Asia and the East
Beijing’s population exceeds 22 million
Feb 26th
Beijing’s total population has exceeded 22 million, a mark that is supposed to be surpassed a decade later, the China National Radio reported today.
China’s 56 Ethnic Groups
Dec 3rd
The vast majority (over 90%) of Chinese are Han Chinese. The remainder is distributed among 55 other ethnic groups. This diversity was displayed during the opening ceremonies of the last Olympic games where fifty-six children from the 56 Chinese ethnic groups clustered around the Chinese national flag supposedly represented the 56 ethnic groups. It was later revealed that the children were not actually from those ethnic groups.
Check out this impressive photo gallery that portrays the actual ethnic groups in professionally composed group portraits, with the subjects donning traditional garb and carrying traditional instruments or tools. Pictured above is the ethnic Hui people.
China celebrates 60 years
Oct 1st
China formally kicked off its mass celebrations of 60 years of communist rule with a 60-gun salute that rung out across Beijing’s historic Tiananmen Square on October 1. Hundreds of thousands of participants marched past Tiananmen Square in costume or uniform, with floats and dancers mingling with soldiers and military hardware. Collected are photographs of the once-in-a-decade National Day parade in Beijing, and of others commemorating the anniversary elsewhere. (39 photos total)
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