China has just finished an amazing feat of enginneering. A railroad from Beijing to Tibet. This is incredibly difficult terrain. Much of the track is above 13,000 feet above sea level. The highest being 16,400 feet.
The elevation is so extreme, and the mountain air so thin, that ballpoint pens and packaged foods sometimes burst. And if you take your laptop computer or MP3 player, watch out. Tiny air bags that are used to cushion disc drives are likely to pop.
At a cost of $4.2 billion. The railway is peanuts when you look at the big picture. The Chinese government has pledged to spend as much as $250 billion to upgrade its passenger rail system by 2015
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Full Version: China Keeps Building
An amazing feat for sure, although I'm sure that the cold Tibetan temps aren't the only thing putting a chill down the backs of everyone over there 
anyone who thinks they did it for the "tourist" should call me for some incredible opportunity's in southern Florida real estate
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Many Tibetans are not so sure: As soon as the trains begin to run, they fear, Beijing will have ever tighter control over the region. A functioning railroad means ever-more Chinese on the Roof of the World. Tibetans, they are worried, will lose even more importance in their own homeland and the Buddhist religion and Tibetan culture will be endangered as the risk of ethnic tension rises.
anyone who thinks they did it for the "tourist" should call me for some incredible opportunity's in southern Florida real estate
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Train Improves Military Logistics
The railroad is also a logistical windfall for the army says the London-based human rights organization "Free Tibet Campaign." The group claims that the rail grants China the ability to establish new military bases and store nuclear weapons, airplanes and rockets in the region. If Tibet's neighbor, India, sees such moves as a threat, the entire region could be destabilized.
The railroad is also a logistical windfall for the army says the London-based human rights organization "Free Tibet Campaign." The group claims that the rail grants China the ability to establish new military bases and store nuclear weapons, airplanes and rockets in the region. If Tibet's neighbor, India, sees such moves as a threat, the entire region could be destabilized.
everything is just exploding over there. They are building Dams,ports , mines and highways. Heck they got the '08 olympics, They need to build drinking water systems. they have a Wal-mart there (planning Llike a 100 more) that on a busy day sees 50-75000 people a day, no bull. If each spends 20 dollars ,they do a million + a day.
QUOTE(boopme @ Jul 11 2006, 02:14 PM) 
everything is just exploding over there.
You're just saying that to make me happy
I have no use for the ChiComs and it really P***es me off that the Oylmpics are being held there at all, fueling the displacement of what seems to be in the millions of people(mostly the Elderly) and the destruction of neighborhoods that have been around since the 13th century. If they want the people to move into better "modern" housing, then that has its merits, but under those circumstances it should be given to them or at least sold to them at prices they can afford not forced on them by having bulldozers flatten their housing in front of them. of course thats JMHO 
http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/200...FTOKEN=97349074
http://www.achr.net/china.htm
I don't like their approach and philosophy on anything either. They're driving oil prices by buying anything that may hold oil. They just consume and have no consideration for the pollution they create. I was really just impressed with that construction. I could only guess at the numberof people who died erecting it,
But I'm glad to have made you happy
But I'm glad to have made you happy
At least they aren't bulding bombs. Oh, wait that's Iran and NK that are trying to do that, drats. Well at least it keeps China occupied and happy. 
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