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, 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…]

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China, A Little History, Part 1

Ancient China Through Song Dynasty

The ancient Grand Canal, Hangzhou, China, Asia.
The ancient Grand Canal, Hangzhou.

Understanding the (quite long) history of China is helpful in appreciating its fascinating sights.  Every week while I’m sending out the pictures of my trip to China, I’ll add a post on Chinese history.  In a perfect world, I’d match up the history with the sights for that week.  But I don’t think I could quite get that to work, so I’ll just go chronologically.  Chinese civilization goes back about 10,000 years.  I’ll cover the first [Read more…]

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5 Reasons Why You Should Go To Asia

Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Asia
Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

A few people have mentioned to me that they love traveling to Europe, but they have no desire to go to Asia.  I have a brief response to that:  You’re missing out!  Sure, it’s a longer trip from the US to Asia than it is to Europe.  But it’s a completely different world, one definitely worth visiting.  Here are 5 reasons why you should go: [Read more…]