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1997

Route in China (CHINA - Beijing)

Bec
2004-09-19 16:26:59

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of 190 steles which record the names of the scholars who have achieved the highest ranking Chin Jin status in the examinations during centuries.

The mandarin public officials wielded considerable personal arbitrary power. The strict examination system insured however that they were the most qualified individuals available to judge, arbitrate and settle any problem arising from the daily management of the Empire. When they were honest and loyal, the Empire expanded and prospered. However, power corrupts and from time to time the mandarins would become venal. In seeking their own interest they would make bad decisions leading to abuse of power, exploitation of the peasants, internal divisions and the periodic downfall of dynasties.

Beijing's Drum tower, built in 1420 had several drums which were beaten to mark the hours of the day, time being kept by a water clock.

This 18th century Bell Tower replaces the original which was built on this site at the same time as the Drum Tower.

This battlement of Beijing's fortifications near at the intersection of Jianguomennei Dajie and Chaoyangmen Nandajie survived destruction in the '50's because it housed an ancient 15th century Observatory once used to make astrological predictions for the Emperors.

Busy modern Beijing has a number of beautiful parks such as this Taoranting Park where people can escape to rest, stroll, do Tai Chi or enjoy a little privacy to talk romance on one of these love pedal boats.

China's wonderful parks and lakes are now open to everyone but it was not always been like that. In fact, most parks were private gardens reserved for the pleasure of the feudal lords and mandarins who ran the country until the Sun Yat Sen republic of 1911.

Whatever its past, Taoranting Park was definitely popular especially on a nice Saturday like this one. I was taking the trans-manchurian train that night so I glad to have come here to do my last sight seeing in Beijing.

Heilongjiang
The next morning, we had gone through the busy port city Tianjing and reached industrial Shenyang in Liaoning province. That day we passed Changchun in Jilin province, where the Japanese had installed the capital of their "Manchkuo" colony in 1933, crossed the wheat fields of Manchuria and reached Harbin the capital of Heilongjiang in the evening.

Inner Mongolia
Finally we reach Manzhouli, the last stop in China where the international standard width bogies used in China, are changed for others to fit the wider track spacing adopted by tzarist Russia with the intention of impeding invasions. This operation took four hours and was surrounded by needless secrecy, photos were forbidden!

It had taken two full days to get here from Beijing but I did not mind for I had good australian company all the way. Here we are, celebrating our last night in China, in the usual order, Andre Coffa, Nicole Barton, myself and Elisabeth Hurst.

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