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The Vox Box

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  3. "Visit China's Forbidden City...as a virtual eunuch."

“Visit China’s Forbidden City…as a virtual eunuch.”

An online three-dimensional tour of China's Forbidden City allows people worldwide to visit without setting foot in Beijing. Tourists can "watch the Qing dynasty emperor feast at dinner, train fighting crickets and feed them with blood-fattened mosquitoes, or practice archery with the help of a courtesan," under the avatar guise of an imperial eunuch.

Nine different avatars, including the eunuch, are available for the tourist to choose from, all in traditional costume. Imperial eunuchs (called "imperial servants" on the site) were an important element to the history of the imperial court; they "controlled portions of court life and could rise to great power."

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Would you consider touring as a eunuch? Would you feel at all awkward about it, knowing that others taking the tour can see your avatar?

In 2006, then-editor Steve Smith of The Spokesman-Review had the idea of starting a publication for an often forgotten audience: teenagers. The Vox Box was a continuation of the Vox, an all-student staffed newspaper published by The Spokesman-Review. High school student journalists who staffed the Vox made all content decisions as they learn about the trade of journalism. This blog's mission was to give students an opportunity to publish their voices. The Vox Box and the Vox wrapped up in June 2009, but you can follow former staffers' new blog at http://voxxiez.blogspot.com.