China

Few places better embody the tragic legacy of China’s last dynasty, the Qing, than the “New” Summer Palace in northwestern Beijing. Completed in 1764, the New Summer Palace was built by the Emperor Qianlong (the last great Qing emperor) for his mother’s 60th birthday. Qianlong lavished attention on its design, endowing it with vast gardens,…

On the eastern edge of the Taklaman desert in Northern China sits the oasis town of Dunhuang.  For centuries, travelers from around the world passed through this way station on the ancient Silk Road.  These travelers brought with them not only trade goods and specie, but also their cultures and religions.  Among the earliest travelers…