China
On October 18 I head off to the province of Shandong on the north-east coast of China, flying direct from Sydney to Qingdao on the Yellow Sea with Beijing Capital Airlines. This cultural and scenic tour has been organised by the Australia-China Friendship Society and our enthusiastic group of about a dozen persons shall explore Shandong in an anti-clockwise direction for 19 days. Shandong is historically famous as it was the birthplace of the revered philosopher, Confucius. As well, Shandong was a centre of the infamous Boxer Rebellion between 1899 and 1901. The Boxers, known for their martial art prowess, were a pro-nationalist, anti-foreign, and anti-colonial organisation. Incensed by what they saw as mass insubordination, the 8 nation Colonial Alliance consisting of America, Austro-Hungary, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia eventually repelled, perhaps butchered would be more appropriate, the Boxer Movement in Peking, resulting in uncontrolled plunder and the summary