I've always looked with some suspicion on the Great People's Republic of China. Especially since the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, China's government and human rights record troubled me. But like many countries, the government is not the people, as I learned during a brief visit to Beijing in September 2005.
Having traveled widely throughout North America and Europe since 9/11, I have been caught up in the darkness and depression of the western world. Everywhere you go there is a sense of foreboding; a terrorist around every corner.
Boarding my Air China plane in Tokyo, I was caught off-guard by the brightness and quality of the spanking brand new Boeing 777 and the friendliness and attentiveness of the cabin crew. The service was what I remembered of Air Canada and CP Air twenty-five years ago.
Arriving in Beijing I first noticed (and tasted) the yellow smog that enveloped the city, but that was quickly eclipsed by the energy and vitality of the people. Granted, I restricted myself to the downtown core that hardly represents the world's largest population. But compared to other downtown cores in other capitals, a sense of an exciting future rather than a fearful present predominated.
One is hit head on by the assault of American culture on Beijing. On the main shopping street of Wangfujing a massive tent introduced Barbie to young Chinese girls. Chairman Mao shared Tiananmen Square with the Colonel.
Beijing is a city where old people dance in the park, where artists ply their craft, where meditation is a way of life, and where even the disabled and indigent have a smile for a camera-toting tourist. I'm sure that day-to-day life isn't easy for them but I sensed that they felt the future was theirs. It probably is.
Note for travelers: One of the nicest hotels I have ever stayed in was the Tianlun Dynasty Hotel on Wangfujing Avenue. Price was reasonable (approximately $120 US/night) and the room superior. I recommend it highly.