Tag: history
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Simatai Great Wall – Go early, and don’t underestimate the climb!
He who has not climbed the Great Wall is no true man (不到长城非好汉). A pretty bold statement but one that shows that I am a true man having already visited the Great Wall of China multiple times over the past 20 years. Of all the Great Wall sections I’ve visited, my most recent visit to…
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The Summer Palace is worth it — if you time it right
Built in 1750 by Emperor Qianlong and later made famous as the personal residence of Empress Dowager Cixi, the Summer Palace is Beijing’s finest surviving imperial garden. It spans over 3 square kilometres, 75% of it water, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. The architecture is extraordinary and massive. Painted pavilions,…
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Yiwu: A permanent Canton Fair
Ever heard of Yiwu? I didn’t until last year. OK, call me a late developer but the city isn’t exactly known as a tourist destination. It was only last year when we went to our first Canton Fair that we first heard of Yiwu. Some of the Guangzhou show’s visitors told us that they were…