DrBen.Net - China Report Weblog

So much for working another night and another week on perfecting your Online experience with DrBen.Net and ChinaReport.com.  As for all the earlier news -as Blogged here,  DrBen and his crew are back from the Technical Front and have resumed working on what is most urgently at hand:  filling the many gaps inside what is otherwise a pretty exciting and -we bet and hope- useful website for those who want to travel in China and/or are just generally interested in the history and culture.

 

All of this brings us back to our earlier promise, to slowly review some of the Items that were published on Drben.Net over the last many months, resulting -so far- in a Number 538 thousand 218  website ranking worldwide (according to www.alexa.com). 

After revealing some of the new additions on The Great Wall of China (see this blog), Let's now have a peek at one of the other sections of the China Report website and turn the page to China's 56 Ethnic Minority Groups. Much has happened in this section since it first appeared, roughly around one year ago.

First decsribed were the Manchu & Tungusic People, who are Tribes and Ethnic Groups who reside mainly in Manchuria or North-Eastern China. Then came the Mongolians, -a people who can't be ignored, if only for the huge troubles they have managed to put the Han Chinese through in their lenghty mutual history-, and subsequently a number of the 10 Islamic Ethnic Groups of China.

From here, DrBen has moved on with the daunting task of reviewing a considerable lot of other peoples in China.

For instance the latest groups to join the Online Library at China Report: All minority groups in China of European Blood, then the Korean or Chaoxian Ethnic Group, and so far the latest; the Kirgiz (Kirghiz or Kyrgyz) and The Kazakh, both nomadic and semi-nomadic peoples residing in very remote and rough regions in the far West of China. A Third group described in Maps, Fotos and video are the smallest Ethnic Group in China, the Lhoba of Tibet. The Lhoba are an unusual group who have only recently been truly connected to  modern civilization. Regardless, helped by Government incentives and international donors the Lhoba have grown in number and are adapting rapidly to the new opportunities given to them. Nevertheless, for those who would like to see the Lhoba in their most original state, today is definitly a better to travel to their remote home than tomorrow.

Mind you, the Dalai Lama may have some cause to complain on the loss of traditional Tibetan Culture within Tibet, however the fate of the Lhoba, a small people who used to be in the lowest drawer of Tibetan Civilization, is quite another story. Not only are there far fewer Lhoba, their ways are completely unique and adapted to life in forrest and on mountain slopes.  They in turn are on the verge of assimilating with mainstream Tibetan Culture and may be lost forever......

 Anyway, there is much more to be known about the Lhoba and a visit to their homeland would make for a remarkable trip and an unforgettable experience. That much is clear when reading their story.

Find the Lhoba described inside The China Report (Arts & Culture - Ethnic Minorities Section) and who knows- you might travel to Lhuoyu Region of South-Eastern Tibet where they make their homeland, and smoke a peace pipe with them yourself !

 

For any traveling and studying purposes, or just for interest and fun,  please make use of the Map of Language Area's in China (PRC) - China Ethno-Liguistic Map (1964AD) which was added recently and now holds most (but not yet all!) ethnic minority regions in China, including Autonomous Prefectures and Autonomous Counties. This Map makes navigation among the various stories and maps of the Minority Groups of China much easier, more logical and - in fact pretty smooth.

Enjoy our "preview" if you will while DrBen, supported by Staff, attempts to make another huge dent in the long list of 56 minority peoples' in the huge Peoples' Republic of China !!

 

Browse around DrBen.Net to discover what it looks like in DrBen's famous "Cartoon"-style of web-publishings, or simply head directly to the new website on the small and untill very recently highly reclusive Mountain Kingdom of Bhutan. It just became a constitutional Monarchy (as are The Netherlands) and is now opening up to the world just a Tad Bit....... As close personal friends and perhaps, year-long followers have come to know- usually that is enough for DrBen to get in- and around. Afterall, DrBen has a unique method of personal relations, a lot of cultural respect and understanding, and some other Talents. Not to mention the powerful influences of the 9Th Cloud Buddha, who seems to keep re-appearing on his long Road and throughout his arduous struggles.

So, here we go with the first preparations in case of any such event as an opportunity to tour Bhutan.

 

Find Bhutan as by DrBen under the Domain Name: http://www.BhutanReport.com.

The Kingdom of Bhutan has now officially become part of DrBen's Theatre of Operations and .. In-Shallah -God willing -Site Visitors and Twitter Birds can follow DrBen via Google Latitude, GMaps & Twitter while he makes his way about the Peoples Republic of China, Bhutan or Mongolia, or perhaps even Korea ! For now-as published on this Blog- focus will be on The Great Wall of China in 5 Provinces and 1 Autonomous Region. Other presumable lenghty stop-overs on the 2009 Itenerary so far include Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture of Jilin Province (China), and the Nation of North Korea (DPRK), two out of not two but Three Koreas as you will Discover.

Revisit this Blog, Tune in to ChinaReportcom1 on Twitter and See that upcoming soon in the next Months of 2009 - AND DO SUPPORT US (so we can go to the MAX !!).

One can buy books, click and make use of google supported advertizement links, send in donations, send in cash money, diamonds, gold bars. Whichever thing you'd like to give and SEE this project move your computer, DrBen and urself as never before. LIVE.

(Ok- as far as that goes -usually DrBen is left to front the cash himself.)(Its a hard world for artistic types, what can ya' say)

 

Meanwhile, we will be completing the inclusion of some more G-Maps (I-slang) and adding the Nation of Nepal under the Name Nepal Report at www.NepalReport.com.

Other site upgrades may go up without Notice.

Keep browsing and discovering then, as usual with DrBen at DrBen.Net.

BREAKING TECH NEWS: DrBen, DrBen.Net & www.ChinaReport.com join TWITTER.

After being among the first Europeans to join up for the try out of Google Latitude, the new Google GPS Tracking system for ur mobile device, DrBen surges on the wave of technological innovations recently introduced.  In anticipation of plans for the coming Months, DrBen goes LIVE AND MOBILE and joins TWITTER !

(Image: DrBen among Tulips in his native "Holland". The Worlds Most Beautiful Flower Park at Easter, how is that for a Relax ??)

Finds us under the twitter name: ChinaReportcom1, and URL: http://twitter.com/ChinaReportcom1.

Mind You: ChinaReportcom1 represents DrBen's Personal Mobile Device, which will be featured in the year 2009's Travels and Reports on the Peoples Republic of China, or any other Reporting regarding Chinese Culture and matters. ChinaReport1 can be followed not only LIVE via Twitter and semi-live via this BLOG. Join up with DrBen and ChinaReport at Google Latitude (http://www.google.com/ig) and track DrBen & ChinaReportcom1 Device using GPS on the Google Map of China.

 

Already Mid-April in 2009 AD, and after a short & very necessary Easter Holiday,  DrBen returns refreshed to his (Favorite) Life's Mission - The China Report.

Some very sunny and pleasant spring days have passed, among things seeing DrBen return to his Dutch roots as well as exploring Old "Guanxi" Connections in the Political Capital of The Netherlands, The Hague.  Many new plans  and idea's to be developed have been set up for the coming few Months,  including the phased introduction of new system including google maps, more emphasis on e-commerce and a broader line of products to add to your information and our China Report Stories, a new expedition to The Peoples Republic of China and then some.

Depending on YOUR donations and your help in funding the China Report Project, plenty of new subjects and site-additions will pass the Review in April and May of 2009. So, stay "tuned".

 

Meanwhile, DrBen and his China Report Staff hope you had an equally pleasant and enjoyable Easter Holiday.

We now Return from a very lenghty absence to Update The China Report MSN Blog.  Although this Blog was inactive for months on End, many new information pages have been created inside DrBen.Net and www.ChinaReport.com.  Starting with the Latest, Largest and Most Popular subject- The Great Wall of China, in the coming weeks we will attempt to Track Back in Time and provide a small overview of the Best New Publications involving Dunhuang and JiayuGuan on The Silk Road in Gansu Province, overviews of the Manchurian Provinces of Liaoning and Jilin, added Maps of China, some useful Reports on various Ethnic Minorities in China and their Locations and other worthwhile additions.

Let's Have a Look.

 

To Kick Off our journey back in Time at DrBen.Net let's first focus on the awe inspiring Grandeur of one of the largest engineering feats in ancient Chinese and Human History, the construction, maintainance and defense of The Great Wall of China.

As described in our Recently Updated Introduction to this Historic Marvel, the current day remnants of the Chinese Wall date mainly from the Ming Dynasty Era (1368 AD - 1644 AD) and stretch across an amazing variety of terrains, climates and ethnic boundaries. All of these make China's Great Wall unique and contribute to the might of its story, the fascinating story of Chinese Civilization , the Inner Kingdom and its Walled Borders , The Nomadic Tribes and the ancient Silk Road.

(Photo: Great Wall of China at Luowenyu , as Photographed by Willam Geil in 1908 AD)

 

 Some parts of the current day Great Wall of China have been restored and many locations can be visited today. 

Having 1st visited China's Renowned Wall in Januari of the Year 2000 at Badaling near Beijing, it took until November and December of 2008 AD when DrBen went almost  the entire length, all the way from China's Capital City at Beijing to Dunhuang Oasis between the Gobi Desert and the Taklamakan Desert (Takla-amakan) to finally take up the considerable challenge of covering the venerable old wall and so make his personal Tribute to it.

In the new Great Wall of China Report, we travel the length of the Wall from the oldest sections that date to the Han Dynasty Era (206 BC - 221 AD)  far away in the Western Deserts, on a splendid journey through 5 Northern Provinces and One Autonomous Region, to the Eastern Coast at Qinhuangdao in Hebei Province.

 

So far available for readers to explore: two quite spectacular Great Wall of China locations in Gansu Province - Dunhuang Area and Jiayuguan Area Great Wall.  Then skipping over several Wall locations in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region there are completed Reports on three Great Wall of China Sites in Shaanxi Province - Yanchi, Dingbian and Yulin Fortress . Further Eastward Three more Great Wall of China sites in (North) Shanxi Province - Pian Guan- where the Great Wall meets the Yellow River, Yanmen Guan - the Wild Goose Pass and Pingxing Guan - The Flat Pass and site of the Pingxing Victory over the Invading Japanese in 1937 AD.

The Latter two Passes belong to an Inner Layer of the Great Wall. The Great Wall of China has multple layers, especially around Beijing,  a concept and fact not everyone has yet heard about.  Surely, this is a subject we can help clarify !

Last but not least there are several sections of The Great Wall of China in Hebei Province already available with text and (some) photo and video-material. Have Fun browsing these new Report Pages while the China Report Staff works around the clock to include all available source information and publish the best and most complete info on more Great Wall of China Locations.

(Image: Map of China, the Path of the Great Wall and its relation to Cities, Nations, Rivers and the

 Pathway of the Ancient Silk Road in China.)

 

In the next phase, later this year China Report will travel back to China and take you even further, to the (almost) very Eastern End of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall (Overview Map), the Great Wall of Tiger Mountain, overlooking the Yalu River near Dandong in Liaoning Province on the North Korean Border.

Last but not Least in November DrBen will return to his 2008 steps and make a lenghty tour of Gansu Province, planning to visit a number of Great Wall Sites in Gansu and possibly Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, an ethnic enclave locked between deserts and nourished by The Great Yellow River (Huang He). Changes of Plan may come at any Time, naturally, as DrBen enjoys wild travel best.

As the most popular subject regarding China on The Internet, DrBen has long felt he had been given too little Time and Opportunity to honor The Great "Wan Li Chang Cheng", the 10.000 Li Long Wall.  Follow the below story and learn some facts on The Great Wall, discover some Great Scenery and Travel with DrBen -or on your very own-  using the internet, our information and perhaps your very feet, to GO AND uncover romantic hints of the mystique of the Silk Road.

 

(Images: Great Wall of China on a Steep Cliff at a (so-far) un-identified location.

Link: Guide Book - enjoy China to its Fullest, available from our Online Store)

 

For early birds and eager Travelers who cant wait to get on the Road and see the Great Wall in China for themselves,  please use our recently prepared Listing of GPS Coordinates of Great Wall of China Locations, to plan your very own Mission.

In Fact: Anyone can Bring their Blackberry or other Mobile Device along on their Trip to China, can join up with DrBen at Google Latitude, and enjoy the 2009 AD Season traveling in China while sending your Reports and Video's in to The China Report and your own Blog, FaceBook Page or any other online digital media you may prefer.

Join the Party and LINK UP your Blog or Website and MOBILE DEVICE to www.ChinaReport.com or parts thereof.

Help create a document on The Globally Famous World Cultural Heritage Chinese Great Wall and have the trip of a life-time in the same go ! The Media? That is YOU !

 

Next up: "Official Opening" of  our section on Gansu Province in West China, currently under development.

 

First, Lets take you directly Back to the City of Beijing, and the starting point of DrBen's 2007 Journey through China.

Among the recently Published Reports on this City are a few that highlight the recently ended Revolutionary Century of China.

Not too many Foreigners know very much of this Part of Chinese History, including still DrBen himself, however - understanding the Revolutionary History of China is fundamental understanding the architectural History of the City of Beijing and it current State. Or at Least, for an Important part.

Possibly even more Important and Interesting, Understanding the Revolutionary Century of China also means understanding the Chinese People, and getting an insight into motivations that still drive the Chinese State, Diplomacy and Foreign Politics today.

As such, we -The China Report Staff- were forced to delve into our Books, Files and Photos, and uncover more of this historic Era and backgrounds to its events.

We are hereby Proud to present to you some recent materials among which First and Foremost our 1 Page Report on the Monument of the May the 4Th Movement in the DongCheng District of Beijing.

 Monument to the May the 4Th Monument.

 

After 1949 AD Beijing became the central City in China's far reaching Revolution, and TiananMen Square and lesser known Monuments within Beijing reflect this Great Role in History.  The May the 4Th Movement Monument is one of those small and easily overlooked Monuments that is part of Beijing's Revolutionary Era Architecture. Read the Report for Directions to the Site of the Monument as well as some historic backgrounds to the May the 4Th Movement itself. As a Bonus, to be published soon, the Report extends on the May the 4Th Movement and Revolutionary History by highlighting the Events of December the 12Th 1937 AD, when yet another Chapter of the Revolutionary Chinese Book played itself out among the stretches of Road between the May 4Th Movement Monument and ShenwuMen, the North Gate of the Palace Museum at Jingshan Park. We will keep you in suspense about this for a bit more, though.

 

Next up is in our List of Revolutionary Sites is the Small Dongdan Park in another part of the above mentioned DongCheng District. Not much can be told about the Revolution and the location of Dongdan Park, however it was constructed as an orginal part of the Modern Revolutionary Capital in the 1950s and as such has its very own "Stalinistic-with-Chinese-Caracteristics" Type Revolutionary Statue.  If you love them and are looking for these kinds of Statues, Dongdan has to be included in your List. Today, wholy other things are going on at DongDan Park, however you will have to review are 1 Page Report for this information.

Earlier in history Dongdan Park was the location of a German Colonial Hospital, which leads us further into Chinese History and to what are today the Remnants of the Foreign Legations in the Imperial City, the so called Beijing Legations Quarter.

 

The Beijing Legations and the wider City of Beijing were a main Battle-ground during the Summer of 1900 AD in what what is widely known as the "Boxer War". This aggressive Colonial War, was another important event in Chinese Revolutionary History that had evolved from the situation after the earlier supressed TaiPIng Rebellion and would lead up to the May the 4Th of 1919 AD and the resulting May the 4Th Movement. The May the 4TH Movement of 1919 AD stood at the roots of the China Communist Party, which was founded only 2 years later in Shanghai, heavily influenced by the philisophers and thinkers of the May 4Th Movement.

Now Available for you 9 Pages of the Full 11 Page Report on the Beijing (Former) Legations Quarter, its history, its former architecture and Todays remnants in this Area of DongCheng District. Browse around the Legations Quarter and get more aquainted with Beijing as a City, as well as with the rich History of the Colonial Past and the Revolutionary Century in China's Recent past.

As described withing the 11 Pages of our Report, the Boxer War was a Crude and Superstitious, however nevertheless Nationalist upstirring that was provoked by half a Century of Foreign Encroachment since the Chinese Defeat at the hand of Allied European Powers in the 1840-42 AD First Opium War. Since 1840 AD things had rapidly gone downhill for China and its Economy. The Political Legitimacy of the Ruling Dynasty, the Ching, grossly weakened by the Foreign military, technological, economical and cultural onslaught, was waning.  Challenged by Foreigners, but helped to remain in Power after yet another Opium War in 1860 AD that extorted new and painful concessions, the TaiPing Rebellion against the Ching Dynasty as well as the Foreigners, was only a forbode of the mixed feelings Chinese People had about the new world situation and their now open economy.

The Chinese had been welcoming more and more of the new influences and technology, but on the other hand were starting to stir evermore strongly against these as well.

The TaiPing Rebellion was hard to stamp out and lasted a full decade, paralyzing Chinese internal transport and Trade. A similar Rebellion, the Nian, was also extinguished with Pain. The 1900 AD Boxer Rebellion and the idea's and Political Movements that spawned from it however, would be impossible to Stop. Read More Facts and Details while exploring the Beijing Legations Quarter by browsing our 11 Page Report and Photo-Virtual Walk of this Area under Historic Protection !

 Former French Post Office and Telegraph Station at East Legation Street (Former).

 

The May the 4Th Movement, although far less known than its predecessors the TaiPing Rebellion and the YiHoTuan "Boxer" Movement, was a cornerstone Movement of great importance.  It was a fundamental Movement of Chinese Self-Emancipation equal to both, however it possesed a drastically new way of thinking. Thinking that was inspired through the influx of Foreign Ideas and News, among which the theories of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, as well as the ongoing events in other parts of the world. Before Communist Leadership however, first came the First Republic of China, established in the year 1911 AD.

Find More on this short-lived but fundamental Revolution in Chinese History in the next Report in this Beijing City Revolutionary Monuments Listing, the Report Pages on Zhongshan Park and Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park, together dedicated to Chinese Culture and the Sun Yat-Sen episode in the Revolutionary Century.

 Bronze Statue of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen at Zhongshan/SunYat-Sen Park.

 

At Sun Yat-Sen Park we find an abundance of Traditional Architecture as well as plenty of Revolution and History.  Most important is the Statue of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen and his Memorial (Bai Dian), however there is much more to be found at this Park, of Revolutionary, Traditional or Historic Nature.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen was ...

As can be read in detail in our Report on the Park and Facilities, other features include the Forbidden City Concert Hall, the Square Altar used in the Ancient Imperial Fertility Rituals as well as an abundance of Tributs to todays Members of the (local) Communist Party and the Government of the City of Beijing.

 

From Dr. Sun and his First Republic revolutionary history jumps in time to the Chinese Communist Party and the person of one Mao Zedong.

At the time of the 1921 AD Shanghai founding of the Chinese Communist Party Mao Zedong was only a lesser figure within Chinese Revolutionary ranks, but nevertheless he was a founding Member of the China Communist Party.

Earlier, at the Time of the 1919 AD Protests against the unfair Versailles Treaty concluding the First World War in Europe, Mao had travelled from Hunan Province to Beijing with his Teacher (one Professor Yang Changji, his high school teacher and future father-in-law). Eversince he had been living in Beijing. And not only that, he had landed himself a job at the Library of the prestigious Peking (Beijing) University, the national bullwark of revolutionary thoughts and philosophy. Mao Zedong had become an assistant Librarian and Li Dazhao (the writer and revolutionary thinker) was his curator.

Li Dazhao was a central Person in the May 4Th Movement. The Protests of the 1919 AD had passed but the City of Beijing and China entire were almost ready for even more Revolutionary Stirrings. Mao Zedong was infiltrating the political ranks of the Future.

 The Hutong and Former House of Mao Zedong in Beijing.

Mao Zedong lived near the Bell Tower of Beijing from May/June of 1919 AD to at least the summer of 1921 AD. Meanwhile he enlisted as a Part Time student at Peking University.

The Beijing period of his early Life shaped the future Mao Zedong for a large part. At the University and at his Home in Beijing Mao read as much as possble, and it was in Beijing that he was introduced into the (early) theories of Marxism-Leninism. Mao further Married his second wife in Beijing, Yang Kaihui the Profesors Daughter, who he later abondonned for the Revolution.

Find the former Hutong Home of later Chairman Mao Zedong in yet another section of the Dongcheng District, just North of the Ancient and Magnificent Bell Tower and its Hutong Market. Although Photos of the Street and former Home of Mao Zedong and even sound for the Report are available, we are still in the process of Publishing this Report for lack of some crucial historic information on Mao in Beijing.

 

 

This Last Report so far concludes our recent List of Reportings on Remnants of Revolution in Beijing. 

As every world citizen probably knows by now, the Ancient Imperial City of Beijing will proudly be the Host of the 2008 Olympic Games. It is also the central city in our website building so far. As such, especially this Year Beijing City & Province will be the main focus of our website.

As most regular visitors will realize, much work remains to be done to complete the online City of Beijing, a truely ambitious task.

Not only is Beijing a City of now over 16 million citizens, a mega-metropolis, furthermore in has been rapidly modernizing in the last 10 years, culminating in the 2008 and 2010 City Development Plan. For this reason, descriptions of some parts of this extensive City can only be delivered at the Very Last Moments. Among these parts of Beijing are firstly: The Beijing City Subway System, the 2008 update of which is Beijing delivered at this Time, secondly  the QianMen Area of Beijing, Dashilan Street and the Hutong of the wider areas surrounding these. All are currently under reconstruction, south of TiananMen Square. Thirdly, the Business District of ChaoYang which is in a rapid transversion from run-down Business Area into a Truely Modern CBD, again to be complete in 2010 AD. Last but in this case certainly not least should be mentioned the Beijing Olympic Venues in General, among which the Newly Opened (this week) Beijing Capital Airport Terminal and Transportation System. All of the Latter are being completed at this Time and will be covered by us Later.

Hopefully before the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic Games, on August the 8Th of 2008.

 

As for the rest of Beijing. We have been working arduously to bring you More. Not only did the Latest Photo-Tour of China, in November 2007, include more than a weeks worth of Photography in and around the City, DrBen has plenty of Photos still to be published from the Years 2005 (few) and 2006 in China.

And then there are the Cities of Chengde, LuoYang, Lanzhou and the Chinese Section of the Silk Road.

 More Beijing and China Reports under Editing !

Updates continued in the Next Blog Item.