So if you're in China right now, you might have noticed some iffy things going on on the internet. Youtube's blocked, along with twitter and many other sites. This mainly is because 2009 is a particularly sensitive year for China. One being the most prominent is obviously the 60th anniversary of the founding of People's Republic. The second would be 20th anniversary of the Tian An Men incident. Young people in China generally could careless about the event, but I do remember adults glued to the TV every day during that time trying get all the information they can get.
To me, Tian an men crack down is a turning point in my life, it was because of which the American government granted rights to apply for green cards for all Chinese university students in the States. The policy helped my mother who's attending graduate school in U Mich become a resident alien and my eventual immigration.
In hindsight, the mass demonstration probably is a poorly planned one, and government is probably right to crack down on it. (Just look at the first decade of those communist countries that didn't crack down on it and switched over.) However I do see a lot of things in China today which those protester back in 1989 detested. Lack in checks and balance of power have resulted in lack of creativity in policy making. Freedom of press is somewhat relaxed since 20 years ago, but still by far very very "1960s", so yeah, thats why youtube's still blocked.
I guess what i'm trying to say is that I hope this sensitive date will remind the Chinese government to re-examine this event with a 21st century perspective so it won't repeat the mistakes it made in the 20th century.
To me it is very sad what happened to those innocent people. As much as I love China, this is something that I cannot reconsile myself with.
On another note, this is a very nice blog you have here. I have added you to my blog roll. My future daughter right now lives in Taiyuan, we will be allowed travel to go get her next year.