This is my fourth world’s fair (I have photos from the other 3 posted elsewhere on my website). I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. I was there for only one day, so there is quite a bit I did not get to see or photograph. Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, Henan, China. http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/ShanghaiExpo2010WorldSFair#
Here are views of Shanghai from the top 2 levels of the Oriental Pearl Tower taken on Sept. 18, 2010. At the bottom of the tower is a museum of Old Shanghai showing scenes from the late 19th & early 20th centuries, when it was under the control of Western adventurers. Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, Henan, China. http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/ShanghaiOrientalPearlTowerMuseumOfOldShanghai#
Nanwan Lake near Xinyang City in southern Henan was created by a huge dam built in the 1950s. Jigongshan (Rooster Mountain) summer resort has over 200 villas built in many international styles of architecture. Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kai-shek) built a bunker command center here during one of his encirclement campaigns against the Communists in the early 1930s. His wife Soong Meiling used the nearby dance hall. Unfortunately, I missed most of the beautiful scenery because of heavy fog. Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, Henan, China.http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/NanwanLakeJigongshanMountainResort#
I have many other albums of historic Beijing. This album is made up mostly of modern parts of Beijing which don’t fit in any of my other categories. Beijing is an incredible city, and these photos hardly do it justice. I got the train photos while stranded on the remnants of the Ming Dynasty City Wall waiting out the rain. China has an excellent railway system. Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, Henan, China. http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/ModernBeijingRandomViews#
Shizu Shan is a mountain near Xinzheng with a 5000-year history and a spectacular view. On clear days we can see it from our dormitory. I finally climbed it in August, 2009. It had more steps than anything I have ever seen in my entire life. Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, Henan, China. http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/ShizuShan#
This is a May, 2009, visit to Yuntai Mountain. You can see photos from a 2005 visit included in my “Mountains of Central China” album. The antique autos were in a restaurant inside the mountain park. Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, China. http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/YuntaishanWorldGeoPark#
The peony is the national flower, celebrated every year by a festival in Luoyang. Departing from my usual practice of photographing artifacts and historical stuff, I’ve created an album taken from several peony festivals in Luoyang. Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, China. http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/LuoyangPeonyFestival#
On 3-28-2009 a group of foreign & Chinese teachers from Sias University took a hike over Song Shan mountain near Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng. This was a real hike over goat trails – not the typical tourist mountain “hike” over paved walkways and stairs. Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, Henan, China. http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/SongShanLotusTempleDengfengHenan#
Communism in China today is as scarce as hen’s teeth. The free market has totally transformed China, leaving only symbols of the past. The closest thing to communism I have found is the Nanjie Commune in Henan Province. It is actually organized as on old-fashioned commune with each member receiving a nominal allowance, plus free food & housing. A few members are engaged in agriculture, but most work in the commune’s 20 or so industries, which produce beer, bricks, and a famous brand of noodles. Also tourism. People visit Nanjie to see a model commune in action, and also a quite attractive greenhouse exhibit. Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, Henan, China. http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/NanjieCommune#
The Hong Kong history museum is posted in a separate album. These pictures show the great buildings, with many of them taken for artistic effect. HK also has a Disneyland, although only about a third the size of the ones in America. Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, China. Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, Henan, China. https://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/HongKong#