"Yilupingan!" China by seagoingJLW

I should like to recommend a book that should be required reading for all who plan to visit China.

Jung Chang's Wild Swans

The book was copyrighted in 1991 by Globalflair LTD.

China has a population of 1,273,111,290 in an area of 9,596,960 sq km. The ethnic groups are Han Chinese (93%), Zhuang (16,000,000), Uygur (7,000,000), Hui (8,000,000), Yi (7,000,000), Tibetan (5,000,000), Miao (8,000,000), Manchu (9,000,000), Mongol (5,000,000), and Korean (1,000,000)and 8.1 per cent other nationalities.

The languages spoken are Mandarin, Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbai (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects and minority languages.

The Great Wall was built in the third century BC. It was finished in 204 BC. It extends about 1500 miles from the Gansu Province to the Bohai Gulf. It runs from 20 to 50 feet high and from 15 to 25 feet thick. the actual length, including its windings, is more than 2,000 miles.

October 1, Founding of the People's Republic of China is the national holiday.

The countries bordering on China are Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, Hong Kong, India, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kirghyzstan, Laos, Macau, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Vietnam

We went to China by ship. This gave us the opportunity to sail on the Yangtse as well as visit several cities. Take a look at the travelogue on the ship, Marco Polo.

Here is today's heart of China--the infamous Tiananmen Square in Beijing which has been a rallying ground and scene of many political clashes in history, most notably the student uprising in 1989.

History

Historically China was to East Asia what Greece and Rome were to the West--teacher of the arts and the source of civilization. The Xia Dynasty is said to have existed in the latter part of the neolithic age.

The Shang Dynasty (1766-1112 BC) is documented because written Chinese was firt used during this period. The Zhou Dynasty (1112-771BC) followed. During the Zhou civilization, the central government weakened and Chinese territory was divided into several kingdoms. After the Zhou came the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC) followed by the Warring States Period (475-221BC.) The Qin Dynasty (221-207BC) is said to be the source of the name China.

The next Dynasty was the Han (202BC-220AD,) after which China went through a chaotic period (the Three Kingdoms, the Tsin, the Southern and Northern Dynasties.) Reunification occurred under the Sui Dynasty (581-618.) Next came the Tang Dynasty (618=907) followed by another collapse (The Five Dynasties [907-960]) until reestablished by the Sung Dynasty (960-1276.)

Khublai Khan invaded in 1276, thus beginning the Yuan Dynasty (1276-1368) although the Mongols under his grandfather, Genghis Khan, had first stormed into northern China as early as 1211.

The Mongols were eventually driven from China and the indigenous Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) was established. This was followed by the Qing Dynasty of the Manchus (1644-1911.)

During the second half of the 19th century, Europeans forcibly opened trade with China and took over large tractsof the country. Christian missionaries came, the British took Hong Kong and opened five ports to foreign trade following the Opium War (1839-1842.) Eleven more were opened and Kowloon was cede to the British after the Opium War of 1856-1858.)

China then went through the Taiping Rebellion (1848-1864) and the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 when they were forced to give up Taiwan to the Japanese.

The Boxer Revolt of 1900 led to another demand of indemnity from the foreigners. It was not until the Revolution of 1911 that China, under Sun Yat Sen, set out to recover.

China became a republic on January 1, 1912. Sun yielded the presidency to the northern warlord, Yuan Shikai. When he died in 1916 a succession of equally visious warlords ravaged China until Chiang Kai-shek's northern expedition in 1926. As head of the Koumintang Chang tried to bring some semblance of order to the country, A successful attempt to exterminate the Communist strongholds (the fifth attempt) finally sent the Communists on their long march in 1934.

Meanwhile the Japanese took control of Manchuria in 1932-1932 and followed up with the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945.

At the end of the war, the Communists were much stronger than the Koumintang and on October 1, 1949 the communist People's Republic of China was proclaimed. There were many backward steps, notably the Cultural Revolution.What happened afterwards you all know.

The Forbidden City in Beijing, the seat of Imperial power during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911) is well worth your time.

• Pros:So many places to visit.
• Cons:The feeling of being followed wherever you go.
• In a nutshell:Go anyway. It's different.