China Trade and Philadelphia

Eager to prove itself worthy of trading on the world stage as a newly formed nation 250 years ago, America – and especially Philadelphians – embarked on the risky venture of trading with China by entrusting private citizens with the work of establishing trade and diplomatic relationships with the Chinese. Merchants saw dramatic opportunities to make money, building some of the fortunes that helped expand Philadelphia’s role as a major port and city. Continue reading

Heinrich Harrer in Tibet

Eighty years ago, in 1946, the Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer (1912-2006) first reached Lhasa. Harrer had escaped a British internment camp in India with Peter Aufschnaiter (1899-1973) to begin their epic 21-month journey through the Himalayas, crossing over 60 mountain passes, to reach freedom in Tibet. He was to record these experiences in the book Seven Years in Tibet (1953), which was made, in 1979,  into a Hollywood film. Continue reading