It's ahead of schedule, it's under budget, it's already transforming the nation. These Chinese children have amazing pep, I tell Ping over lunch in our fancy Wuhan hotel. We're being entertained by a trio of musicians playing, on traditional stringed instruments, some very untraditional songs, including a medley of Jingle Bells and Oh, Susannah .
Ping is right about the television.
The state-run stations are heavy on inspiration, whether it's a news feature on the latest bumper crop of rice or an interview with a sports hero. Still there is usually some truth in the fantastic news of the Chinese. There may be no toddlers leaping from strollers and running 26 miles, but at the same time most Chinese can run circles around an average American. They ride bicycles, they exercise in the morning, and their bodies are supple and strong. There were police cars and motorcycles, but colliding with them is the only way to get the officers' attention.