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I was lucky enough to go on an escorted trip, the “Yangtze Splendour”. 17 days of experiencing everything that China had to throw at me. From the booming cities of Beijing and Shanghai to the rapidly changing Yangtze River. From start to finish China was an education, an intense mixture of the old and the new. Whilst in Beijing the clock erected in Tiananmen Square announced that there were 365 days to go before the Olympics in 2008. Will us Brits be so exited a year before 2012 I wonder? China cannot wait to show the World how it has developed. Fortunately I was able to get a glimpse before most people will… Beijing was taking it easy in the hutongs where we explored by pedicab. The locals played mah-jong in the streets and sat and chatted outside their houses. Elsewhere in the night market all nature of animals were been fried and eaten to keep the tourists stomachs happy. For the Westerners a cold drink and noodles were available of course!

In Xian the thousands of Terracotta Warriors were still standing guard. A few were being prepared for transport to the British Museum for the forthcoming exhibition. Each one with a unique expression, armour and hairstyle!

Next, three full days on the world’s third longest river, the Yangtze. It was hard to imagine how the area had been flooded yet there was still so much to see along the misty canyons. The incredible drop of 80m over 4 locks at the Three Gorges Dam is a masterpiece of modern day technology. Shanghai did not disappoint. Huge shopping malls, the busy “Bund” and skyscrapers competing to be the tallest. Quite the opposite on the Li River between Guilin and Yangshuo where the limestone cliffs were a backdrop to the traditional river life that went on regardless of the attention of tourists on boats passing through.

Last but not least, Hong Kong, and after 10 years of handing back control to the Chinese the city still has a very western feel. I think Hong Kong will always be different to mainland China, that’s a good thing as China probably will always remain a fascinating place with a rich cultural heritage