Ever since China opened its doors to the West in the late 1970s, visitors have flocked to the country for a glimpse of one of the world's oldest civilizations. However, instead of serene antiquity, these visitors have found a country in the midst of change. Throughout China, one can see bamboo poles bracing high rises and yellow cranes demolishing villages. Fast food restaurants and souvenir stalls stand beside ancient temples and gardens.
Cell phones interrupt traditional music.
Those practicing tai qi do so amongst car smog and the beat of pop music. Much of the way China looks today is a result of the Communist Revolution of 1949. Although Mao Zedong and the Communist Party worked to create a more equal and fair society, they did so at the expense of the country's intellectual and cultural traditions. Temples were burned, intellectuals were punished and killed, minority cultures were oppressed, art was destroyed, and the country was ablaze with civil strife. The Cultural Revolution came to an end in the 1970s when Mao died and was replaced by the more moderate leadership of Deng Xiao Ping.