China Trip - June 10 to June 24, 2011

According to the Wall Street Journal, China's economic ranking is the second in the world. It is predicted by economists that China has potential to overcome the US's first place position around 2030. Because everyone keeps talking about the superiority of China, we decided to see for ourselves. We visited China for two weeks from June 10 to June 24, 2011. One of the first things I noticed when I arrived at the airport was the mass amount of people. Everything was crowded and the air was thick. After getting picked up, the drive to the airport exposed the intense traffic in China. The drivers were reckless, cutting off each other and speeding. There were also a surprising amount of bikes and electric scooters that people used for work! A separate lane was designed on the road so they could drive safely. I thought it was neat that they could save gas by using these bikes, and hundreds of people used them to go to work everyday. Our first day was a free day, so we visited a mall in Beijing. The food surprised me - once converted into US dollars, was incredibly cheap. A meal over there would be $3 while in the US it would be $10! However, the clothes were all more expensive than US malls. After a day of fun, we began sightseeing. In Beijing, we spent time visiting the famous Forbidden Temple and Great Wall. We also saw many Buddhist temples, and I realized the emphasis Buddhism had on Chinese people. It paralleled the crowds of the airport, but instead they were all religious people. I was bothered by the level of incents burned at the temples. The smoke filled nearly every corner and it was very hard finding an area to breathe! I also saw many smokers, both in the temples and on the streets. Despite signs saying that smoking wasn't allowed, everyone did anyway. There was little enforcement, probably because there was simply too many people to stop. Over the next few days, we visited other temples and the Terracotta Warriors. I loved seeing the warriors because I have wanted to my entire life, and the history really interests me. :) However, at the hotel, we were ripped off by the staff. We were framed for breaking a hotel mirror, and had to pay for half. From then on, we had to be extremely cautious and check every hotel for damages. I was disappointed by how greedy the people can be. We visited many factories and stores selling local items. The salespeople would continue to bother us, lowering and lowering the price to try to convince us. It became very frustrating and often made me want to leave. Towards the end of the trip, everything started to look the same. We visited so many different temples that they all blurred into each other. However, my outlook on China was definitely changed. The majority of people I saw were in poverty and did not have much. Beggars, often elderly, were everywhere asking for money. The streets were dirty, smelling of waste. Bathrooms were in the floor, with the smell coming up from underneath. Sometimes people didn't even close the door as they did their business! Also, people tended to be rude, especially when they knew we were foreigners. In public areas, we were talked to rudely or pushed. China does not stay true to the stereotype that it is prosperous and rich. Although it has one of the highest economies in the world, it also remains one of the poorest.

The link to more photos from China: www.hiifamily.multiply.com (click view all)