Shopping has replaced the political rallies. Their hip pockets hold not the Little Red Book of Right Thoughts, but sport the latest digital telephone. Fashion and cosmetics are big. The country is on the move. A five-day work week now gives the people a taste of leisure, something unheard of this past half century.
New construction is everywhere and proceeding at a frantic pace.
But progress is always a double-edged sword and I'm appalled at the abuse to the environment which it leaves in its wake. Still, I'm glad to be back in China, doing what I love to do best - seeking out and acquiring exceptional teas. Maybe it's a divine test of my endurance. Heaven and Hell. The former happens when you find great tea.