Entangled Histories: Unraveling the Work of Tsang Kin-Wah 66 Helen Wong 85 Zhu Fadong: Why Art Is Powerless to Make Social Change Denisa Tomkova 97 Public Displays of Affliction: On Zhang Huan’s 12m2 Chan Shing Kwan 108 Chinese Name Index 80 97 Cover: In memoriam, Geng Jianyi, 1962–2017. Courtesy of Zheng Shengtian. Editor’s Note YISHU: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art PRESIDENT Katy Hsiu-chih Chien LEGAL COUNSEL Infoshare Tech Law Office, Mann C. C. Liu Mainland China’s museum and gallery scene FOUNDING EDITOR Ken Lum has evolved rapidly over the past decade. Yishu EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Keith Wallace MANAGING EDITOR Zheng Shengtian 84 opens with two essays examining Shanghai, EDITORS Julie Grundvig a city that is taking strategic approaches Kate Steinmann in its recognition of culture as an essential Chunyee Li CIRCULATION MANAGER Larisa Broyde component of a vibrant urban experience.
    [Show full text]
  • Cultural Factors in Tourism Interpretation of Leshan Giant Buddha
    English Language Teaching; Vol. 10, No. 1; 2017 ISSN 1916-4742 E-ISSN 1916-4750 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education Cultural Factors in Tourism Interpretation of Leshan Giant Buddha Xiao Wenwen1 1 School of Foreign Languages, Leshan Normal University, Leshan, China Correspondence: Xiao Wenwen, School of Foreign Languages, Leshan Normal University, Leshan, Sichuan Province, China. Tel: 86-183-8334-0090. E-mail: [email protected] Received: November 23, 2016 Accepted: December 17, 2016 Online Published: December 19, 2016 doi: 10.5539/elt.v10n1p56 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/elt.v10n1p56 Abstract Different cultural aspects are always involved in tourism interpretation, and the process of tourism interpretation is also cross-cultural communication. If the cultural factors can be interpreted for the foreign visitors in a better way, it’s beneficial to convey the cultural connotation of the scenic spot and it can be the communication more effective. There are many scenic spots in China, to show the beautiful scenery and traditional Chinese culture to the world. Leshan Giant Buddha is one of national 5A tourist attractions in Leshan, Sichuan Province, China, and there are a lot of tourists coming here every year, especially foreign tourists. Therefore, its tourism interpretation shall be better and better. The tourism interpretation of Leshan Giant Buddha concerns many cultural factors. Based on Skopostheorie, this paper discusses how to deal with the cultural factors in guide interpretation of Leshan Grand Buddha from the following three aspects: names of scenic spots, four-character phrases and classical Chinese poetry. Keywords: Leshan Giant Buddha, tourism interpretation, skopostheorie, cultural factors, methods 1.
    [Show full text]
  • 2019 Year Book.Pdf
    2019 Contents Preface / P_05> Overview / P_07> SICA Profile / P_15> Cultural Performances and Exhibitions, 2019 / P_19> Foreign Exchange, 2019 / P_45> Academic Conferences, 2019 / P_67> Summary of Cultural Exchanges and Visits, 2019 / P_77> 「Offerings at the First Day of Year」(detail) by YANG Zhengxin Sea Breeze: Exhibition of Shanghai-Style Calligraphy and Painting Preface This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Over the past 70 years, the Chinese culture has forged ahead regardless of trials and hardships. In the course of its inheritance and development, the Chinese culture has stepped onto the world stage and found her way under spotlight. The SICA, established in the golden age of reform and opening-up, has been adhering to its mission of “strengthening mutual understanding and friendly cooperation between Shanghai and other countries or regions through international cultural exchanges in various areas, so as to promote the economic development, scientific progress and cultural prosperity of the city” for more than 30 years. It has been exploring new modes of international exchange and has been actively engaging in a variety of international culture exchanges on different levels in broad fields. On behalf of the entire staff of the SICA, I hereby would like to extend our sincere gratitude for the concern and support offered by various levels of government departments, Council members of the SICA, partner agencies and cultural institutions, people from all circles of life, and friends from both home and abroad. To sum up our work in the year 2019, we share in this booklet a collection of illustrated reports on the programs in which we have been involved in the past year.
    [Show full text]
  • 旅游减贫案例2020(2021-04-06)
    1 2020 世界旅游联盟旅游减贫案例 WTA Best Practice in Poverty Alleviation Through Tourism 2020 Contents 目录 广西河池市巴马瑶族自治县:充分发挥生态优势,打造特色旅游扶贫 Bama Yao Autonomous County, Hechi City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region: Give Full Play to Ecological Dominance and Create Featured Tour for Poverty Alleviation / 002 世界银行约旦遗产投资项目:促进城市与文化遗产旅游的协同发展 World Bank Heritage Investment Project in Jordan: Promote Coordinated Development of Urban and Cultural Heritage Tourism / 017 山东临沂市兰陵县压油沟村:“企业 + 政府 + 合作社 + 农户”的组合模式 Yayougou Village, Lanling County, Linyi City, Shandong Province: A Combination Mode of “Enterprise + Government + Cooperative + Peasant Household” / 030 江西井冈山市茅坪镇神山村:多项扶贫措施相辅相成,让山区变成景区 Shenshan Village, Maoping Town, Jinggangshan City, Jiangxi Province: Complementary Help-the-poor Measures Turn the Mountainous Area into a Scenic Spot / 038 中山大学: 旅游脱贫的“阿者科计划” Sun Yat-sen University: Tourism-based Poverty Alleviation Project “Azheke Plan” / 046 爱彼迎:用“爱彼迎学院模式”助推南非减贫 Airbnb: Promote Poverty Reduction in South Africa with the “Airbnb Academy Model” / 056 “三区三州”旅游大环线宣传推广联盟:用大 IP 开创地区文化旅游扶贫的新模式 Promotion Alliance for “A Priority in the National Poverty Alleviation Strategy” Circular Tour: Utilize Important IP to Create a New Model of Poverty Alleviation through Cultural Tourism / 064 山西晋中市左权县:全域旅游走活“扶贫一盘棋” Zuoquan County, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province: Alleviating Poverty through All-for-one Tourism / 072 中国旅行社协会铁道旅游分会:利用专列优势,实现“精准扶贫” Railway Tourism Branch of China Association of Travel Services: Realizing “Targeted Poverty Alleviation” Utilizing the Advantage
    [Show full text]
  • Conservation in China Issue, Spring 2016
    SPRING 2016 CONSERVATION IN CHINA A Note from the Director For over twenty-five years, it has been the Getty Conservation Institute’s great privilege to work with colleagues in China engaged in the conservation of cultural heritage. During this quarter century and more of professional engagement, China has undergone tremendous changes in its social, economic, and cultural life—changes that have included significant advance- ments in the conservation field. In this period of transformation, many Chinese cultural heritage institutions and organizations have striven to establish clear priorities and to engage in significant projects designed to further conservation and management of their nation’s extraordinary cultural resources. We at the GCI have admiration and respect for both the progress and the vision represented in these efforts and are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the preservation of cultural heritage in China. The contents of this edition of Conservation Perspectives are a reflection of our activities in China and of the evolution of policies and methods in the work of Chinese conservation professionals and organizations. The feature article offers Photo: Anna Flavin, GCI a concise view of GCI involvement in several long-term conservation projects in China. Authored by Neville Agnew, Martha Demas, and Lorinda Wong— members of the Institute’s China team—the article describes Institute work at sites across the country, including the Imperial Mountain Resort at Chengde, the Yungang Grottoes, and, most extensively, the Mogao Grottoes. Integrated with much of this work has been our participation in the development of the China Principles, a set of national guide- lines for cultural heritage conservation and management that respect and reflect Chinese traditions and approaches to conservation.
    [Show full text]
  • 漢基控股有限公司* (Incorporated in Bermuda with Limited Liability) (Stock Code: 412) R13.51A (Warrant Code: 1248)
    THIS CIRCULAR IS IMPORTANT AND REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION If you are in any doubt about any aspect of this circular or as to the action to be taken, you should R14.63(2b) consult your licensed securities dealer or registered institution in securities, bank manager, solicitor, certified public accountant or other professional advisers. If you have sold or transferred all your shares in Heritage International Holdings Limited (“Company”), you should at once hand this circular together with the enclosed form of proxy to the purchaser or transferee or to licensed securities dealer or registered institution in securities or other agent through whom the sale or transfer was effected for transmission to the purchaser or transferee. Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited take no R14.58(1) responsibility for the contents of this circular, make no representation as to its accuracy or completeness and expressly disclaim any liability whatsoever for any loss howsoever arising from or in reliance upon the whole or any part of the contents of this circular. HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LIMITED App1B 1 漢基控股有限公司* (Incorporated in Bermuda with limited liability) (Stock Code: 412) R13.51A (Warrant Code: 1248) MAJOR TRANSACTION IN RELATION TO ACQUISITION OF THE ENTIRE ISSUED SHARE CAPITAL OF GLOBAL CASTLE INVESTMENTS LIMITED AND NOTICE OF SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING A notice convening the SGM to be held at 30/F., China United Centre, 28 Marble Road, North Point, Hong Kong on Thursday, 28 March 2013 at 9:00 a.m. is set out on pages SGM-1 to SGM-2 of this circular.
    [Show full text]
  • Study on the Coniferous Characters of Pinus Yunnanensis and Its Clustering Analysis
    Journal of Polymer Science and Engineering (2017) Original Research Article Study on the Coniferous Characters of Pinus yunnanensis and Its Clustering Analysis Zongwei Zhou,Mingyu Wang,Haikun Zhao Huangshan Institute of Botany, Anhui Province, China ABSTRACT Pine is a relatively easy genus for intermediate hybridization. It has been widely believed that there should be a natural hybrid population in the distribution of Pinus massoniona Lamb. and Pinus hangshuanensis Hsia, that is, the excessive type of external form between Pinus massoniana and Pinus taiwanensis exist. This paper mainly discusses the traits and clustering analysis of coniferous lozeng in Huangshan scenic area. This study will provide a theoretical basis for the classification of long and outstanding Huangshan Song and so on. At the same time, it will provide reference for the phenomenon of gene seepage between the two species. KEYWORDS: Pinus taiwanensis Pinus massoniana coniferous seepage clustering Citation: Zhou ZW, Wang MY, ZhaoHK, et al. Study on the Coniferous Characters of Pinus yunnanensis and Its Clustering Analysis, Gene Science and Engineering (2017); 1(1): 19–27. *Correspondence to: Haikun Zhao, Huangshan Institute of Botany, Anhui Province, China, [email protected]. 1. Introduction 1.1. Research background Huangshan Song distribution in eastern China’s subtropical high mountains, more than 700m above sea level. Masson pine is widely distributed in the subtropical regions of China, at the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, vertically distributed below 700m above sea level, the upper reaches of the Yangtze River area, the vertical height of up to 1200 - 1500m or so. In the area of Huangshan Song and Pinus massoniana, an overlapping area of Huangshan Song and Pinus massoniana was formed between 700 - 1000m above sea level.
    [Show full text]
  • Since the Reform and Opening Up1 1
    Int. Statistical Inst.: Proc. 58th World Statistical Congress, 2011, Dublin (Session CPS020) p.6378 Research of Acceleration Urbanization Impacts on Resources and Environment in Sichuan Province Caimo,Teng National Bureau of Statistics of China, Survey Organizations of Sichuan No.31, the East Route, Qingjiang Road Chengdu, China, 610072 E-mail: [email protected] Since the reform and opening up, the rapid development of economic society and the rise ceaselessly of urbanization in Sichuan play an important role for material civilization and spiritual civilization, but also bring influence for resources and environment, this paper give an in-depth analysis about this. Ⅰ. The Main Characteristics of the Urbanization Development in Sichuan The reflection of urbanization in essence is from the industry cluster to population cluster., we tend to divided the process of urbanization into four stages, 1949-1978 is the first stage, 1978 – 1990 is the second stage, 1990 -2000 is the third stage, After the year of 2000 is the fourth stage. In view the particularities of the first phase, this paper researches mainly after three stages. 1. The level of the urbanization enhances unceasingly. With the reform and opening-up and the rapid development of social economy, the urbanization in Sichuan has significant achievements. The average annual growth of the level of urbanization is 0.8 percent in the twelve years of the second stage. The average annual growth in the third stage and the four stages is individually 0.5 and 1.3 percentage. The average annual growth of urbanization in the fourth stage is faster respectively 0.5 and 0.8 percent than the previous two stages which reflects obviously the rapid rise of the urbanization after the fourth stage in Sichuan.
    [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]
  • Downloaded from the Beijing Climate Centre Climate System Modelling Version 1.1 (BCC–CSM 1.1) for Future Model Building
    Article Impact of Past and Future Climate Change on the Potential Distribution of an Endangered Montane Shrub Lonicera oblata and Its Conservation Implications Yuan-Mi Wu , Xue-Li Shen, Ling Tong, Feng-Wei Lei, Xian-Yun Mu * and Zhi-Xiang Zhang Laboratory of Systematic Evolution and Biogeography of Woody Plants, School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; [email protected] (Y.-M.W.); [email protected] (X.-L.S.); [email protected] (L.T.); [email protected] (F.-W.L.); [email protected] (Z.-X.Z.) * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Climate change is an important driver of biodiversity patterns and species distributions, understanding how organisms respond to climate change will shed light on the conservation of endangered species. In this study, we modeled the distributional dynamics of a critically endangered montane shrub Lonicera oblata in response to climate change under different periods by building a comprehensive habitat suitability model considering the effects of soil and vegetation conditions. Our results indicated that the current suitable habitats for L. oblata are located scarcely in North China. Historical modeling indicated that L. oblata achieved its maximum potential distribution in the last interglacial period which covered southwest China, while its distribution area decreased for almost 50% during the last glacial maximum. It further contracted during the middle Holocene to a distribution resembling the current pattern. Future modeling showed that the suitable habitats of L. oblata contracted dramatically, and populations were fragmentedly distributed in these areas. Citation: Wu, Y.-M.; Shen, X.-L.; As a whole, the distribution of L.
    [Show full text]
  • Of the Chinese Bronze
    READ ONLY/NO DOWNLOAD Ar chaeolo gy of the Archaeology of the Chinese Bronze Age is a synthesis of recent Chinese archaeological work on the second millennium BCE—the period Ch associated with China’s first dynasties and East Asia’s first “states.” With a inese focus on early China’s great metropolitan centers in the Central Plains Archaeology and their hinterlands, this work attempts to contextualize them within Br their wider zones of interaction from the Yangtze to the edge of the onze of the Chinese Bronze Age Mongolian steppe, and from the Yellow Sea to the Tibetan plateau and the Gansu corridor. Analyzing the complexity of early Chinese culture Ag From Erlitou to Anyang history, and the variety and development of its urban formations, e Roderick Campbell explores East Asia’s divergent developmental paths and re-examines its deep past to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of China’s Early Bronze Age. Campbell On the front cover: Zun in the shape of a water buffalo, Huadong Tomb 54 ( image courtesy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Institute for Archaeology). MONOGRAPH 79 COTSEN INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY PRESS Roderick B. Campbell READ ONLY/NO DOWNLOAD Archaeology of the Chinese Bronze Age From Erlitou to Anyang Roderick B. Campbell READ ONLY/NO DOWNLOAD Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press Monographs Contributions in Field Research and Current Issues in Archaeological Method and Theory Monograph 78 Monograph 77 Monograph 76 Visions of Tiwanaku Advances in Titicaca Basin The Dead Tell Tales Alexei Vranich and Charles Archaeology–2 María Cecilia Lozada and Stanish (eds.) Alexei Vranich and Abigail R.
    [Show full text]