Dear Samson,
Google Shuntian Fu and you can read about the evolution of the names/areas of authority.
Re. the ridiculous morons demonstrating; there are such morons everywhere. The Communists used to call them "Useful Idiots".
The ones in England, USA, Canada who demonstrated against 'Nuclear Insanity' (weapon development & locating weapons in the UK, etc.), but only that practiced by the Western Democratic regimes; G-D Forbid they should demonstrate against the Soviet Union or the PRC.
I find it ironic that the Commie tactic of Agit/Prop (Agitation/Propaganda) is now biting the Chi-Coms on the butt.
BUT, you should realise that certain people believe that " I Demonstrate, Therefore I Exist"! They are useless morons, who don't DO anything constructive; they just attack others' contribution.
We have a saying in Israel, about nay-sayers and doctrinaire complainers/protesters: "The dogs bark, and the patrol continues and completes its mission".
The trick is to not let the dogs' barking distract the patrol from completing its mission. And mobilising the rank and file people in support of this wonderful plan is a great thing to do, to show that the vast majority don't agree with the destructive tiny minority.
I think that the PRC government (When will they return the country to its proper name, "CHINA" ?!) is doing something very admirable, sharing Chinese art treasures with those on the periphery, so that people may be enriched culturally thereby, without having to go to the capital. When I visited the PRC, I admired the museums in Xian, Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou and Wuxi, besides those in Beijing itself. This is a very enlightened policy.
Interestingly, the gov't of Taiwan has also invested in such a policy, building a fine museum in the south of the island.
Best,
Shabbat Shalom,
Joey
Dear Joey,
Thanks for pulling my chain.
What about Shuntian Fu (順天府, Shuntian Prefecture)? It's also been used during part of Ming and whole of Qing? But I've been confused between this and Beijing, did both the names coexist?
I just woke up seeing the news that some people have even started to complain commercials/advertisements put up by the government to promote the ongoing Palace series exhibition in HK, claiming them to be propaganda for the government's brainchild of HK Palace Museum... Frankly I don't see an issue here. If we have an ongoing exhibition here, why can't we advertise it and let people know about it? This is marketing, a proper move. As a matter of fact, had I not seen one of the posters in the local subway system, I wouldn't have known about the exhibition, let alone visiting it earlier this week! Sigh...
Best,
Shabbat Shalom,
Samson