Controversy on the Tibetan Plateau

Posted by markopoloayling on August 4, 2009 · Leave a Comment 

“The main reason Tibet is so undeveloped and un-Chinese – and so thoroughly old-fangled and pleasant – is that it is the one great place in China that the railway has not reached.  The Kun Lun Range is a guarantee that the railway will never get to Lhasa.  That is probably a good thing.  I … Continue reading →

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Welcome to China…Now Learn Mandrin! (Chinese Border)

Posted by markopoloayling on August 1, 2009 · Leave a Comment 

I woke up as my bus reached the outskirts of Nanning in southern China.  My first impressions of China: characterless apartment buildings, shiny offices and bright blue road signs.  Construction was everywhere – cranes were erecting new buildings despite the economic crisis.  Everything was new.  The bus pulled off the newly paved highway onto a … Continue reading →

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