China is so different from our expectations. We have traveled all over the world and never experienced anything like this... It's interesting to learn about a country so few people really know. The population of the US is currently about 300 million. The population of China is 1.3 billion.
At the same time, the land mass of China is almost identical in size to the US. However, close to 50% of the land is not livable due to mountains and deserts. As a result, you have over 4 times the popultion of America, living in an area half the size of the US. Talk about crowding...
The population of Beijing is currently 30.5 million. New York City, the largest city in the US, is only about 8 million. And Beijing is only the third largest city in China!
Very few Chinese people speak English. Yet they are warm & friendly to foreigners. There is a very strong sense of community and respect of elders. I think the most striking difference about China is that there does not appear to be any jealously or animosity towards Americans. They are very proud of their country and heritage. They are not trying to become the United States of America, and therefore don't share the same obstinence that most Europeans do. It's actually quite refreshing... However, it's still a Communist country. While it feels just like any bustling American city, there are tight controls in place that go unnoticed by the locals. It is impossible to access many Western websites, including Youtube and our own damn blog! While we were watching CNN the other night a segment came on about the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. As the segment moved into a somewhat critical phase, the TV screen went blank for about 3 minutes. The Chinese government had simply pushed a button and cut the signal. A few minutes later it came back on without warning. Hearing that you would think this is a very oppressive society. But the locals truly don't know the difference and look to their government as a source of pride and continued economic success. I guess what you don't know can't hurt you...
Very few Chinese people speak English. Yet they are warm & friendly to foreigners. There is a very strong sense of community and respect of elders. I think the most striking difference about China is that there does not appear to be any jealously or animosity towards Americans. They are very proud of their country and heritage. They are not trying to become the United States of America, and therefore don't share the same obstinence that most Europeans do. It's actually quite refreshing... However, it's still a Communist country. While it feels just like any bustling American city, there are tight controls in place that go unnoticed by the locals. It is impossible to access many Western websites, including Youtube and our own damn blog! While we were watching CNN the other night a segment came on about the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. As the segment moved into a somewhat critical phase, the TV screen went blank for about 3 minutes. The Chinese government had simply pushed a button and cut the signal. A few minutes later it came back on without warning. Hearing that you would think this is a very oppressive society. But the locals truly don't know the difference and look to their government as a source of pride and continued economic success. I guess what you don't know can't hurt you...
Mike & Stacy
The end of another wonderful but long & hot day... We started our day with a wonderful breakfast at the hotel. We are staying at the White Swan, which was the first 5 star hotel in China. We had heard great things about this hotel, but were blown away at how great it is. It's an amazing hotel with great food, shopping, and impeccable service. Heavy emphasis on the shopping for Mommy & Mia... That should help our two weeks go by a little quicker...