WATER FOR A THIRSTY CITY

TOOLING DOWN 

THE ROAD 

BRINGING THE 

WATER BOTTLES 

Beijing, China 

AFTER THE GAMES ARE OVER, II: ON THE EVE OF SOCHI, REMAINS OF AN OLYMPICS PAST

AFTER THE CIRCUS 

HAS LEFT TOWN II 

BEJING OLYMPIC PARK

WITH TORCH 

AFTER THE GAMES ARE OVER: ONE WEEK TILL THE 2014 OLYMPICS

AFTER THE 

CIRCUS 

HAS LEFT TOWN 

"WELCOME TO BEJING OLYMPIC PARK" 

THE SIGN SAYS; 

"SECURITY CHECK" 

The Summer Olympics were held in China in August 2008; the photograph was taken after another major multi-day event, the 18th Congress of the Communist Party of China, in October 2012. 

What will become of the Olympic venues for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, due begin this February 7? Vladimir Putin has scheduled the G8 summit for Sochi this June. 

CAR CRASH BELOW MAO'S PORTRAIT FACING TIANANMEN SQUARE, BEIJING

VEHICLE CRASHES THROUGH 

SECURITY IN FRONT OF 

THE FORBIDDEN CITY; 

THERE ARE CASUALTIES 

TIANANMEN SQUARE AND THE FORBIDDEN CITY 

AT NIGHT, DRESSED UP FOR THE 18TH CONGRESS 

OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF CHINA 

BEIJING, October 2012 

Early reporting of the incident here and here; 

a photograph of the vehicle on fire can be found here 

CHAIRMAN MAO GONE THIRTY-SEVEN YEARS TODAY

MAO ZEDONG 

December 26, 1893-September 9, 1976 

THE BODY MOVED HERE 

THE MAUSOLEUM 

at the southern end of Tiananmen Square 

THE ICONIC PORTRAIT HERE 

at the Gate of Heavenly Peace 

MEANWHILE

The debate goes on 

What is the balance on 

Mao's legacy? 

A recent take reviewed here  

AFTER THE CONGRESS IS OVER (THE PARTY GOES ON)

DELEGATES MAKING THEIR WAY 

OUT OF THE AUDITORIUM 

OF THE GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE 

AT THE END OF THE 18TH CONGRESS 

of the Chinese Communist Party 

Beijing, China, November 2012 

CHINA MAKES A NEW LAW AGAINST SELF-IMMOLATION

AGAINST 

SELF-IMMOLATION 

MARCHING PAST THE GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE 
THE FIRST DAY OF THE 18TH CONGRESS 
OF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY 
Beijing, November 8, 2012 

The Washington Post reported on December 6, 2012, that "Self-immolators and their abettors [in China] will be charged with murder." The Post notes that "An unprecedented 91 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in the past 18 months...." 

The security clampdown during the 18th Party Congress has been much remarked.  One element of it was the presence of men with

firefighting equipment marching past the Great Hall of the People (above) and otherwise present nearby, including notably on Chang'an Jie, the Avenue of Eternal Peace. 

BEIJING HANDICAPPED SIGN: IN HONOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

A BEIJING HANDICAPPED SIGN 

AT NIGHT 

ON CHANG'AN JIE 

ON THE NORTH SIDE OF 

TIANANMEN SQUARE 

In Honor of December 3, 

the International Day of  

Persons with Disabilities 

"Over one billion people, or approximately 15 per cent 

of the world’s population, live with some form of disability." 

For an earlier posting on 

"Two Decades of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 

see here 

For the story of 

"Crossing Tiananmen Square by Wheelchair," 

ask (post a Comment, below) 

For show & tell on 

"Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy," 

see here 

"DO NOT DRIVE TIREDLY": WORDS OF ADVICE FOR RETURNING THANKGIVINGERS -- OR BEIJINGERS

"DO NOT DRIVE 

TIREDLY" 

A WORD TO THE WISE 

ON THE ROADS 

IN BEIJING, CHINA 

November 2012 

"THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKING" ... IN OLYMPIC PARK, BEIJING

ALL WRAPPED UP 

A COLD DAY IN 

OLYMPIC PARK 

BEIJING, CHINA 

SIDNEY RITTENBERG: "THE REVOLUTIONARY"

BACK IN 

BEIJING  

SIDNEY RITTENBERG 

"THE REVOLUTIONARY" 

Mao Zedong's English translator in Yan'an after World War II 

American member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) 

Prisoner of the PRC/CCP 

Activist of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution 

Prisoner of the PRC/CCP Again 

American Entrepreneur/Consultant 

SANTA CLAUS LANDS ON A BEIJING ROOFTOP

SANTA CLAUS 

& FRIENDS 

HAVE ARRIVED 

IN BEIJING 

THE POLITBURO STANDING COMMITTEE IS INTRODUCED: XI JINPING THE FIRST AMONG "EQUALS"

XI JINPING 

GIVES HIS FIRST ADDRESS 

AS GENERAL SECRETARY OF 

THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY 

习近平
EAST HALL 

GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE 

Beijing, November 15, 2012 

English text of the speech 
here 

TRUMPETING OUT THE 18TH PARTY CONGRESS IN BEIJING

WINDING UP THE 

18TH CONGRESS 

OF THE 

CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY 

TRUMPETS FOR THE LAST DAY 

Great Hall of the People, Beijing 

November 14, 2012 

MAO AT NIGHT I

THE MAO MAUSOLEUM 

AT NIGHT 

AT THE TIME OF 

THE 18TH CONGRESS 

OF THE 

CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY 

Beijing, November 9, 2012 

More MAO 

including 

Mao's cave house in Yan'an 

Mao's horse 

Mao's monument to Jinggangshan 
(inscribed in his own calligraphy) 

MAO AT NIGHT II

PASSING BY  

MAO'S PORTRAIT 

ON THE GATE OF 

THE FORBIDDEN CITY 

AT NIGHT 

AT THE TIME OF 
THE 18TH CONGRESS 
OF THE 
CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY 

Beijing, November 9, 2012 

For more on Mao, 
Follow the links here 

HU JINTAO'S LAST HURRAH -- AT LEAST, AS GENERAL SECRETARY

HU JINTAO 

REPORTS 

TO THE 18TH PARTY CONGRESS 

HU'S SWAN SONG 

-- as General Secretary 

of the Communist Party of China, at least -- 

November 8, 2012 

On the first day of the 18th Congress of the Communist Party of China, Hu Jintao, the outgoing General Secretary, reads the Report ("FIRMLY MARCH ON THE PATH OF SOCIALISM WITH CHINESE CHARACTERISTICS AND STRIVE TO COMPLETE THE BUILDING OF A MODERATELY PROSPEROUS SOCIETY IN ALL RESPECTS" -- their capitals, not mine) from the podium of the Assembly Hall of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, surrounded (as usual, in these events) by flowers.  No one has died; this is the first step, in this Congress, in a choreographed handover of power first officially telegraphed at the preceding (17th) Congress, five years earlier. 

Hu Jintao twenty years earlier, introduced as the most junior member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the 14th 

Congress of the Communist Party of China (1992), here 

Hu Jintao five years earlier, at the 17th Party Congress, here 

Hu Jintao escorting Jiang Zemin off the dais 

of the 17th Party Congress (2007), here 

A COOL PICTURE FOR A HOT FRIDAY

UP IN THE AIR

ON THE WAY TO BEIJING

HARD TO GET THROUGH THESE DOORS: THE COLLEGE EXAM SYSTEM IN CHINA

GAOKAO

高考

THE EXAM SYSTEM

IN CHINA TODAY

PEKING UNIVERSITY (BEIDA)

北大

BEIJING, CHINA

The results of the Chinese college entrance examinations (the gaokao) are in; now the match-up of test-takers and universities is being sorted out. The gaokao is supposed to be meritocratic, "allowing students from poorer backgrounds or rural areas to compete for spots in top universities," such as Peking University (Beida; above). But, says the New York Times, "the odds are heavily against those students, since a quota system based on residency means it is much easier for applicants in cities like Beijing and Shanghai to get into universities there, which are generally considered the best in China." And there are not enough slots for everyone who wants to go to college and takes the exam, anyway (more than two million high school leavers will be disappointed).

Meanwhile, reports the Wall Street Journal, there are "Second Thoughts on College in China": "increasing numbers of high school graduates are choosing to go abroad to study."

Apparently, it can be easier to get into Harvard University than into Peking University.

PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN COMES TO BEIJING TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT HU JINTAO, 2002 & 2012

THE PAST IS

NEW AGAIN?

VLADIMIR PUTIN (l)

& HU JINTAO (r)

Great Hall of the People

Beijing 2002

In 2002 Vladimir Putin, then still in his first term as Russian president, was the first leader from a major power to meet with Hu Jintao, shortly after he had been officially selected as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party at the 17th Party Congress in November. (Hu would become president of China in March 2003.) Putin traveled to Beijing for the summit.

Today Putin and Hu were wrapping up another summit in Beijing, with the Russian president officially newly elected for a third term, and the Chinese president slotted to depart from his party leadership post this fall, and the presidency this coming spring.