HongCun 宏村 ancient village

ZheJiang province, east China, south of ShangHai. Every Chinese city has its unique flavor, but in many ways, this is the New China AnyTown ...

FèngHuáng (Phoenix) ancient town, lies 'close' (about 140 kilometers) to the ZhangJiaJie Nature Reserve. The town retains much of its ancient architecture and culture. Legend tells that two of the mythical phoenix birds flew over the town and were so in awe at its beauty that they remained hovering there for a long time, being reluctant to leave and lose the view. FengHuang is home to several minority ethnic groups, mainly the Miao (苗) and TuJia (土家). Batik and tie-dye are very popular here and the Miao and TuJia have their own ways to produce the cloth with unique folk patterns. Traditional crafts also include embroidery (TuJia), silverware (Miao), 'paper cuts' and ginger candy. DiaoJiaoLou (吊脚楼) is the traditional dwelling of the TuJia, Miao and some other minorities. DiaoJiaoLou can be translated literally into English as "feet-hanging building" which means a building built with its base hanging in the air instead of locating on the ground. The houses lining the river display a strong Miao ethnic style with the front part facing the old official road and the rear part hanging over the Tuo River.

What is called 'democracy' is elite rule; money buys power / fool the people that they have significance. 'Democracy' is the subterfuge that is capture / takeover by other means. In the West, you don't have any real say, other than which side of the same coin is to 'represent' you. To keep one from seeing the bigger picture, and a sense of being part of humanity, the West focuses you on personal identity (misdirection), and that you are 'free'. This is the mix of 'divide and rule', plus mental chains (beliefs) over physical chains, as the new slavery. Anyone who opens their eyes can see it, right in front of them; how one is constantly programmed. Another aspect of the control is money; that is what limits your real freedom; and refocuses your life on the material / survival. The walls and bars of our prison are internalized. To add to the confusion, these elements are projected onto the 'others'. The bigger picture, the full reality, is kept hidden, while the focus remains on endless little bits that are easily construed a certain way. Once one sees reality, the purpose behind all the little steps that make up the 'news' becomes clear. In the end, the West's elite can only rule with the acquiescence of the vast majority. With The Gravel Institute ... In China, the people are family. In the West, the people are livestock. Hence, China is a 'threat' to the Western elite; the threat of a good example. On how the US rules Taiwan ... On Iran - sanctions and the 'nuclear deal' ... On the Laos - China high speed rail link ...

With LongMeiMei ...

As a former treaty port, XiaMen has some colonial architecture. As part of China's Opening Up Policy in the early 1980s under Deng XiaoPing, XiaMen became one of the four original special economic zones opened to foreign investment and trade. XiaMen is well-regarded as a pleasant city. A film about a return to one's family's roots ...

Within ShangHai, the HuangPu River has an average width of 400 meters and is crossed by many subway train lines, other tunnels, bridges and ferries. The river divides the city into two regions: PuDong to the east and PuXi (the older part of Shanghai that includes the Bund) to the west. It is the last major tributory of the YangTse River before the East China Sea. Bonus film - a stroll along the Bund, in 4k / UHD ...

With The GrayZone ... With The New Atlas / Brian Berletic ...

With REC Shanghai ... Bonus film - daytime ShangHai walk - with Wei's Travel ...