I thought China would be one thing, it turned out to be many other things. I looked for a Communist country. The only one U.S. citizens are allowed to freely travel to. I guess I expected something like the video footage of Tiananmen square in 1989, or what I remember from grade school lessons about Mao and the People's Revolution. And Nixon's visit.

The reality I found is far more complex. Capitalism is everywhere on the street. Everyone looks to make a buck without reliance on the Party. People are friendly and open. They want to connect in some way. The natural environment is at once beautiful and tragic.