YOU MAY BE SURPRISED TO DISCOVER HOW MANY THINGS ORIGINATED IN CHINA:
​Foods that originated in China
​Things that were invented in China

    Before my first trip to China, in the mid-1990s, my expectations were less than optimistic. I'd heard that China was a "developing" country, and​ my mental picture resembled images of North Korea. What I did not expect was modern shopping centers and a sense of personal freedom.
​    When I finally made the long-term move to China for work in January 1998, some people were still saying "the walls have ears," and others cautioned, "be careful what you write in your emails," but for the most part, I felt as just as free as I did back home in the USA.
​    China is not the "developing" country I expected it to be. I have never seen a city in America that had as many shopping malls as Beijing and Shanghai. Every country has areas that are less developed, and every city has it's own set of problems, but the fact that China has both modern and classic features is one of the things that gives this country  her character.  

I want to...

     In daily life, I feel just as free here in China as I do back in America, in some ways, even more. I don't mean that China is a democracy, or that we should criticize the government, but in other aspects, life back in the USA seems to be more restrictive than it used to be. You have to be careful what you say or do lest somebody sue you. And, with the new "political correctness," almost anything we say has the potential of offending some special interest group.
​     To some extent, these limitations are necessary. Every society needs some social guidelines to minimize the chances of offending other people, but many Americans agree that political correctness has gone too far. Chinese culture has some unwritten guidelines as well, but in general, we don't have to worry as much about offending others or being sued. The level of person freedom in China is much higher than many people realize.  

           One of the best sources for information about China is eBeijing. This site is mainly Beijing focused, but much of the info is useful nationwide. You will find more information on eBeijing than you'll ever have time to read. This is Beijing government's official English website for international people. This site is not filled with political propaganda, as one might expect from a government site anywhere in the world, but it is packed with almost everything you need to know about living or traveling in China, especially Beijing. To view eBeijing, click here.