The Amazing Journey
Chicago Tribune foreign correspondent Evan Osnos and photographers Zbigniew Bzdak and Wes Pope have created the most impressive reporting blog that I've ever seen. "The Sichuan Diaries" describes a four-week journey they took by foot, bus, car, truck and boat through "river gorges, industrial parks, abandoned villages, gleaming universities, desiccated farm plots, and vast cities" in the heart of China. Some of their stories have appeared in the print version of the Tribune, but the blog allows them to recount their experiences in the rapidly changing Chinese interior with much greater depth. Along with nearly daily updates of their trip, the blog comes with Osnos' answers to reader questions, fascinating photos and videos of village life, and a map that offers information on the different places they visit. News assistant Lu Jingxian translates some of the stories into Mandarin. http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/china/