Communism is a system of government that changed China and other parts of the world in big ways during the last century. You may learn more about what it meant for everyday life in China and relationships between countries when you get older. In between these trips, I tried creative new candies, shopped in huge malls and saw the Olympic stadium.
After Beijing, I gradually traveled south to areas that were filled with tall mountains and lush forests, such as Xi'an, Yichang and Guilin. From the bus and train windows, I saw people working in the fields, factories and small towns. I saw one of the world's largest dams, built to create massive amounts of electricity. I saw caves filled with rock formations grown over thousands of years. I floated down the river and watched the fishermen fishing from small boats, helped by birds called cormorants. An old man showed me the handmade tools and clothing in his house that his family had used 100 years ago, and traditional dancers performed in costumes heavy with silver jewelry.
I ended my trip in Guangzhou, a major international city on the southern tip of China, close to where I was born. There I saw museums and pagodas, as well as a lot of restaurants and stores that we're used to in the U.S.! However, that describes a lot of China. There is a lot of mixing of old and new, traditional Chinese and international. I found the people of China to be dedicated, creative, and thoughtful. China is a country to experience with all of your five senses, and there is always more to discover. I found that my experience both did and didn't match what I had heard from movies or books in the U.S.
