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It Takes a Village

Many people feel an attachment to their childhood homes, but Chinese entrepreneur and philanthropist Ma Dadong took that nostalgia to new heights by rescuing his entire native village—and transforming it into the new Amanyangyun resort. Ma’s ambitious preservation project began in 2002, when he learned that an impending reservoir construction project in Jiangxi province was threatening his hometown, Fuzhou, and its Story Millie Kerr It Takes a Village For the designers of China’s new Aman resort, there’s no place like Ma Dadong’s home.

Culture, TravelmickJune 28, 2018RhapsodyComment

Beast Friends: Animal Figurines Worth Collecting

To an outside observer, it must have looked strange when I decided to go to wild Namibia in the summer of 2009. I’d spent the previous two years as an unhappy securities lawyer in London, so with the financial recession roiling markets and my firm announcing a coming round of layoffs, I figured it was a good time for a career change. And when I heard about a three-week volunteering program at the Harnas Wildlife Foundation, I knew I had to go.

Culture, Travel, Wildlife ConservationmillieFebruary 16, 2015The Wall Street JournalComment

The Great American Long Weekend: San Antonio

San Antonio’s biggest attraction remains the Alamo; tour it before venturing to the Menger Hotel, where Teddy Roosevelt assembled his motley crew of Rough Riders. A replica of the House of Lords pub, the Menger Bar, which opened in 1887, is the ideal place for a Texas brew.

Culture, TravelmillieSeptember 15, 2014Town & CountryComment

Expanded San Antonio Riverwalk Wows Visitors

The San Antonio River has been at the heart of the Alamo City for centuries — long before Texas gained independence from Mexico or joined the United States — but our relationship with it has always been complex due to flooding caused by the overflow of its banks. City officials have been mitigating this risk since 1724, when a severe flood forced them to move the Alamo.

Culture, TravelmillieOctober 23, 2013USA TodayComment

In San Antonio, Viva Fiesta

Texans love to boast about the republic they enjoyed after divorcing Mexico, but no place celebrates the six flags over the state quite the way San Antonio does. The city has started a celebration of its history called Fiesta, whose signature event is the Battle of the Flowers parade on Friday.

Culture, TravelmillieApril 22, 2013The New York TimesComment

Musicians as Entrepreneurs

Tethered to electronics, we forget that for centuries individuals were expected to read, write and perform for one another, in the flesh. Music enjoyed a particularly intimate history. Until the 17th century, secular music was played solely within one’s home (hence: “chamber music”).

CulturemillieMarch 30, 2012The EconomistComment

Guide to New York's Neighborhoods

Compared to the West Village, a neighborhood with a genuinely residential vibe, Meatpacking remains faithful to its traditional commercial roots despite many dramatic shifts. A century ago, Meatpacking housed some 250 packing plants and slaughterhouses, the gradual departure of which left many large warehouses vacant yet intact. Criminals, scoundrels and party people seized on the abandoned area where they could behave near-anonymously. Business and pleasure were conducted in clubs and darkened alleyways.

Culture, MiscellaneousmickJanuary 31, 2012Guide to New York's Neighborhoods Comment