I first visited China in 1992 for five weeks as a Fulbright Scholar, spending two weeks in Nanjing which is St. Louis's sister city. This year I returned to China participating in a 23-day study tour. We toured seven cities including Nanjing. I can hardly begin to describe the vast changes that have taken place in China in just eight years. As of this date I am not sure what to make of all these changes and their impact on the Chinese culture and landscape.
China is a nation going fast forward into the future.
My hope is that China will not leave its past and lose it identity while moving forward. China's experimentation with capitalism and the relaxation of government control has brought about tremendous changes in the lives of the Chinese people. More food, more freedom, more consumer goods, more creature comforts, and more opportunities for advancement are available today than ever before in China's history. Here are some observations based on my experience in China. Today, China has numerous highways that ring most major urban areas.