Reflections.

In writing this travelogue I intended to provide a personalized, informative account of our May holiday adventures. However I feel it imperative to close with a commentary on the insight gained from this trip. Progress is eternal and no country immune to its forceful reach. To expect a China of sixty years ago frozen and preserved in time yet still accessible to tourism is a foolish desire. Yet the China of today, rapidly racing towards a future of modernization, consumerism and international influence, exists in conjunction with the beauty and majesty of old. What I failed to realize on my trip was that though China has warmly opened its doors to the economic advantages of providing for tourism, the sights and experiences of centuries ago are still there to be enjoyed. Removed from the Yao women and their insistent cries for money, the terraced fields of Longji remain a breathtaking, heart-twisting reminder of the strength and beauty of rural China. Nanning, a city of take away foods and city shopping, stands as a model of the new China and of the new culture that is evolving in this ever-changing country. Behind the entry fees and tacky paraphernalia that dot the streets of Beihai, there is still the beach the once played a pivotal role in promoting trade between China and other nations, and that beach now acts for so many visiting Chinese as their only contact with the waters and experiences of the coast. It is true I did not find the China of my dreams and expectations in the sort of abundance I initially desired but on reflection it is unrealistic to hope for the world of the past in a world that has its sights set determinedly on the future. I saw the China of my dreams, glimpsed it through the window and in the distance, but I also saw the China of the future and it is foolish to think this is an entirely bad thing. To hold onto the past is always problematic and to fear the future brings only problems, resentment and a closed mind. My May holiday opened my eyes to both the China I wanted to see and the China that I needed to see in order to truly experience and enjoy this county and its amazing culture.