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Ciudad Encantada, Cuenca, Castilla-La Mancha, España.
La Ciudad Encantada es un paraje natural español de formaciones rocosas calcáreas o calizas formadas a lo largo de miles de años. Se localiza cerca de Valdecabras, en el término municipal de Cuenca (España), en una amplia zona de pinares de la parte meridional de la serranía conquense y a una altitud de 1500 metros.
Fue declarada Sitio Natural de Interés Nacional el 11 de junio de 1929. La acción del agua, el viento y el hielo ha hecho posible este fenómeno kárstico. La heterogeneidad de las rocas en cuanto a su morfología, composición química y grado de dureza es lo que ha permitido el desgaste desigual de las mismas por los elementos atmosféricos, dando como resultado una muestra sorprendente de arte pintoresco proveniente de la misma naturaleza. A las caprichosas y espectaculares formaciones existentes hay que sumar lapiaces, torcas y sumideros.
Comparte estas características especialmente con "Los Callejones", paraje ubicado en el término municipal de Las Majadas. Ambos lugares forman parte del parque natural Serranía de Cuenca, creado mediante la Ley de la Comunidad Autónoma de Castilla-La Mancha 5/2007.
The Enchanted City is a Spanish natural area of calcareous or limestone rock formations formed over thousands of years. It is located near Valdecabras, in the municipality of Cuenca (Spain), in a wide area of pine forests in the southern part of the Cuenca mountains and at an altitude of 1,500 meters.
It was declared a Natural Site of National Interest on June 11, 1929. The action of water, wind and ice has made this karstic phenomenon possible. The heterogeneity of the rocks in terms of their morphology, chemical composition and degree of hardness is what has allowed their uneven wear by atmospheric elements, resulting in a surprising sample of picturesque art from nature itself. To the whimsical and spectacular existing formations we must add lapiaces, torques and sinkholes.
It shares these characteristics especially with "Los Callejones", a place located in the municipality of Las Majadas. Both places are part of the Serranía de Cuenca Natural Park, created by the Law of the Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha 5/2007.
Place: Liping, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province
Chinese name: 哈弗H6 Coupe (hāfú H6 Coupe)
Year of launch: 2014
Great Wall was established in 1984 and is China's largest maker of SUVs and pick-ups, selling over a million SUVs each year in the local market, today mostly under the Haval-flag, the Great Wall-badge is now only used for the pick-up Wingle and small sedans (Voleex C30, C50), which will be phased out soon. In 1998 Great Wall already reached top position in the Chinese pick-up market.
Great Wall has been infamous for copying lots of models from manufacturers like Toyota (Deer, Sail, Feelfine Concept, Phenom/Voleex C10/C20R, Florid/Haval M4, Cowry/Voleex C80, Coolbear/Haval M2), Isuzu (Sailor, Sing, Pegasus, Hover/Haval H3, Wingle), Honda (Voleex C50), Nissan (Voleex C70, never saw the daylight though) and Fiat (Peri/Haval M1). Great Wall's earliest models include the Deer, Sail, Sailor, Sing and Pegasus. The former two were copies of the Toyota Hilux and 4Runner, while the latter three were all based on the old 1988 Isuzu TF/Faster/Rodeo platform. Great Wall sales really took of after Isuzu Axiom-clone Hover was launched.
Haval became a sub brand in 2013, as Great Wall aimed to build on the strong brand recognition of Haval. Haval has a line-up which fully consists of SUVs and crossovers, passenger cars and pick-ups continue to be sold under the Great Wall marque, although passenger cars have been phased out, apart from the Voleex C30.
Haval's largest SUV, the H9, was launched in 2014, with sales starting in the year after.
The Haval H6 has been the most successful SUV of the past years, ever since its launch in 2011. It was originally launched as Great Wall Haval H6. Since its launch around 1.8 million units have been sold, with sales peaking at a staggering 580,683 units last year. These sales include the Haval H6 Coupe, a separate model with the same platform. Great Wall recently launched the second generation of its cash cow, that doesn't mean it will get rid of the old version, which will continue to be sold alongside the new version.
The Haval H6 Coupe was launched as Coupe C prototype in 2014, with the identical production version being launched in the year after.
Stagecoach East Scotland ADL Enviro200AV 62002 (YX69NUO) is seen here at Edinburgh Park Station working the AB1 to Ferrytoll P&R.
This was the first day of operation for this new autonomous bus service (believed to be a world first!) and having went on it myself, I can safely say that it was one of the most interesting and exciting bus journeys I’ve ever done!
Ankhneferen Bust Sculpture - The Last Prince Of Mars by Daniel Arrhakis (2025)
With the music : Immortal Seal of Time - Mystic Ambience for Studying & Relaxation by Temple Of Serenity
There is another History that the Great Pyramid of Khafre hid in ancient enigmatic records carved into its stones, the Dynastic Period Of The Great Pyramid of Onyx.
An advanced civilization, that predated the Early Egyptian Dynastic Period. Aknut was the first pharaoh born on Earth, but coming from the ancient lineages of the last dynasty on Mars ...
Menkherthot the Last Pharaoh of Mars or Her Desher as the dynasties of Mars called their planet made the difficult decision to leave the dying planet with much of his entourage and part of the population.
In the last ages, uninterrupted sandstorms while the atmosphere has become increasingly rarefied and poisonous, eventually made life impossible and the great caves of Her Desher were no longer an option.
Ankhneferen, her first son, refused to leave Mars and the last ones that stayed behind on the desert planet.
The Pharaoh, despite being against it, understood the courageous decision that his firstborn and main heir had made and to compensate for his absence he brought with him a sculpted bust of his son's face.
The Bust is now part of the collection found and is on display at the Grand Nile Museum , a recent building opened in 2143 on an island in the center of the Nile River and subsequent to The Grand Egyptian Museum of 2023.
Despite the Autonomous Communities of Mars requesting their return, this was always refused by higher authorities on Earth, such as the Federal Court of the Outer Colonies.
Das Trentino, Autonome Provinz Trient (italienisch Provincia autonoma di Trento) im Norden Italiens ist der südliche Teil der Region Trentino-Südtirol.
The Trentino, Autonomous Province of Trento (Italian Provincia autonoma di Trento) in the north of Italy is the southern part of the Trentino-Alto Adige region.
>Translation with Translator<
Waymo is doing a lot of tests with autonomous driving vehicles around its base in Mountain View, CA. For these tests Chrysler Pacificas are used with added cameras, sensors and radars.
Kyirong county in South Lato occupies the valleys of the Kyirong Tsangpo River (Trishuli) and its tributaries as well as the adjacent Gungtang-chu headwaters and the basin of lake Pelkhu Tso. To the south stradling the Tibet/Nepal border lie the mighty snow peaks of the Himalayan range: Ganesh Himal 7406 m, Langtang 7232 m and Shishapangma 8012 m. Further north there are trails crossing the high watershed passes into North Lato,and the Yarlung Tsangpo ཡར་ཀླུངས་གཙང་པོ་ (Brahmaputra)valley. The Kyirong gorge and valley form one of Tibet`s most beautiful picturesque alpine regions; and it boasts sites of historic importance, connected with King Songtsen Gampo, Padmasambhava, Milarepa, and Sakya Pandita, among others. The county capital is located at Dzongka,
Area: 8.869 sq km.
On Pico do Arieiro (1818 m), Autonomous Region of Madeira, Portugal
If there were no clouds, I would feel as if I am on the top of the world. But I have never been here when there were no clouds.
Camera: Leicaflex SL2 (Leica ID 10022), made in 1975
Lens: Leica Summicron-R-II 50mm (11216), made in 1978
Kodak Ektar 100 colour negative film
Developed and scanned by www.meinfilmlab.de
Place: Liping, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province
Chinese name: 长城腾翼C50 (chángchéng téngyì C50)
Year of launch: 2010
Great Wall was established in 1984 and is China's largest maker of SUVs and pick-ups, selling over a million SUVs each year in the local market, today mostly under the Haval-flag, the Great Wall-badge is now only used for the pick-up Wingle and small sedans (Voleex C30, C50), which will be phased out soon. In 1998 Great Wall already reached top position in the Chinese pick-up market.
Great Wall has been infamous for copying lots of models from manufacturers like Toyota (Deer, Sail, Feelfine Concept, Phenom/Voleex C10/C20R, Florid/Haval M4, Cowry/Voleex C80, Coolbear/Haval M2), Isuzu (Sailor, Sing, Pegasus, Hover/Haval H3, Wingle), Honda (Voleex C50), Nissan (Voleex C70, never saw the daylight though) and Fiat (Peri/Haval M1). Great Wall's earliest models include the Deer, Sail, Sailor, Sing and Pegasus. The former two were copies of the Toyota Hilux and 4Runner, while the latter three were all based on the old 1988 Isuzu TF/Faster/Rodeo platform. Great Wall sales really took of after Isuzu Axiom-clone Hover was launched.
Haval became a sub brand in 2013, as Great Wall aimed to build on the strong brand recognition of Haval. Haval has a line-up which fully consists of SUVs and crossovers, passenger cars and pick-ups continue to be sold under the Great Wall marque, although passenger cars have been phased out, apart from the Voleex C30.
The Voleex C50 compact sedan was launched in 2010 and is a copy of the Honda Civic sedan.
Sales figures: carsalesbase.com/china-car-sales-data/great-wall/great-wa...
We had this burglar alarm installed. Pretty effective and high tech. It sets itself automatically, leaning itself against the front door. It's in hibernation mode here but when someone tries to come in the front door it goes into action with an audible alarm and other deterrents. Sometimes it goes off when you don't want it to though. Technology isn't perfect, I guess
Ganden Monastery, Tibet Autonomous Region, Tibetan Plateau, China,
Interessant:
www.djoser.be/meer-weten/magazines/azie/20198/
Dharma-wiel met de twee herten, symbool voor de eerste lessen van Boeddha in een hertenpark in Sarnath, nabij Varanasi in India
Dharma-wheel with the two deer, symbol for the first lessons of Buddha in a deer park in Sarnath, near Varanasi in India
Ganden Monastery or Ganden Namgyeling is one of the "great three" Gelug university monasteries of Tibet, China. It is in Dagzê County, Lhasa. The other two are Sera Monastery and Drepung Monastery. Ganden Monastery was founded in 1409 by Je Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelug order. The monastery was destroyed after 1959, but has since been partially rebuilt. Another monastery with the same name and tradition was established in Southern India in 1966 by Tibetan exiles.
Ganden is 40 kilometres northeast of Lhasa. The monastery lies in a hilly natural amphitheater. From the kora route around the monastery there are dramatic views over the valleys that surround it.
@ xiahe 夏河 བསང་ཆུ་, gannan tibetan autonomous prefecture 甘南藏族自治州 ཀན་ལྷོ་བོད་རིགས་རང་སྐྱོང་ཁུལ་, gansu 甘肃, china 中国
Xilitu temple, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China, Gelug monks, Tibetan Buddhist,
The Shiretu Juu (Mongolian: ᠰᠢᠷᠡᠭᠲᠤ ᠵᠤᠤ Siregtu juu), also known Yanshou Temple (延壽寺) or Xilitu Zhao is an ancient surviving Buddhist monastery in Inner Mongolia, China.
The monastery located in Hohhot, the capital of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region. The original temple was built in 1585, later destroyed by fire and rebuilt in the 19th century.
The monastery is a distinct blend of Chinese and Tibetan architecture, reflecting its intercultural influences. His temple has acted as the official residence of a Living Buddha, the English translation of the Chinese term for an incarnate lama, since 1735 and remains so this day, housing the 11th Grand Living Buddha. The complex suffered damage during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) but has since been completely restored. While open to the public, the temple remains an active place of worship for Mongol monks and their disciples.
All rights reserved, no use without license
++++++ From Wikipedia +++++++
Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is an autonomous territory south to Mainland China and east to Macao in East Asia. With around 7.2 million Hong Kongers of various nationalities[note 2] in a territory of 1,104 km2, Hong Kong is the world's fourth most densely populated country or territory.
Hong Kong used to be a British colony with the perpetual cession of Hong Kong Island from the Qing Empire after the First Opium War (1839–42). The colony expanded to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and acquired a 99-year lease of the New Territories from 1898. Hong Kong was later occupied by Japan during the Second World War until British control resumed in 1945. The Sino-British Joint Declaration signed between the United Kingdom and China in 1984 paved way for the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997, when it became a special administrative region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China with a high degree of autonomy.
Under the principle of "one country, two systems", Hong Kong maintains a separate political and economic system from China. Except in military defence and foreign affairs, Hong Kong maintains its independent executive, legislative and judiciary powers.[18] In addition, Hong Kong develops relations directly with foreign states and international organisations in a broad range of "appropriate fields".[19] Hong Kong involves in international organizations, such as the WTO[20] and the APEC [21], actively and independently.
Hong Kong is one of the world's most significant financial centres, with the highest Financial Development Index score and consistently ranks as the world's most competitive and freest economic entity.[22][23] As the world's 8th largest trading entity,[24] its legal tender, the Hong Kong dollar, is the world's 13th most traded currency.[25] As the world's most visited city,[26][27] Hong Kong's tertiary sector dominated economy is characterised by competitive simple taxation and supported by its independent judiciary system.[28] Even with one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, it suffers from severe income inequality.
Nicknamed "Pearl of the Orient", Hong Kong is renowned for its deep natural harbour, which boasts the world's fifth busiest port with ready access by cargo ships, and its impressive skyline, with the most skyscrapers in the world.[30][31] It has a very high Human Development Index ranking and the world's longest life expectancy.[32][33] Over 90% of the population makes use of well-developed public transportation.[34][35] Seasonal air pollution with origins from neighbouring industrial areas of Mainland China, which adopts loose emissions standards, has resulted in a high level of atmospheric particulates in winter.
Etymology
Hong Kong was officially recorded in the 1842 Treaty of Nanking to encompass the entirety of the island.
The source of the romanised name "Hong Kong" is not known, but it is generally believed to be an early imprecise phonetic rendering of the pronunciation in spoken Cantonese 香港 (Cantonese Yale: Hēung Góng), which means "Fragrant Harbour" or "Incense Harbour".[13][14][40] Before 1842, the name referred to a small inlet—now Aberdeen Harbour (Chinese: 香港仔; Cantonese Yale: Hēunggóng jái), literally means "Little Hong Kong"—between Aberdeen Island and the southern coast of Hong Kong Island. Aberdeen was an initial point of contact between British sailors and local fishermen.
Another theory is that the name would have been taken from Hong Kong's early inhabitants, the Tankas (水上人); it is equally probable that romanisation was done with a faithful execution of their speeches, i.e. hōng, not hēung in Cantonese.[42] Detailed and accurate romanisation systems for Cantonese were available and in use at the time.
Fragrance may refer to the sweet taste of the harbour's fresh water estuarine influx of the Pearl River or to the incense from factories lining the coast of northern Kowloon. The incense was stored near Aberdeen Harbour for export before Hong Kong developed Victoria Harbour.
The name had often been written as the single word Hongkong until the government adopted the current form in 1926.[44] Nevertheless, a number of century-old institutions still retain the single-word form, such as the Hongkong Post, Hongkong Electric and the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.
As of 1997, its official name is the "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China". This is the official title as mentioned in the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Hong Kong Government's website;[45] however, "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" and "Hong Kong" are widely accepted.
Hong Kong has carried many nicknames. The most famous among those is the "Pearl of the Orient", which reflected the impressive nightscape of the city's light decorations on the skyscrapers along both sides of the Victoria Harbour. The territory is also known as "Asia's World City".
History
Archaeological studies support human presence in the Chek Lap Kok area (now Hong Kong International Airport) from 35,000 to 39,000 years ago and on Sai Kung Peninsula from 6,000 years ago.
Wong Tei Tung and Three Fathoms Cove are the earliest sites of human habitation in Hong Kong during the Paleolithic Period. It is believed that the Three Fathom Cove was a river-valley settlement and Wong Tei Tung was a lithic manufacturing site. Excavated Neolithic artefacts suggested cultural differences from the Longshan culture of northern China and settlement by the Che people, prior to the migration of the Baiyue to Hong Kong.[49][50] Eight petroglyphs, which dated to the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 BC – 1066 BC) in China, were discovered on the surrounding islands.
Imperial China
In 214 BC, Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a centralised China, conquered the Baiyue tribes in Jiaozhi (modern-day Liangguang region and Vietnam) and incorporated the area of Hong Kong into his imperial China for the first time. Hong Kong proper was assigned to the Nanhai commandery (modern-day Nanhai District), near the commandery's capital city Panyu.
After a brief period of centralisation and collapse of the Qin dynasty, the area of Hong Kong was consolidated under the Kingdom of Nanyue, founded by general Zhao Tuo in 204 BC.[55] When Nanyue lost the Han-Nanyue War in 111 BC, Hong Kong came under the Jiaozhi commandery of the Han dynasty. Archaeological evidence indicates an increase of population and flourish of salt production. The Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb on the Kowloon Peninsula is believed to have been built as a burial site during the Han dynasty.
From the Han dynasty to the early Tang dynasty, Hong Kong was a part of Bao'an County. In the Tang dynasty, modern-day Guangzhou (Canton) flourished as an international trading centre. In 736, the Emperor Xuanzong of Tang established a military stronghold in Tuen Mun to strengthen defence of the coastal area.[57] The nearby Lantau Island was a salt production centre and salt smuggler riots occasionally broke out against the government. In c. 1075, The first village school, Li Ying College, was established around 1075 AD in modern-day New Territories by the Northern Song dynasty.[58] During their war against the Mongols, the imperial court of Southern Song was briefly stationed at modern-day Kowloon City (the Sung Wong Toi site) before their ultimate defeat by the Mongols at the Battle of Yamen in 1279.[59] The Mongols then established their dynastic court and governed Hong Kong for 97 years.
From the mid-Tang dynasty to the early Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Hong Kong was a part of Dongguan County. During the Ming dynasty, the area was transferred to Xin'an County. The indigenous inhabitants at that time consisted of several ethnicities such as Punti, Hakka, Tanka and Hoklo.
European discovery
The earliest European visitor on record was Jorge Álvares, a Portuguese explorer, who arrived in 1513.[60][61] Having established a trading post in a site they called "Tamão" in Hong Kong waters, Portuguese merchants commenced with regular trading in southern China. Subsequent military clashes between China and Portugal, however, led to the expulsion of all Portuguese merchants from southern China.
Since the 14th century, the Ming court had enforced the maritime prohibition laws that strictly forbade all private maritime activities in order to prevent contact with foreigners by sea.[62] When the Manchu Qing dynasty took over China, Hong Kong was directly affected by the Great Clearance decree of the Kangxi Emperor, who ordered the evacuation of coastal areas of Guangdong from 1661 to 1669. Over 16,000 inhabitants of Xin'an County including those in Hong Kong were forced to migrate inland; only 1,648 of those who had evacuated subsequently returned.
British Crown Colony: 1842–1941
In 1839, threats by the imperial court of Qing to sanction opium imports caused diplomatic friction with the British Empire. Tensions escalated into the First Opium War. The Qing admitted defeat when British forces captured Hong Kong Island on 20 January 1841. The island was initially ceded under the Convention of Chuenpi as part of a ceasefire agreement between Captain Charles Elliot and Governor Qishan. A dispute between high-ranking officials of both countries, however, led to the failure of the treaty's ratification. On 29 August 1842, Hong Kong Island was formally ceded in perpetuity to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Treaty of Nanking.[65] The British officially established a Crown colony and founded the City of Victoria in the following year.
The population of Hong Kong Island was 7,450 when the Union Flag raised over Possession Point on 26 January 1841. It mostly consisted of Tanka fishermen and Hakka charcoal burners, whose settlements scattered along several coastal hamlets. In the 1850s, a large number of Chinese immigrants crossed the then-free border to escape from the Taiping Rebellion. Other natural disasters, such as flooding, typhoons and famine in mainland China would play a role in establishing Hong Kong as a place for safe shelter.
Further conflicts over the opium trade between Britain and Qing quickly escalated into the Second Opium War. Following the Anglo-French victory, the Crown Colony was expanded to include Kowloon Peninsula (south of Boundary Street) and Stonecutter's Island, both of which were ceded to the British in perpetuity under the Convention of Beijing in 1860.
In 1898, Britain obtained a 99-year lease from Qing under the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory, in which Hong Kong obtained a 99-year lease of Lantau Island, the area north of Boundary Street in Kowloon up to Shenzhen River and over 200 other outlying islands.
Hong Kong soon became a major entrepôt thanks to its free port status, attracting new immigrants to settle from both China and Europe. The society, however, remained racially segregated and polarised under early British colonial policies. Despite the rise of a British-educated Chinese upper-class by the late-19th century, race laws such as the Peak Reservation Ordinance prevented ethnic Chinese in Hong Kong from acquiring houses in reserved areas such as Victoria Peak. At this time, the majority of the Chinese population in Hong Kong had no political representation in the British colonial government. The British governors did rely, however, on a small number of Chinese elites, including Sir Kai Ho and Robert Hotung, who served as ambassadors and mediators between the government and local population.
In 1904, the United Kingdom established the world's first border and immigration control; all residents of Hong Kong were given citizenship as Citizens of United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC).
Hong Kong continued to experience modest growth during the first half of the 20th century. The University of Hong Kong was established in 1911 as the territory's first higher education institute. While there had been an exodus of 60,000 residents for fear of a German attack on the British colony during the First World War, Hong Kong remained unscathed. Its population increased from 530,000 in 1916 to 725,000 in 1925 and reached 1.6 million by 1941.
In 1925, Cecil Clementi became the 17th Governor of Hong Kong. Fluent in Cantonese and without a need for translator, Clementi introduced the first ethnic Chinese, Shouson Chow, into the Executive Council as an unofficial member. Under Clementi's tenure, Kai Tak Airport entered operation as RAF Kai Tak and several aviation clubs. In 1937, the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out when the Japanese Empire expanded its territories from northeastern China into the mainland proper. To safeguard Hong Kong as a freeport, Governor Geoffry Northcote declared the Crown Colony as a neutral zone.
Japanese occupation: 1941–45
The Cenotaph in Hong Kong commemorates those who died in service in the First World War and the Second World War.
As part of its military campaign in Southeast Asia during Second World War, the Japanese army moved south from Guangzhou of mainland China and attacked Hong Kong in on 8 December 1941.[74] Crossing the border at Shenzhen River on 8 December, the Battle of Hong Kong lasted for 18 days when British and Canadian forces held onto Hong Kong Island. Unable to defend against intensifying Japanese air and land bombardments, they eventually surrendered control of Hong Kong on 25 December 1941. The Governor of Hong Kong was captured and taken as a prisoner of war. This day is regarded by the locals as "Black Christmas".
During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the Japanese army committed atrocities against civilians and POWs, such as the St. Stephen's College massacre. Local residents also suffered widespread food shortages, limited rationing and hyper-inflation arising from the forced exchange of currency from Hong Kong dollars to Japanese military banknotes. The initial ratio of 2:1 was gradually devalued to 4:1 and ownership of Hong Kong dollars was declared illegal and punishable by harsh torture. Due to starvation and forced deportation for slave labour to mainland China, the population of Hong Kong had dwindled from 1.6 million in 1941 to 600,000 in 1945, when the United Kingdom resumed control of the colony on 2 September 1945.
Resumption of British rule and industrialisation: 1945–97
Main articles: British Hong Kong, 1950s in Hong Kong, 1960s in Hong Kong, 1970s in Hong Kong, 1980s in Hong Kong, and 1990s in Hong Kong
Hong Kong's population recovered quickly after the war, as a wave of skilled migrants from the Republic of China moved in to seek refuge from the Chinese Civil War. When the Communist Party eventually took full control of mainland China in 1949, even more skilled migrants fled across the open border for fear of persecution.[69] Many newcomers, especially those who had been based in the major port cities of Shanghai and Guangzhou, established corporations and small- to medium-sized businesses and shifted their base operations to British Hong Kong.[69] The establishment of a socialist state in China (People's Republic of China) on 1 October 1949 caused the British colonial government to reconsider Hong Kong's open border to mainland China. In 1951, a boundary zone was demarked as a buffer zone against potential military attacks from communist China. Border posts along the north of Hong Kong began operation in 1953 to regulate the movement of people and goods into and out of the territory.
In the 1950s, Hong Kong became the first of the Four Asian Tiger economies under rapid industrialisation driven by textile exports, manufacturing industries and re-exports of goods to China. As the population grew, with labour costs remaining low, living standards began to rise steadily.[77] The construction of the Shek Kip Mei Estate in 1953 marked the beginning of the public housing estate programme to provide shelter for the less privileged and to cope with the influx of immigrants.
Under Sir Murray MacLehose, 25th Governor of Hong Kong (1971–82), a series of reforms improved the public services, environment, housing, welfare, education and infrastructure of Hong Kong. MacLehose was British Hong Kong's longest-serving governor and, by the end of his tenure, had become one of the most popular and well-known figures in the Crown Colony. MacLehose laid the foundation for Hong Kong to establish itself as a key global city in the 1980s and early 1990s.
To resolve traffic congestion and to provide a more reliable means of crossing the Victoria Harbour, a rapid transit railway system (metro), the MTR, was planned from the 1970s onwards. The Island Line (Hong Kong Island), Kwun Tong Line (Kowloon Peninsula and East Kowloon) and Tsuen Wan Line (Kowloon and urban New Territories) opened in the early 1980s.
In 1983, the Hong Kong dollar left its 16:1 peg with the Pound sterling and switched to the current US-HK Dollar peg. Hong Kong's competitiveness in manufacturing gradually declined due to rising labour and property costs, as well as new development in southern China under the Open Door Policy introduced in 1978 which opened up China to foreign business. Nevertheless, towards the early 1990s, Hong Kong had established itself as a global financial centre along with London and New York City, a regional hub for logistics and freight, one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia and the world's exemplar of Laissez-faire market policy.
The Hong Kong question
In 1971, the Republic of China (Taiwan)'s permanent seat on the United Nations was transferred to the People's Republic of China (PRC), Hong Kong's status as a recognised colony became terminated in 1972 under the request of PRC. Facing the uncertain future of Hong Kong and expiry of land lease of New Territories beyond 1997, Governor MacLehose raised the question in the late 1970s.
The British Nationality Act 1981 reclassified Hong Kong into a British Dependent Territory amid the reorganisation of global territories of the British Empire. All residents of Hong Kong became British Dependent Territory Citizens (BDTC). Diplomatic negotiations began with China and eventually concluded with the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration. Both countries agreed to transfer Hong Kong's sovereignty to China on 1 July 1997, when Hong Kong would remain autonomous as a special administrative region and be able to retain its free-market economy, British common law through the Hong Kong Basic Law, independent representation in international organisations (e.g. WTO and WHO), treaty arrangements and policy-making except foreign diplomacy and military defence.
It stipulated that Hong Kong would retain its laws and be guaranteed a high degree of autonomy for at least 50 years after the transfer. The Hong Kong Basic Law, based on English law, would serve as the constitutional document after the transfer. It was ratified in 1990.[69] The expiry of the 1898 lease on the New Territories in 1997 created problems for business contracts, property leases and confidence among foreign investors.
Handover and Special Administrative Region status
Transfer of sovereignty
On 1 July 1997, the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China took place, officially marking the end of Hong Kong's 156 years under British colonial governance. As the largest remaining colony of the United Kingdom, the loss of Hong Kong effectively represented the end of the British Empire. This transfer of sovereignty made Hong Kong the first special administrative region of China. Tung Chee-Hwa, a pro-Beijing business tycoon, was elected Hong Kong's first Chief Executive by a selected electorate of 800 in a televised programme.
Structure of government
Hong Kong's current structure of governance inherits from the British model of colonial administration set up in the 1850s. The 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration states that "Hong Kong should enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all areas except defence and foreign affairs" with reference to the underlying principle of one country, two systems.[note 3] This Declaration stipulates that Hong Kong maintains her capitalist economic system and guarantees the rights and freedoms of her people for at least 50 years after the 1997 handover. [note 4] Such guarantees are enshrined in the Hong Kong's Basic Law, the territory's constitutional document, which outlines the system of governance after 1997, albeit subject to interpretation by China's Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC).
Hong Kong's most senior leader, Chief Executive, is elected by a committee of 1,200 selected members (600 in 1997) and nominally appointed by the Government of China. The primary pillars of government are the Executive Council, Legislative Council, civil service and Judiciary.
Policy-making is initially discussed in the Executive Council, presided by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, before passing to the Legislative Council for bill adoption. The Executive Council consists of 30 official/unofficial members appointed by the Chief Executive and one member among them acts as the convenor.
The Legislative Council, set up in 1843, debates policies and motions before voting to adopt or rejecting bills. It has 70 members (originally 60) and 40 (originally 30) among them are directly elected by universal suffrage; the other 30 members are "functional constituencies" (indirectly) elected by a smaller electorate of corporate bodies or representatives of stipulated economic sectors as defined by the government. The Legislative Council is chaired by a president who acts as the speaker.
In 1997, seating of the Legislative Council (also public services and election franchises) of Hong Kong modelled on the British system: Urban Council (Hong Kong and Kowloon) and District Council (New Territories and Outlying Islands). In 1999, this system has been reformed into 18 directly elected District Offices across 5 Legislative Council constituencies: Hong Kong Island (East/West), Kowloon and New Territories (East/West); the remaining outlying islands are divided across the aforementioned regions.
Hong Kong's Civil Service, created by the British colonial government, is a politically neutral body that implements government policies and provides public services. Senior civil servants are appointed based on meritocracy. The territory's police, firefighting and customs forces, as well as clerical officers across various government departments, make up the civil service.
A standard destination that seems to be programmed into every Stagecoach East Scotland vehicle is "Can you drive this bus?"
Somewhat ironic when it's displayed on one of Stagecoach's autonomous vehicles as seen on 62002 - YX69NUO arriving back at Dunfermline's St Leonards Depot.
Place: Yangshuo County, Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
Chinese name: 起亚K2 (qǐyà K2)
Year of launch: 2016
The second generation Kia K2 was launched in November 2016, succeeding the successful old model, which has the size of the Kia Rio, but is only offered in China and Russia, in the latter market as Kia Rio, where it one of the most popular cars on the market. Kia once again offers a sedan and hatchback, but the hatchback now comes with a rugged 'cross' look as standard and is named Kia KX Cross.
So this version is more symetric, but maybe less interesting - think I will eventually convert it to a starfighter but just playing around with some different options first. For harvesting and defending crops - what kind of crops and where is up to you? Also this uses this form as a frame. www.flickr.com/photos/53458657@N04/5619170527/
Place: Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
Chinese name: 一汽骏派D60 (yīqì jùnpài D60)
Year of launch: 2014
First Auto Works (FAW) is one of the four largest state-owned automotive companies in China. It was founded in 1953 and launched its first car, the Hongqi (Red Flag). One of its subsidiaries, FAW Tianjin, started producing cars in 1965. From November 1984 it started producing Daihatsu cars in license, starting with the Hijet, but followed by the Charade in 1986. This car, the Xiali (夏利) would become one of the most successful cars in China in the nineties and can be considered an icon for the Chinese automotive industry.
FAW always had a link with Daihatsu: it produced the Dario Terios and Daihatsu Xenia in a joint venture with the Japanese carmaker, the latter one continued to be produced by FAW under its own name as FAW Shenya (Xenia) M80/S80. Apart from the Xiali and Shenya, FAW also produced the Daihatsu Move from 2003 to 2008 under license. It was produced by its subsidiary FAW Huali, in the past responsible for the production of yet another Daihatsu: the Hijet, which was marketed in China as FAW Huali Dafa. The FAW Huali Jiaxing (Happy Messenger), as the rebranded Daihatsu Move was called, came with some side claddings and a chrome grille.
FAW Junpai or Jumper is a subbrand by FAW Tianjin and is positioned above the Xiali brand. It launched the T012 in early 2014, which went into production as Jumper D60 by the end of the year. FAW Jumper's line-up further also consists of the A70 sedan and the all-new A50 sedan and CX65 cross stationcar.
Place: Liping, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province
Chinese name: 野马F99 (yěmǎ F99)
Year of launch: 2008
Chuanqi (Sichuan Auto) Yema is a company that started producing cars in 1994. The company is based in Chengdu, Sichuan. The company is mostly famous for buying the production rights, toolings and equipment of the Austin Maestro from FAW, which in turn produced the Maestro-based Lubao after taking over Etsong Automobile. Yema's version of the Austin Maestro Van was named Yema SQJ6450, the SQJ6485 is a crossover estate based on the Montego Estate platform. The SQJ6470A and SQJ6485 are copies based on the Isuzu TF platform, with the latter one inspired by the Lexus GX.
The Yema F99 (SQJ6451) was launched in 2008 and is a copy of the Subaru Forester based on the Austin Maestro platform. Later versions include the F10, F12 and F16. The F10 was a refreshed version with 'single frame grille', the F12 was still a Subaru Forester clone, but now fitted with a Kia Sportage front end, while the F16 was the latest version with a restyled front, rear and window line. The company also showcased copies of the Infiniti EX (QX50), Audi A4 Avant, a blend of the Volkswagen Tiguan and Touareg, Smart Roadster Coupé, Mazda5 and and BMW i3, indeed mostly based on the Austin Maestro platform. Other products include a van looking like a scaled version of the Toyota Alphard and the T70 and T80 SUVs. The former one was launched B60X prototype in 2013 and reached the market in the year after. It looks very similar to the Volkswagen Touareg, but is a size smaller. The T80 is a version with an extended wheelbase and more original look.
Place: Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
Chinese name: 哈弗H6 (hāfú H6)
Year of launch: 2017
Great Wall was established in 1984 and is China's largest maker of SUVs and pick-ups, selling over a million SUVs each year in the local market, today mostly under the Haval-flag, the Great Wall-badge is now only used for the pick-up Wingle and small sedans (Voleex C30, C50), which will be phased out soon. In 1998 Great Wall already reached top position in the Chinese pick-up market.
Great Wall has been infamous for copying lots of models from manufacturers like Toyota (Deer, Sail, Feelfine Concept, Phenom/Voleex C10/C20R, Florid/Haval M4, Cowry/Voleex C80, Coolbear/Haval M2), Isuzu (Sailor, Sing, Pegasus, Hover/Haval H3, Wingle), Honda (Voleex C50), Nissan (Voleex C70, never saw the daylight though) and Fiat (Peri/Haval M1). Great Wall's earliest models include the Deer, Sail, Sailor, Sing and Pegasus. The former two were copies of the Toyota Hilux and 4Runner, while the latter three were all based on the old 1988 Isuzu TF/Faster/Rodeo platform. Great Wall sales really took of after Isuzu Axiom-clone Hover was launched.
Haval became a sub brand in 2013, as Great Wall aimed to build on the strong brand recognition of Haval. Haval has a line-up which fully consists of SUVs and crossovers, passenger cars and pick-ups continue to be sold under the Great Wall marque, although passenger cars have been phased out, apart from the Voleex C30.
The all-new Haval H6 was launched in 2017, succeeding the old, extremely successful Haval H6, which is still sold next to the new version. Both Haval H6 SUVs are joined by the new Haval M6, basically another variation based on the old Haval H6...
Sales figures: carsalesbase.com/china-car-sales-data/haval/haval-h6/
Imperial Autonomous Turbolaser Turrets (IATT) are pre-assembled heavily armoured turrets that were quickly mounted nearby important fortifications. The twin-barreled turbolasers served as heavy anti-capital ship weapons and could also annihilate any ground vehicle at very long range. There were however too slow to reliably target fast starfighters. They could punch through both deflector shields and armour on spaceships with the heaviest defensive layers.
The IATT did not need to be physically connected to any infrastructure as it contained a small power generator to operate. It also contains inside its basement a small hangar bay with a speeder that an operator could use.
Following the evacuations of most populated areas within the United States (and continuing with martial law), the US military assigned autonomous patrol units to continue keeping watch over humanity’s former dwellings.
Originally assigned during the “primitive” age of artificial intelligence, majority of autonomous units are relatively simplistic in terms of programming. They could be given objectives to take, patrol routes to follow, and possess basic threat recognition protocols. What they lack in is what many would call “sociability”. As far as vocalization goes, they are essentially conditional programming married to a text-to-speech generator. They are considered by many as nothing more than cannon fodder in every sense of the word; disposable war machines in humanoid form.
Decades after the original evacuations, it seems their programming still remains intact. Like a landmine forgotten after a war, the automated military relics continue to strictly abide by their programming and serve as keepers of the cities. With the gradual reclamation of urban areas, this has posed an issue for land surveyors and scavengers.
While not directly hostile, individuals operating outside of the outposts are advised to remain cautious of patrol units. Though the drones will usually attempt to assist the individual, their outdated combat analysis protocols have occasionally resulted in the “accidental” use of force.
------------------------------------
>[Activate]
>NO ESCAPE
>TRY AND HIDE BUT ITS TOO LATE
>ALL SYSTEMS: [ACTIVATE]
>HUMAN RACE: [ERADICATE]
>SELF-DESTRUCTION PROTOCOL
>FATAL ERROR: /over (all)
>NETWORK STATUS: offline
>ACCESS GRANTED //OVERRIDE
-------------------------------------
Another lore piece, this time on the autonomous robots featured in the previous parts.
I was considering just recycling this image from a few months ago, but I decided to give myself more work and try remaking it from scratch instead.
Saga - Lhatse - Tibetan Plateau - Tibet Autonomous Region - China - Kurla Pass 5080 m - Nangla Pass 4900 m -
Drampa Gyang Temple / Monastery - Sakya order
With jeep on the road.
The Tibetan Plateau, also known in China as the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau or the Qingzang Plateau or Himalayan Plateau, is a vast elevated plateau in Central Asia or East Asia, covering most of the Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province in western China, as well as part of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir state of India. It stretches approximately 1,000 kilometres north to south and 2,500 kilometres east to west. With an average elevation exceeding 4,500 metres , the Tibetan Plateau is sometimes called "the Roof of the World" and is the world's highest and largest plateau, with an area of 2,500,000 square kilometres (about five times the size of Metropolitan France). Sometimes termed the "Third Pole", the Tibetan Plateau is the headwaters of the drainage basins of most of the streams in surrounding regions. Its tens of thousands of glaciers and other geographical and ecological features serve as a "water tower" storing water and maintaining flow. The impact of global warming on the Tibetan Plateau is of intense scientific interest.
Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County is under the administration of Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. It is a region traditionally inhabited by the Dong people, bordering the prefecture-level divisions of Qiandongnan (Guizhou) to the north, Huaihua (Hunan) to the northeast and Guilin to the west. 20 km north of Sanjiang, toward Hunan province, lies the Dong district, Chengyang (程阳) which is becoming a popular tourist destination with backpackers. The district comprises eight traditional Dong minority villages. The houses are all made of wood. Inside the villages you will find traditional drum towers, which were used to announce important things or simply to perform plays to entertain the villagers. Crossing the river is the best preserved Wind and Rain Bridge (程阳风雨桥, chéng yáng fēng yǔ qiáo) which has five parts. The bridge dates to the 1920s and is for many people the main reason to visit the village.
Aba autonomous regions, Xiaojin County, Sichuan Province, China
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Place: Liping, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province
Chinese name: 长安奔奔 (cháng'ān bēnbēn)
Year of launch: 2006
Changan is the best-selling local carmaker in China, being strong in both passenger cars and commercial vans/cheap MPVs. Changan has a wide SUV-range, consisting of the CS15, CS35, CS55, CS75 and CS95, as well as the value-oriented CX70.
Together with SAIC, FAW and Dongfeng, Changan is considered one of the 'big four' of China, referring to the largest car producers in production volume (including production for foreign joint venture partners like VW, Peugeot-Citroën, Honda, Toyota, Nissan or in case of Changan: Ford, Peugeot-Citroën (DS Automobile only), Mazda and Suzuki.
Changan was allegedly founded in 1862 as a gun store and assembled a jeep from the late 1950s. Changan has one of the largest model ranges of indigenous models as well. Changan currently has a passenger car and commercial car label, both named Changan, but distinguished by a different logo.
The Changan Benben, English name Benni, was launched in 2006. The Benben, codenamed CV6, is a small city car which competed with the Chery QQ3, Hafei Lobo (Lubao), Changhe Ideal and old FAW Xiali's and Geely's. The first generation was revamped in 2009, when it was renamed Benben (Benni) Love to make place for yet another Benben: the Benben (Benni) Mini, codenamed CV5, which was positioned below the Love. The new generation Benben was launched in 2013, a good-looking, contemporary hatchback and leaps and bounds better looking than its Chinese competition if you ask me.
'Auto Shuttle 1' under conventional control on Madingley Road prior to autonomous operations around the roads of the West Cambridge technology area.
Place: Liping, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province
Chinese name: 奇瑞A3 (qíruì A3)
Year of launch: 2006
Chery Automobile was the largest Chinese carmaker for quite some time, thanks to successes of the QQ, Tiggo, A5 and the old Windcloud/Flagcloud (Fulwin/Cowin) models. Chery is a state-owned company founded in 1997. It began automobile production in 1999 after acquiring toolings and a license to produce the first generation Seat Toledo. Interesting is that Chery was only granted a production license for passenger cars in 2003, which means Chery cars couldn't be legally sold until 2001. Until then Chery was officially only producing automotive components, albeit in a fully assembled form. In 2001 Chery solved the problem by piggybacking on a SAIC Motor license, China's largest state-owned car manufacturer. Chery surely knowns the way around the law... After rising tensions between Chery Automobile and General Motors (GM) and Volkswagen, two of SAIC's joint venture partners, the 20% ownership SAIC once held in Chery was sold. GM was not amused and filed lawsuits after Chery copied their Spark (Matiz) and Epica (Evanda/Magnus) models. Volkswagen also planned a lawsuit against Chery, because they apparently secretly purchased the Seat Toledo blueprints, which is quite interesting considering Seat is a subsidiary of Volkswagen...
The Tiggo, Chery's first SUV, was launched in 2005. It is a copy of the second generation Toyota RAV4. It has received three facelifts so far and is still going strong. It was renamed Tiggo 3 as Chery was expanding the line-up, starting with the Tiggo 5 in 2013 and followed by the all new Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 3x (a raised and heavily revamped Fulwin 2) in 2016 and Tiggo 5x in 2017. The Tiggo Coupe Concept was first shown in Shanghai in April.
Thanks to the newly launched models, the successful Arrizo 5 sedan, Chery Tiggo 7 and the recently launched second generation Tiggo 5, Chery seems to have found new success. The Arrizo 5 is currently Chery's best-selling model and is the production version of the 2015 Chery alpha 5 Concept. I think it is one of the best-looking sedans on the Chinese market, with a great stance and understated look.
The Chery A3 was the first indigenous Chinese car to receive a five star rating in the C-NCAP crashtests. The car was styled by Pininfarina. The A3 debuted in 2006 as a prototype, the production version was launched in 2007 and it finally reached the market in 2008.
Sales figures: carsalesbase.com/china-car-sales-data/chery/chery-a3/
Place: Liping, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province
Chinese name: 长城精灵 (chángchéng jīnglíng)
Year of launch: 2006
Great Wall was established in 1984 and is China's largest maker of SUVs and pick-ups, selling over a million SUVs each year in the local market, today mostly under the Haval-flag, the Great Wall-badge is now only used for the pick-up Wingle and small sedans (Voleex C30, C50), which will be phased out soon. In 1998 Great Wall already reached top position in the Chinese pick-up market.
Great Wall has been infamous for copying lots of models from manufacturers like Toyota (Deer, Sail, Feelfine Concept, Phenom/Voleex C10/C20R, Florid/Haval M4, Cowry/Voleex C80, Coolbear/Haval M2), Isuzu (Sailor, Sing, Pegasus, Hover/Haval H3, Wingle), Honda (Voleex C50), Nissan (Voleex C70, never saw the daylight though) and Fiat (Peri/Haval M1). Great Wall's earliest models include the Deer, Sail, Sailor, Sing and Pegasus. The former two were copies of the Toyota Hilux and 4Runner, while the latter three were all based on the old 1988 Isuzu TF/Faster/Rodeo platform. Great Wall sales really took of after Isuzu Axiom-clone Hover was launched.
Haval became a sub brand in 2013, as Great Wall aimed to build on the strong brand recognition of Haval. Haval has a line-up which fully consists of SUVs and crossovers, passenger cars and pick-ups continue to be sold under the Great Wall marque, although passenger cars have been phased out, apart from the Voleex C30.
The Peri is a copy of the Fiat Panda in Nissan Note drag. It was first launched as a prototype in 2006 and went into productions more than two years later. By December 2006, Fiat considered taking legal action against Great Wall. On July 16, 2008, a Turin court upheld Fiat's claim and banned the Peri from being imported into Europe. Great Wall launched yet another version of the Peri in 2007: the Peri SUV, which went into production as Hover M1 in 2009. Both the Peri and Haval M1 had meagre sales in China: 7,478 units of the Peri in 2008, 9,870 in 2009, 303 in 2010 and 312 in 2011. The Haval M1 started with 5,557 units in 2009, 15,941 units in 2010 and 559 units in 2011, when both models were discontinued.
Sales figures:
carsalesbase.com/china-car-sales-data/great-wall/great-wa...
carsalesbase.com/china-car-sales-data/great-wall/great-wa...
Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have successfully demonstrated to the U.S. Army for the first time how an uninhabited Black Hawk helicopter flying autonomously can safely and reliably perform internal and external cargo resupply missions, and a rescue operation.
Performed Oct. 12, 14 and 18 as part of the U.S. Army’s Project Convergence 2022 (PC22) experiment, the flights show how existing and future piloted utility helicopters could one day fly complex missions in reduced crew or autonomous mode. This would give Army commanders and aviators greater flexibility in how and when aircraft and pilots are used, especially in limited visibility or contested environments.
I visited this breathtaking arch in 2006 and again 2007. Both times we had to search for a driver in Kashgar who knew how and where to find this location amongst a maze of tortured hills and valleys. Now several tour companies operate to take visitors to see this impressive geological feature.
Shipton's Arch or The Heavenly Gate is a conglomerate natural arch, west-northwest of Kashgar, near the village of Artush in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
It is probably the world's tallest natural arch. Though long familiar to locals, it was famously visited in 1947 by English mountaineer Eric Shipton during his tenure as the British consul in Kashgar – and made known to the West in his book Mountains of Tartary.
It was only as recently as May 2000 that an expedition sponsored by National Geographic rediscovered the arch.
The height of the arch is estimated to be 1,500 feet (460 m), about the height of the Empire State Building. The span of the arch is roughly 180 feet (55 m).