Topic Essay Question on East Asia
Friends, take a look at the above sets of pictures. The first set of pictures show Hiroshima, the Japanese city where atomic bomb was dropped in 1945. The left image shows what happened after the bombing. To the right is the same spot today. Out of the ashes, Japan rose to become the second largest economy in the world. Talk about a turnaround of a nation and people.
The second show the city of Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The left shows how the city was destroyed in the Korean War, 1950-1953. To the right is today’s Seoul. That city certainly qualifies as another example of East Asian miracle.
The last set is Shanghai, before the communist revolution in 1949, and Shanghai of today. Shanghai has come a long way. Here is our topic essay question for East Asia. China, Japan, and South Korea all had tumultuous historical experiences in the 20th century. However, they eventually overcame their historical challenges and succeeded in building vibrant economies. How were they able to rise from chaotic to capitalistic (or virtual capitalistic) societies in a relatively short period of time?
