BigWorldAndSmallWorld Blog

As I studied the four legendary Chinese stories (牛郎织女Niulang and Zhinv, 孟姜女哭长城Lady Meng Jiang cried the Great Wall, 梁山伯与祝英台Butterfly Lovers, 白蛇传White Snake), I ran into Butterfly Lovers’ beautiful violin concerto http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVwaPb4xyg0. It was so amazingly moving! The music led me to another sweet and heavenly Chinese music春江花月夜Blossoms on a Spring Moonlit Night http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lykgg5phVJE&NR=1. Then I can’t stop, how could I resist such a pleasure to my ears? So I continued to find out the top 10 most well-known Chinese traditional music. Five traditional Chinese instruments are played in these music, they are古筝Guzhen,古琴 Guqin,琵琶Lute,二胡Erhu, and 洞箫Xiao.

For your enjoyment, I have put together a list of these ten most famous music from the YouTube videos:
高山流水Gaoshanliushui(古筝曲)- Mountain stream(高means high 山 means Mountain 流水means the running water): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs7Bse4Q4BQ&feature=related

广陵散Guanglingsan (古筝曲): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FezLQbsPwQ&feature=related

平沙落雁Pingshaluoyan(古琴曲)- Geese: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0hKBodUkVg&feature=related

梅花三弄Meihuasanlong(洞箫曲)- Plum Blossom:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12ePZ2Qvi74&feature=related

十面埋伏Shimianmaifu(琵琶曲)- House of Flying Daggers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTVgkxXBfaQ&feature=related

夕阳箫鼓Xiyangxiaogu(琵琶曲): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoXXyiPa4Rg&feature=related

渔樵问答Yuqiaowenda (古琴曲): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlmVON2QiAE&feature=related

胡笳十八拍 Hujiashibapai: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggpx5XuDOXw&feature=related

汉宫秋月Hangongqiuyue(二胡曲)- Moon Palace: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q50tYTUBsc

阳春白雪Yangchunbaixue (琵琶曲) – Spring Snow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIpaSkhasXA&feature=related
I hope you like them as much as I do.

Our Yahoo class group is exploded these days with views from our classmates who went back home to China for a visit and those who came to California for a US-visit.

Cost of living is really cheap in USA
One of my Chinese classmates took her family to California to visit Stanford with the hope that her daughter will carry on her unrealized dream to go to Stanford. The family took a vacation in CA, did some sightseeing and did a lot of shopping. Cheap is the one word that they described their experience. Indeed labor and IP property are the two things that US is more expensive than China, everything else such as food, clothes, even housing and car are cheaper in US. My classmate ate quite some blue berries, cherries, and raspberries, they were so good!

Beijing is a chaos, too many liars; Hangzhou is a paradise even though it has too many people
On the contrary, one of my classmates went back to China and visited Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai and surrounding areas. Beijing was chaotic. There were many “black cars” and cheaters on the street try to trick people. Hangzhou was a beautiful place, definitely nice to live there. However the housing is so expensive that we among the group mocked each other that those of us who have lived in US for many years really don’t have the purchase power to buy any house in Hangzhou. The houses in Hangzhou are for the super rich or “the immortal beings” like the ones in books or movies. Hangzhou has a restaurant chain called 外婆家The Grandma’s. The food there was awesome. Zhuji 诸暨, a small place near Hangzhou, was quiet, off the beaten path and beautiful. The Zhuji ladies are famous for their beauties.

DIY
Our family does many things ourselves, one of the reasons is that the labor is so expensive. Three year ago we had a designer designed and installed half of our landscape. Why not the whole landscape? Because half of the landscape labor plus material cost us already $8000. So we learned from the design and finished off the rest half landscape ourselves one year later. Last week, our family also re-leveled our patio; it was a huge job with many steps. Even with the older boys helping my husband and me, it took us 4-people almost four full days to re-do the patio. Imagine what it will cost if we hire people to do this! So DIY is popular in US and it saves money.

Today there are many views on the internet on the differences of China and USA. To know the truth, one ought to live like the locals do to truly experience the way they live, shop, and get around.

Chinese people love luxury, wealthy Chinese even more so. The word luxury came from Latin word “Lux” meaning light. What is luxury in China? It is Louis Vuitton, Lamborghini, Chateau Lafite, Lexus and La prairie. I like how the Chinese define the characters of luxury goods: they must have long history, profound meaning, superb quality, excellent shopping environment, excellent service, and of course super expensive. So how expensive are these luxuries in China?
For examples, one bottle of 1995 Chateau Lafite, without import tax, the price is RMB11,846 (~$1,825) in China. In Hong Kong, one bottle of 1869 Chateau Lafite can be auctioned up to 430,000 British pounds.
A limited edition of Lamborghini sports car, the price is as high as RMB5,000,000 (slightly less than one million US dollars).
LV bags in China range from one thousand to several thousands of US dollars. I was told the security guarded store in Shanghai only allows a few customers enter the store every hour.
Indeed outrageous prices, you may wonder is there any Chinese buying it? The answer is quite some people. Obviously it is not too pricy for the 950,000 rich Chinese who are multimillionaires. It is said that in Shanghai alone, there is one multimillionaire in every one hundred seventy five people you meet. Oh my hometown Shanghai, I don’t know what to think about you. I am happy to see the huge changes in the recent years. However I will never shop luxury goods when I am back in Shanghai, simply because I can’t afford it and I don’t care for luxury either.

• Beijing the Great Wall of China长城
Built in 210 BC by the first emperor Qin Shi Huang, the Great Wall stretches for more than 5500 miles.
• Beijing Forbidden City故宫 and Tiananmen Square天安门
Forbidden City (also known as the Imperial Palace Museum) was commissioned by the third Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Yong Le. Built between 1406 and 1420, the total area of the complex is 183 acres and all together there are 9,999 1/2 rooms in the Museum.
• Xian Terra-cotta warriors and horses 兵马俑
With a history of more than 2000 years and covering an area of over 23290 square yards, more than 8000 terracotta warriors and horses and more than 40,000 bronze weapons have been excavated from the 3 excavated pits in the burial site of the first emperor Qin Shi Huang’s tomb.
• Sichuan Jiuzhaigou四川九寨沟
Also known as the Nine Village Valley, Jiuzhaigou is a natural reserve located in the North of the Sichuan Province. Ranked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992, Jiuzhaigou is extremely famous for its mirror-like lakes with amazing blue colors and crystal clear waterfalls.
• Three Gorges, Three Gorges Dam and Yangtze River Cruise 长江三峡
Three Gorges are spectacular. There are many archaeological and cultural sites along the Yangtze River, and also the world’s largest hydroelectric power station: the Three Gorges Dam.
• Anhui Huang Shan 黄山
This is the Holy Land of Taoism since ancient times. It’s amazingly tranquil and it is such a natural beauty. Many Taoist relics and temples can be found on the mountain. It is said that the Chinese immemorial Yellow Emperor (Huang Di) used to refine his elixir on the Yellow Mountain.
• Picturesque Guilin 桂林山水
Li River is one of the most famous waterways in China. Along the riverbanks, you will see beautiful rock formations, caves, numerous hills and mountains.
• Beautiful Jiangnan watertowns 江南水乡
Zhouzhuang, Xitang, Tongli, and Wuzhen are among the top four water villages. They are typical ancient townships south of the Yangtze River delta. There is a lot more than the ancient bridges, canals, dykes and magnificent garden villas. Here ancient dwellings sit encroaching on each side of the canal that passes through the city. You will see rich and amazing history and have a feel for how ordinary people live their lives along the canal.
• Tibet Potala Palace布达拉宫
Potala Palace is a huge treasure house for materials and articles of Tibetan history, religion, culture and arts. The Palace is widely known for the precious sculptures, murals, scripture, Buddha figures, antiques, and religious jewelry.
• Hangzhou West Lake西湖
“Ripping water shimmering on sunny day, Misty mountains shrouded the rain; Plain or gaily decked out like Xi Zi; West Lake is always alluring.” These are the words composed by the famous Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo (960-1127) when he compared the West Lake to Xi Zi, the most beautiful woman in ancient China. These poetic sentiments leave one in no doubt of the glory of the scenery.

Here is a link to CCTV’s video series on China’s world heritage sites: http://tv.people.com.cn/GB/39805/42848/12507371.html -> click the video(s) you wish to view.

“Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China’s Past and Present” was written by an American journalist Peter Hessler. China from 1999 to 2004 was a period that sounded so familiar and yet so distant to me. I can very much relate to many things in the book.
Thought 1: When I first came to the US, I used to say “peasant” all the time because that was what I have learned in school, rarely did I say “farmer”. So when I said peasant to my husband whose parents were farmers, he said: “Do you mean farmer?” There are big differences between Chinese peasants and US farmers especially in the areas of education and farming tools/methods.
Thought 2: It is very true that false/fake (假的jiade) products are everywhere in China, so be cautious in things you buy or people you deal with. In China from the food we eat, to clothes and accessories we wear, to diploma and official documents, all can be faked. Even the author Peter himself had to write a false resume in order to get a journalist visa. Is it the Chinese system’s fault that makes people do what is necessary in order to survive?
Thought 3: About the Uyghur. My first encounter with the Uyghur language was at the Urumqi airport during our Silk Road vacation in 2010. My husband saw the language was written everywhere but he did not know what it was. I told him it looked like Arabic. Later, our guide told us it was the Uyghur language because Uyghur is the biggest group in Xinjiang province. I also discovered on the trip that Uyghurs look more like foreigners than Chinese. I know Uyghur is one of the 55 minority groups, other than that I know very little about this unique ethnic group especially its political and religious beliefs.
Thought 4: The Movie Red Sorghum and actor Jiang Wen. In the book, the author talked about visiting a movie set in the Gobi where famous actor Jiang Wen was shooting a movie. I remembered watching the movie Red Sorghum in 1989 when I was a senior at Fudan University. The movie was a huge hit because it was the first kind that was brilliantly directed by the director Zhang Yimou, and Jiang Wen and actress Gong Li truly captured the audience with their brilliant acting. Jiang Wen’s personality is so characteristic both on screen in all his movies and off screen in his real life, surely he is well liked.
Thought 5: How ironic! As I ended reading the book today, I found out at the news time that Osama Bin Laden was killed. In the book the author described Chinese people’s Anti-American feelings for the war American launched against the terrorists after the September 11 attack. I am eager to find out what the Chinese think now that the Americans are celebrating the big victory after nearly ten years. The Americans finally did what they set their minds to.

As the first generation immigrant from China, I was asked to speak at various events because people are fascinated by my story. Twenty one years ago when I came to this country, I had only $40 in my pocket. Against the odds of being laid off from a very large company in 2008, I came a long way from an engineer to be a business owner today. And the best of all, I realized my dream of doing something I truly like.
I would summarize my American journey in two milestones. The first milestone was ten years into living in the United States, I had a very nice job with Eastman Kodak Company, a nice family with two boys, and a big house with no mortgage and no debt. The second milestone was twenty years into living in the United States, I lost my job but found my own company, our family grew with another addition: a baby boy, and financially we were doing very well.
I contribute my success to my strong personality. If somebody gave me a lemon, I would say: watch me, how I turn it into lemonade. It was this kind of attitude that kept my head hold high in difficult circumstances. With hard work and some talents, I was able to acquire wealth through good jobs and investment. And I am a saver. Ever since I started working, I have always maxed out my 401K contribution. Over the years, it grew to be a nice big egg. So when the job was not there, I am able to create my own job and weather off years of no income.
But my success did not come easy. Ever since I was 10 years old, I went to the most famous boarding school in Shanghai. It was from 6am to 9pm daily 6 days a week this kind of study in school and hard-working prepared me for my long journey to achieve my American dream. I am grateful that my parents insisted to send me to the best schools in China despite the fact we were very poor at that time and they had to borrow money to do so. Thirty years ago, my mother as an elementary school teacher was making $10 a month in salary. My parents were not “Tiger Mother” (this is a very controversial topic today both in China and in USA). I simply knew what was expected of me and I wanted so much to live a better life, so I automatically did everything they expected of me and I made them very proud of me by bringing them many “faces” (Chinese are big on saving faces). All of my brother and sisters went to colleagues and received very good education. Today all of us siblings are either USA citizen or Canada citizen and we are doing well. I can certainly relate to the documentary “Last Train Home” (归途列车) about Chinese parents’ unappreciated sacrifices in their children’s eyes. When I was young I may not have realized that but as I grew older and had my own children, I really appreciated how much my parents have sacrificed for me. My Chinese family certainly contributed to my success too.

If you ask me why I like to travel to China, I would say…
The number 1 reason you will like China is its cultural experience. China is a developed country that hasn’t lost its flavor. You will experience both fast-paced city life and authentic ethnic tribe’s colorful culture. Of the 55 minority ethnic groups in China, Yunnan a southern province has the most 25 of them.
The number 2 reason you will like China is its nature landscapes. From the panoramic limestone formations in Guilin, to the gorgeous terraced rice fields in Yunnan province, to the surreal fog-covered peak in Huangshan, to China’s most famous valleys – Jiuzhaigou, the snow-capped peaks, waterfalls, forests and lakes, and many mountains, rivers and grass lands will simply take your breath away.
The number 3 reason you will like China is its long and rich history. The Great Wall, the longest wall built for defense, is over 2000 years old. The Forbidden City, the world’s largest palace complex built in traditional Chinese architecture, is also over 2000 years old. The Museum of Terracotta Warriors and Horses, thousands of life-size figures with individually unique faces, hair and uniforms, is grand in their elaborate design and scale.
The number 4 reason you will like China is its delicious food. There are eight authentic cuisines with regional features throughout China, which are known as Anhui Cuisine（徽菜）, Canton Cuisine（粤菜）, Fujian Cuisine（闽菜）, Hunan Cuisine（湘菜）, Jiangsu Cuisine（苏菜）, Shandong Cuisine（鲁菜）, Sichuan Cuisine（川菜） and Zhejiang Cuisine（浙菜）. The varieties will surely satisfy your taste buds.
The number 5 reason you will like China is its top of the line accommodations. China has the most 5-star hotels in the world by my guess plus numerous boutiques hotels, B&Bs and traditional Chinese style hotels. You will easily find a place that suits your budget and style to have a good night sleep.
And of course the last but not the least, China is a safe country to visit. And the Chinese people are very friendly too.

Every time I visit China, I like nothing better to go back soon. China’s high mountains, elegant rivers, springs and waterfalls, rare animals and plants, numerous historical spots and sites, distinctive operas, music and dances, rich and varied folk customs and styles , and its world-renowned cuisine, this fascinating country attracts a large number of domestic and foreign tourists even me a China native.
This summer our family went on a Silk Road journey that stretched through the entire northwest region of China. The Silk Road was opened about 138 BC in Western Han Dynasty and gradually over a thousand years built both sea and land routes stretched more than 7000 miles from Chang’an (now Xian) to the Mediterranean Sea. The purpose of the Silk Road was to trade China’s silk, tea, spices, pottery and Chinese inventions with Western’s horses, linen, seeds, plants and new ideas. Nobody traveled the entire Silk Road and camel was used to transport goods and people. The last Dynasty the Qing Dynasty finally closed the trade routes.
Besides climbing the Great Wall and seeing thousands of human-size Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses, our family found some favorite places along the Silk Road.
Grape Valley, Turpan
Turpan basin is located in the Valley of Tian Mountain’s east range. In Uygur, an ethnic group of China, Turpan means the low ground. In fact this place is 500 meters below sea level and is the second lowest place in the world after the Dead Sea. Green pearl-like grapes grow abundant in Turpan and grapes are what this place is famous for. We took a nice stroll at a grape valley shaded by thousands of grape vines. We visited a underground well museum and got a glimpse of the massive underground well system that keeps water supply to this region’s grape growers. We even tasted freshly squeezed grape juice. It was so yummy!
Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring, Dunhuang
The scenic area of Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring is located 5 km south of Dunhuang city. The name of Mingsha Mountain came from the echoing sound produced by the moving sand. Within Mingsha Mountain lies the Crescent Spring which resembles a crescent fallen down into the dessert. Being a place where spring meets desert, the area is a natural spectacle and has been known as a “desert wonder” from ancient to modern times. Climbing the sand mountain was a challenge, however the view from the top was definitely rewarding. We also rode the camels for the first time in our life. It was a lot of fun!
Mogao Grottoes, Dunhuang
The Mogao Grottoes, commonly known as the “Thousand Buddha Caves”, are located 25 km southeast of Dunhuang city. There are 735 existing caves of various shapes from ten dynasties, and the caves contain some 45000 sq meter of murals and 2400 painted sculptures. At any given day, only 30+ caves are open to the tourists. We saw a huge stone Buddha statue (over 30 foot tall) and a 20 foot lying Buddha statue. The murals and sculptures were colorful and vivid; we were amazed by ancient Chinese’s skills and craftsmanship.

– an introduction to my home town
The movie “Shanghai” ended with the actor’s voice echoing over the Huangpu River “I liked Shanghai so much and I returned…” The end of 1930’s and the beginning of 1940’s, Shanghai was a playground for spy, soldier, foreigner, gangster, communist and capitalist all-kind. In the midst of turmoil, common people went to work as usual, retailers, movie theatres and night clubs were still open, and rickshaws and trolley buses were hustling on the narrow streets.
Shanghai is China’s largest industrial city and business center. Once you step your foot on the ground, you will feel its energy and excitement. Modern colossal buildings draw the skyline of Shanghai yet hiding among them there are many themed boutique hotels and streets let you see and experience the old time atmosphere. Among them The Mansion Hotel is at the top of the accommodation list. The villa was originally designed by French architect Lafayette in 1932 and was owned by a partner of infamous Shanghai syndicate boss Du Yue Sheng until 1949. Now it is an important historical building to operate legitimate businesses and host the cities most extravagant parties at night. To visit the hotel’s elegant 1930’s lobby and to eat at its rooftop restaurant are highly recommended when you visit Shanghai. Xintiandi (literally means “new heaven and earth”), the old French Concession district of Shanghai, is another very popular shopping and dining place. Interesting old city Shiku Gate (also called Shanghai Alley) were turned into mixed Chinese-European styles. Several famous Chinese’s residences are open for visitors including Sun Yat-sen’s Former Residence, Premier Zhou Enlai’s Former Residence, and Soong Ching Ling’s Former Residence.
Rich in historical and cultural resources, Shanghai attracts both domestic and overseas tourists. On top of the traditional views list are Yuyuan Garden, Town God’s Temple, and the Ancient City Wall and Dajing Pavilion. On top of the modern attractions list are the Bund, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai Museum with a huge bronze collection, Shanghai Grand Theatre, Shanghai Circus World, Jin Mao Tower with a stunning view from the 88th floor of the Grand Hyatt, and Shanghai Magnetic Suspension Train with a speed of 268 mph.
Crisscrossed with rivers, rivulets, lakes and ponds, Shanghai borders the Taihu Lake valley and has beautiful natural scenery zones along the Huangpu River and the Wusong River. On the periphery of Shanghai, 2 to 3 hours of bus ride will take you to several well-known water towns including Zhouzhuang Town, Xitang Town, Tongli Town, and Nanxun Town. Day tours to these water towns are offered at Shanghai Central Bus Station.
Spring and autumn are the best seasons to visit Shanghai. Shanghai perfectly harmonizes the classic oriental charm with the modern metropolitan fashion, so include Shanghai in your itinerary the next time you visit China.
To see the movie “Shanghai”, click the link below: http://www.tudou.com/playlist/p/a32682.html?iid=59182652

August 16 Beijing 北京
Clark and I have been to the Great Wall in 1995, but this time we went to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. It hardly had any people. The view of the Great Wall stretched along the lush green mountaintops was breathtaking. We saw a wedding group taking wedding photos on the Wall. Good choice of a perfect spot!

August 17 Beijing/Urumqi北京/乌鲁木齐
We went to a local restaurant for lunch. It was a nice place for dumplings. We tasted ten different kinds of stuffing; most of them were vegetables with only one meat stuffing that the kids liked.

August 18 Urumqi乌鲁木齐
On the way to Heavenly Lake, we stopped at the roadside to look at a yurt (a tentlike dwelling of the Mongol and Turkic peoples of central Asia). Inside it was huge, large enough to comfortably sleep a dozen people. It was beautifully decorated with colorful carpets. The yurt was located on a scenic creek bank side. When winter comes, the nomad’s family just takes down the entire yurt, packs it and moves to warm grounds, next summer the family returns to the same spot and sets up the yurt again.

Sitting on top of a hill overlooking the Heavenly Lake, there was a Daoism Monastery we visited. It was so peaceful and beautiful there, truly heavenly.

August 19 Turpan 吐鲁番
Turpan was hot. We stayed at the Huozhou Hotel. Huozhou 火洲in Chinese means Fire State. Our room had a see-through glass wall bathroom, it was really cool. This was the first time we saw this kind of bathroom.

August 20 Turpan/Jiayuguan吐鲁番/嘉峪关
Our overnight train ticket had some issues. In fact we did not even have a train ticket. Our guide had to bribe several staff on the train with cigarettes and money so that we can get on the train with soft-sleep beds. Only a Chinese can handle this situation, westerners can’t even imagine what to do. Because of the ticket issue, a couple of us had to move from one compartment to another in the middle of the night; we did not sleep much.

August 21 Jiayuguan嘉峪关
Jiayuguan Pass was the first pass to Hexi corridor. People traveling westward must pass this fort in ancient times. Compared to Fort Snelling, Jiayuguan was huge. It housed one thousand soldiers and horses in ancient times.

August 22 Dunhuang 敦煌
We had our first camel ride at the Singing Sand Mountains and Crescent Moon Spring. It was fantastic! Most camels had two humps. We learned that the camels with standing humps were the healthy ones while those with hanging humps were not.

At Mogao Grottoes we saw a huge (over 30 foot tall) Buddha stone statue and a 26 foot lying Buddha statue. The Grottoes have over 700 caves, but at any given day only 30 caves are open for tourists.

August 23 Dunhuang敦煌
Dunhuang night market was a nice place to go. It had all kinds of spices, artworks and food. We particularly liked the local art and bought one wooden carving tiger for CNY800. The tiger looked so real, it was cool. Seeing the artist working on their projects in the market was definitely eye opening.

August 24 Dunhuang敦煌
We have been reading Chinese/English signs at places we went to. Here were the funniest ones we have seen. “Grapes and fruits taste the spot” in Chinese 葡萄水果品尝点，in proper English it should be something like this “This is the spot to taste grapes and fruits”. “Watch for ladders” in Chinese 小心台阶，there was no ladder rather there were some steps, in proper English it should be “Watch for your steps”. “Be careful of landslide” in Chinese 小心地滑，in proper English it should be “Floor slippery, be careful!” This sign on a bathroom door made us laugh for a long time.

August 25 Lanzhou 兰州
Two days in a row we traveled to different states; we were tired. Taking a speedboat ride on the Yellow River was an interesting experience on its own. The 45-minute one-way ride was scary considering the boat was tiny and completely enclosed with eight people trapped inside for a long time; not to mention on the way back the driver told us he saw a dead body floating on the water. However the serene Bingling Cave Temple hidden in the mountains along the Yellow River was worthwhile to see. Water buffaloes were happily resting in the valley where caves, mountains and river meet, it was picturesque! There was no other way to get to the Bingling Cave Temple, so we had to take the speedboat.

August 26 Xian 西安
After daily breakfast buffet and banquet style Chinese lunch, McDonald’s sounded so good to us. We often craved for ice cream on the trip and that was our supper.

August 27 Xian/Shanghai西安/上海
In Shanghai we departed with the rest of the group. Shanghai is my hometown.

August 28 to September 2 Shanghai上海
We still had a few days before we heading back to the States. One day we went to a nearby water town called Wuzhen. It rained and such moments appeared in many Chinese literatures “beautiful Jiangnan in the rain 雨中的江南是很美的”.

On the last day in Shanghai, a Typhoon hit the city and we got heavy rain for hours and hours. It reminded me how much I loved Typhoon weather when I was a child in the hot and humid over 100-degree days when the only cooling device we had was the fan in the house. It felt so nice and cool during Typhoon.

We had a great time in China and we have over 800 pictures! For a sneak peek of the photos we took on the trip, go to this link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/108878095563854310219/ChinaOldAndNew?feat=email#slideshow/5519900334163292242