The “new” China.

I asked several of our Chinese guides if they felt they had freedom. Freedom? They weren’t sure. We have jobs, they said. We have the internet. To them, that seems enough for now.

“Do you like Mao?” I asked one guide. She cautiously looked all around, then whispered back, “No, I don’t like him.”  I agree. My political statement while we were on Tiananmen Square was to take the traditional photo of Mao looking over the whole square—but I clicked the shutter just as the flag flew over his face!

When we were at the Forbidden City (now called a museum) I took a picture of several young women in traditional Chinese costume. Only afterwards did I notice that these were girls of the “new” China. They were wearing sneakers and were texting on their smart phones!

I think I like the “new” China. The people are ambitious, friendly, curious about the West, and anxious that their children grow up in an open society. Despite the language barrier, I feel like I made connections with many of them.

[Conclusion of blog.]