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Expert selects China’s greatest books

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‘Great Books of China’ introduces sixty-six works spanning three millenia of Chinese history selected by the former curator of the British Library’s Chinese collection Frances Wood. Guanghwa Bookshop on Shaftesbury Avenue near Leicester Square hosted an event early in December 2017 at which Frances explained her selection. Guanghwa staff had been busy festooning the walls […]

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Shih’s thoughts on Xi

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An event organised by the China Institute of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) I attended this month (November 2017) had San Diego University’s Victor Shih present his analysis of the consolidation of the power of Chinese premier Xi Jinping in the aftermath of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s 19th national congress. Victor’s […]

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引导在布鲁姆斯伯里步行 Guided walk in Bloomsbury

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格雷旅馆是剩下的四家律师学院之一,成立于1370年,是律师生活和学习的场所。这是南广场一号。维多利亚女王期待的作家查尔斯·狄更斯年轻的时候在这里当事务员工作。 Gray’s Inn is one of the four remaining Inns of Court, founded in 1370 as a place for lawyers to live and study. This is 1 South Square. Victorian author Charles Dickens worked here as as a clerk when he was young. Several of Dickens’ novels include scenes set in Gray’s Inn. 广场的尽头是历史学家和政治家弗朗西斯·培根的雕像,他在这里生活了五十年,直到1626年去世。作为大法官,他被认为给英国法律制度带来更大的公平和公正。然而,他自己被判贿赂,因此被罚款四万英镑,并被监禁在伦敦塔。 At […]

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Wierd scene aside the water

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My favourite spot in Yunnan is the lake that cherishes, soothes, cares for, comforts and nourishes the Immortals, in Chinese 抚仙湖 Fuxian Hu. With its equable climate, generous sunshine, fertile soil and abundant fish this area could even serve as a base for my retirement. A large modern hotel complex looms over its north-eastern corner, […]

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Arthurian tour for Chinese visitors

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Planning an Arthurian tour for Chinese visitors to the UK was my plan for autumn 2017 – a good idea, but it has yet to materialise. Sites associated with tales of King Arthur proliferate in that area of southwest England known as Wessex. One of these locations is where Merlin commissioned the smith Wayland to make […]

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City with clean air in China !

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My first experience of a city on Mainland China was that of Weifang in east central Shandong. I was out of the place within 24 hours, not willing to tolerate the noxious quality of its air. Happily it proved easy enough to find a bus bound for Yantai on the province’s northern coast, and thence […]

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Called to a shooting

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  Called to a film shoot in the far south-west corner of China close to Burma, my acting pedigree had landed me a role as General Merril the leader of a special forces group operating behind Japanese lines in Burma in World War Two.   My character was subordinate to Field Marshall Stillwell played by […]

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Chinese teaching tips in Moravia

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Three days of lectures about teaching Chinese, curtesy of Chinet, had me travel to Palacky university in Olomouc eastern Czech. My interest had been especially aroused when I learned that most of the presentations were to be given by staff from the university in Taiwan at which I studied twenty years ago.   The first […]

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Tarim basin oasis Dunhuang

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Dunhuang is a refreshing oasis adorned with deciduous vegetation. Whilst most tourists come here mainly to visit the Mo Gao caves bearing paintings and statues of the Buddha and his celestial entourage, other attractions include trees, water, sand dune mountains, and camel rides to the Crescent Moon spring

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Little & Mini Three Gorges cruise

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Departing from Wushan, the ‘Little Three Gorges’ cruise is an enjoyable day-long excursion up a tributary of the Yangste river. It includes such curiosities as suspended ‘iron coffins’, and holes in the sheer cliff-face bearing witness to an ancient plank walkway. Rock formations include ‘Fairy Maiden Cave’ and ‘Fairy Throwing a Silk Ball’. Whilst the […]

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