Beijing Liao and Jin City Wall Museum

Beijing Liao and Jin City Wall Museum China has a very rich heritage and history that dates back more than a thousand years. Apart from relics and various artifacts that can tell us about the past, museums are essential gateways in explaining what life was like some thousand years ago. The Beijing Liao and Jin City Wall Museum keeps watch over a lot of China’s history. Many travelers and visitors do not flock the museum because of the notion that it is difficult to find. The trick is simply to plan your visit. You have to expect it might take you a long time to get there but it’s a trip you should not miss. There are two bus stops that can connect you to the museum. The Youanmenwai bus stop is closer. It is at least 500 meters or a 7-minute walk from the bus stop. Bus numbers 19, 48, 72, 88, 377, 454, and 474 can take you there. Another bus stop is the Caihuying or Daguanyuan and you can take any of these buses 19, 49, 59, 122, 361, 716, 717, 744, and 800. From this stop, you will need to walk 800-meters north. The building looks unassuming against the apartment blocks around it. It is made of gray brick with an arched glass window. The museum is built underground so it may be easy to overlook it against the other buildings surrounding it. It is open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 9AM to 4PM. Entrance is free. Beijing Liao and Jin City Wall Museum is divided into two sections: the underground part and the historical displays. The underground part or the Shuiguan site is where the historic original water gate is located. The water gate goes as far back as the 12th century during the Jin dynasty. It is one of the very few gates that have been preserved and survived being burnt by the Mongolian troops. The museum is unique in this sense that it is built on an old aqueduct or water gate. This is why the Beijing Liao and Jin City Wall Museum is a Beijing Cultural relic site. The water gate was primarily used as a means to enter the city walls, which were built to protect the ancient Beijing against invasion. Another part of the museum is the artifacts. Most of the displays are from the Liao and Jin dynasties. The first floor of the museum, though is dedicated to Buddhist artifacts and daily tools from the Han and Qin dynasties. Precious pottery and very detailed calligraphy from the Jin dynasty are also displayed. The museum has also displayed what has been excavated from the site, namely the roof ornaments, tiles, and tablets. One of the museum’s highlights is the gravestone of Lu Hui which is one of the best preserved white marble stones that had been dug up along the Liangshui River. The museum also boasts of solitary exploration since not a lot of tourists find their way there. Make no mistake it houses artifacts that you cannot see in other museums. It is worth your time.

With the increase in global interconnectedness, the scope of strategic Essay

With the increase in global interconnectedness, the scope of strategic policy choices available to individual governments and the effectiveness of many traditional policy instruments tends to decline - Essay Example Various contemporary scholars from different fields of discipline support the belief that globalization is the main concept in these contemporary times. Although there is no single definition for globalization, those who support its tenets believe that as interconnectedness is advancing in most economies, national governments are also losing their relevance and their power to impact on economic outcomes. Based on such perspective, the state seems to have become a mere pawn in the globalized economy. Held and McGrew (2003, p. 13) point out that "[w]ith the increase in global interconnectedness, the scope of strategic policy choices available to individual governments and the effectiveness of many traditional policy instruments tends to decline". This paper shall discuss this statement, considering any supporting proof or evidence to this statement, and possibly discussing any claims contrasting such statement. This study is being carried out in order to establish a clear evaluation of the above statement, as a means for this student to establish a clearer and more logical assessment of the claim. A better understanding would likely provide assistance also for interest groups and other scholars in their better understanding of globalization and state roles. ... 90). They argue that the economic activities are now less under government control and the state power is withering, often giving rise to different kinds of state. These states appear to have lost their sovereignty and have stepped back on their welfare programmes and industrial policies, entering into more collective government processes (Garland, 1990, p. 449). In general, it is important to understand that â€Å"globalization, as a process, is one that rejects and obliterates boundaries† (Basu, 2008, p. 26). In order to understand globalization, it is also important to understand that globalization refers to various overlapping interactions of national economies, up to a point where the impact of the national networks declines in relation to the effect of global networks (Kaldor, 2003, p. 18). The concept of globalization therefore implies the spread of international interactions to the extent that it creates new social relations. This seems to be what most authorities beli eve when they seek to assess the impact of global economic integration (Kaldor, 2003, p. 18). III. Globalists It is important to note that the globalization discussion does point out that for the globalists and for its critics, evaluating the international activities has become the main measure of globalization (Kaldor, 2003, p. 19). However, even where globalization networks may be advancing, this would not necessarily settle the issue because it would not eliminate the possibility that the expansion and sustenance of globalized networks are based on national interactions as much as transnational networks (Mann, 1997, p. 99). In effect, supporters of globalization must confront issues being pointed out in the globalization discussion. One of these issues is on whether or not the

Enhancing Transit Passengers Experience at Hamad International Airport Research Paper

Enhancing Transit Passengers Experience at Hamad International Airport - Research Paper Example Rowley and Slack (1999) note that air travelers in transit are more likely to experience a sense of placelessness and timelessness, particularly because they travel across different time zones and between distant locations. Investigating the departure lounge of airports from the perspective of places where placelessness and timelessness could be exhibited, the researchers find that there is some level of sameness between passengers on transit, although their experience is influenced to some extent by cultural and national dimensions. As a result, the passengers’ sense of time and place may be softened but it is still present. De Barros et al (2007) also note that transit passengers in airports have different preferences and needs to destination and origin passengers, especially because they do not make use of access roads around the airport, while they are less likely to use some facilities in the airport depending on how the airport is configured, the type of transits, and se rvice quality of airlines. Investigating the views of transit passengers on service quality at terminal buildings, the researchers find that flight information display quality and security check staff courtesy are among the most important services for airport transit passengers. Fodness and Murray (2007), on the other hand, set out to investigate the expectations of passengers in the airport service industry with regards to service quality, exploring the perspective of airport passengers in relation to airport experience. In their findings, the researchers note that that the passengers’ expectations of service quality at airports are a hierarchical and multi-dimensional construct that involves three main dimensions of diversion, interaction, and function. By going beyond traditional measures of service performance in airports and using newer aspects of airport service quality like activity, it is possible to improve passenger experience and fulfill their expectations.