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Article: The Man in Jiang's Shadow.(President Jiang Zemin and Vice-President Hu Jintao, China)
- Article from:
- Newsweek International
- Article date:
- May 6, 2002
- Author:
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To fully understand why Hu Jintao flees the limelight, look no farther than his clan village in Jixi, Anhui province. Slated to become the next president of China, Hu is a prominent name in the flyspeck hamlet of Da Kengkou. But he's not the only native son to make good. The clan boasts a roster of imperial dignitaries, and the ancient meeting hall commemorates two important 16th-century court officials. A remarkably preserved Ming-dynasty structure, the hall features a wooden door- pillar facing the inner courtyard, intricately carved with nine dragons. That's unusual because, in feudal times, the dragon symbolized the emperor, who barred ordinary citizens from displaying ...