Huaqing, West China
Working, driving from coal mine to coal mine was tireing business but on weekends we were able to make interesting visits to the local sites. Here Miss Li the Shell geologist and colligue on these many trips smiles for the camera on a visit to Huaqing hot springs. Huaqing was the Imperial Tang Baths where a woman of exceptional beauty brought down the Tang Dynasty because the last emperor minded her to the exclusion of the affairs of state. Alas for the dynasty! More recently this bath also hosted the "Xi'an Incident" where Nationalist generalissimo Jiang Jieshi (Chang Kai-Shek) was briefly kidnapped by the northern warlord Zhang Xueliang, the Young Marshal. The price for his release was his committment to unite with Communist forces in the common fight again Japan, a critical turning-point in 20th century Chinese history.
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