Google's Blogspot Blocked in China

China Related Quotes

'Reform is seen less through the prism of human rights and freedom, than the question of how to increase the legitimacy of the ruling Communist Party. Instead of trying to develop a Chinese variant of liberal democracy, many are looking for a different model altogether.'

Mark Leonard in What Does China Think?, Fourth Estate, 2008, p60

'We felt the chill of the mountain air. On the brilliant yellow tiles, the fresh grass that had sprouted in the spring was as tall as the old withered stalks, and both swayed in the breeze. In the blue sky, a floating cloud that seemed to hang on the corner of a flying eave created the impression that the temple itself was tilting. A broken tile at the edge of the eave looked as if it were about to fall. Probably it had sat that way for years without falling.'

Gao Xingjian: Buying a Fishing Rod for my Grandfather, Harper Perennial, 2004, p19. Translated by Mabel Lee

'Pan Wei [an academic at Beijing University] has a vision of a high-tech consultative dictatorship, where there are no elections but decisions made by a responsive government, bound by law, and in touch with its citizens' aspirations... a new model of politics that is the 'mirror image of the West', based on the rule of law and citizens participation rather than elections...In the future 'deliberative democracy' will be the central part of Chinese politics, with grassroots elections playing a supplementary rather than central role.'

Mark Leornard: What Does China Think? as above, p66-7

China Related Quotes

"From my experience in writing, I can say that literature is inherently man's affirmation of the value of his own self and that this is validated during the writing, literature is born primarily of the writer's need for self-fulfilment. Whether it has any impact on society comes after the completion of a work and that impact certainly is not determined by the wishes of the writer."

Gao Xing Jian, the first Chinese Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, from his Nobel Lecture, 2000

Leisure At Wangchuan
Since my retirement to this place I love,
I've never made again to town a move:
For the times to stare, when on a tree I lean
Before my house, at the field-and-village scene;
For the crops by water their double forms that show;
For silvery birds o'er the mountains soar...
But what if sometime I may lonely grow?
Well, for my greens, with a winch, I 'll water draw.

Wang Wei: 100 Poems in English Verse, translated by Wang Bao Tong

Sunday 17 May 2009

Google's Blogspot Blocked in China

All of Google's Blogspot sites, including this one, are presently blocked in China. I can only access it from a proxy server, which may or may not last long, though anybody else not using a proxy server can not access these sites at all.

1 comment:

Student Blogger said...: This is an extremely interesting, informative and use blog. Shame it seems to have been abruptly ended!; January 08, 2012 8:03 am

Hanging Out In Xi'an

ART SCHOOL CAFE (MEI3 YUAN4)- sit outside under the trees, surrounded by Artists and a busy road junction! Don't be put off this is a good spot. It lies directly West of Da Yan Ta (Big Goose Pagoda), start off on Yanta Xi Lu (Goose Pagoda West Road), head West and keep going, it is at the junction at the end of the road.

BAI3 HUI4 MARKET on Chang2'An1 Lu4 in Xiao3 Zhai4- this is one of the major places in town for cheap clothes and DVD's, increasingly young and fashionable but at a price most can afford. A variety of other shopping opportunities exist close by. Head for Xiao3 Zhai4, the market is just south of Xi'an City Library, the main motorway flyover and the Music School- in that order from the city.

BOOK SHOP/ TEA HOUSE- comfortable tea house mixing style with tradition on the second floor of the bookshop on Xiao3 Zhai4 Dong1 Lu4, half way between Shaanxi National History Museum and Chang2'An1 Lu4 (Wireless Internet). If you were at the museum come out and turn right, it is about 5 or so minutes down on the left hand-side, south side of the street. An old wooden cart wheel is leaning against the entrance window. It also sells a good selection of tea.

BOOK WORLD- largest book shop in Xi'an, on the junction of Chang2An1 Lu4 and Yan4 Ta3 Xi1 Lu4 in Xiao3 Zhai4.

FAMILY RUN JIAOZI RESTAURANT- this little place is very basic but very friendly and it is on Cui4 Hua2 Lu4 just 5 minutes from Shaanxi National History Museum, on the right as you go down the road.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE BOOKSTORE- on East Street (Dong1 Da4 Jie1) above the new Li3 Ning2 store (need to go through Li Ning to get to it).

JENNIFER'S CAFE- You3 Yi4 Xi1 Lu4, just along from the south gate of the North Western University, near the northern end of Gao1 Xing1 Lu4. Quiet with a laid back atmosphere (Wireless).

KFC & DICOS- less for the food, more for a quiet and clean place to study- Chinese style.

KING COFFEE- on Yanta Xi Lu (see below). Great service, perfectly good coffee, quiet and in a top spot just down from Da Yan Ta (Big Goose Pagoda). Wireless Internet. Plus outside seating in a sort-of terraced garden. A good spot.

NO NO'S CAFE- wealthy and fashionable clientele (generally). Expensive but quite relaxed cafe, evenings are busy and smokey but the day-time is still quite chilled (Wireless). Even sells tasty panninis. Walk down South Street (Nan Da Jie) on the left with with the Bell Tower (Zhong Lou) behind you, turn left after KFC and it is immediately on the left. Opposite this KFC on the other side of the road is an even bigger one which has another KING COFFEE next door- good place for quiet study in the mornings and has a busy-down town buzz in the afternooons/evenings (wireless).

QU JIANG LAKE- a huge and impressively landscaped lake in the new Qu Jiang area, just 15 minutes south of the Big Goose Pagoda (Da Yanta). It amazingly just seemed to appear over-night. At the weekend early mornings are best as it gets busy later, during the week no problem.

REVOLUTION PARK- good place to retreat to from the city. North of the Sofitel Hotel on the left, down from the train station on the right. Good little lake; benches and ice-cream, plus an old fairground.

SHAANXI NORMAL UNIVERSITY CAMPUS (SHI DA) AND RUNNING TRACK- good for hanging out surrounded by greenery but also to do some sport in a very peaceful environment. The atmosphere and the activities going on remind you that you really are in China and that that is most certainly a good thing. Can take 600 or 603 buses, amongst others, from Nan Da Jie (South Street) in the city. Ask someone for Shi Da, about 20-30 minutes.

SHI DA LU- 2 good cafes (THE VILLAGE and SCULPTING IN TIME- both have Wireless Internet) plus alot of local and a little Western food. Xi'an's Foreign Language University and Shaanxi Normal Universitiy are also very close by. Same buses and place as above.

THE LOFT- a luxury shopping mall food-court. Big sofa's and dining tables. The main reason for going is not the selection of Asian food or necessarily the beer battered fish and chips but for the chocolate brownies, that wash down well with one of their huge fruit salads. Relaxed with good service. (There is actually ice-skating opposite and the occasional English speaking film at the nearby cinema.) On the top floor of the huge shopping mall on Dong Da Jie (East Street-south side), a better option than ST_RBUC_S which is on the ground floor. Although this St_rbuc_s is more of the 'place to be' in Xi'an, amongst the cool and wealthy, than it would be back in the West and thus has quite a good energy, especially late afternoons/evenings.

THREE SISTERS' RESTAURANT- tasty traditional Chinese Food, including jiaozi, in a good little restaurant with amusing sisters running it. It is diagonally opposite the entrance to Walmart, which is at the back end of the giant shopping plaza on East Street (Dong Da Jie). Most of the dishes now also have pictures- which is useful.

YAN TA XI LU (Goose Pagoda West Road)- at one end the Big Goose Pagoda and a well designed array of bars, restaurants (Indian, Malaysian, Fusion, Korean) and cafes with well-landscaped outside seating areas (retains a traditional calm feel). In the middle is the junction of the busy Chang' An Lu, where there are shops, foods (kebab shop recently added) and the biggest book shop in Xi'an. At the far end of the road is the Art School (Mei Yuan) and it's outside cafe.

YAO YAO'S ICE CREAM SHOP- upstairs is a sort of quaint little cafe that also sells tea and coffee, it's either quiet or full of young locals hanging out. On Chang'An Lu just turn left from Yanta Xi Lu, Big Goose Pagoda behind you. On this junction on the opposite side of the road, but still on the south side of the junction is a great DISCOUNT NIKE STORE. (through this shop Nike are slowly taking a foothold in the Xi'an sports shoe market- interesting to observe- most just cannot afford them otherwise and would go for the copies)

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Sunday 17 May 2009

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