Billy's Cities

Explore the great cities of the world!

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China, A Little History, Part 3

Ming Dynasty

Hall of Supreme Harmony at the Forbidden City, Beijing. Originally built by the MIng Dynasty in 1406. China, Asia.
Hall of Supreme Harmony at the Forbidden City, Beijing. Originally built by the MIng Dynasty in 1406.

In 1378, the Mongols of the Yuan Dynasty were overthrown and sent packing back to Mongolia by what became the Ming Dynasty.  Thus was ushered in perhaps China’s most shimmering golden age of all.  In fact, Ming means “brilliant” or “bright”.  In Beijing, the Ming picked up where the Mongols left off, creating a master-planned imperial city centered on the new imperial palace, known today as the Forbidden City.  The Great Wall as it exists today is mostly due to construction performed during the Ming Dynasty.  Ming emperors were enthusiastic patrons [Read more…]

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China 2015 Food Diary, Day 2

At Shanghai’s high-speed train station in the morning, I had the obligatory first croissant of the trip.  (Plain, not the standard chocolate.)  But it’s not because I was dying for a croissant.  It was basically the only thing I could order.  All of the major train stations I went to had food concessions on the upper floor.  There were many fast-food type options.  But I didn’t see any English anywhere.  I went to a bakery, and the croissant was the only thing that I could be sure I knew what it was.  So, I had the first croissant of the trip.

image [Read more…]

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China, A Little History, Part 2

Yuan Dynasty

Drum Tower, Beijing. The original Drum Tower was built in 1272 during the Yuan Dynasty at the center of the imperial capital city that became Beijing. It was reconstructed and relocated to its present location by the Ming Dynasty in 1420.
Drum Tower, Beijing. The original Drum Tower was built in 1272 during the Yuan Dynasty at the center of the imperial capital city that became Beijing. It was reconstructed and relocated to its present location by the Ming Dynasty in 1420.

1279 marks the start of the Yuan Dynasty, declared by Kublai Khan of the Mongols.  It was the first time China was ruled by foreigners.  By this point, the Song Dynasty only had rule over southern [Read more…]