General Discussion

Before the economy changed for the better it was the most terrifying visit I have made anywhere.

People were severely malnourished, looked gray and wore somber old clothing.
They never made eye contact and everyone seemed to look at the ground when they walked,
heads bent scurrying around. No loitering allowed.

Nasty, mean red hat police everywhere, ordering people around, dragging them away.
Tourists were given leeway but my camera was confiscated and once I made the mistake of sitting on a low stone wall to rest for a moment after a long walk, and the police grabbed me and made me get off. There were no seats or benches any where. People were not allowed to congregate.

I saw Chinese men being dragged away with terrified looks on their faces.

And yes we had Chinese minders at all time, and only saw what we were allowed to see.
We were told point blank that all calls and emails had to be made through the hotel and were monitored.

After the economic miracle, things changed on the surface. People had decent clothing, were well fed, looked happy. The police were still there but undercover lurking about. When touring various sights, our guides told us certain topics were forbidden and if we said anything out of line in front of the plain clothes police she would be fired or worse.

I love the Chinese people and the country and sights are amazing. But the people only know what they are told. They have little or no idea about international events or other points of view. They get this blank confused look on their faces when I would try to engage in discussions of the US or world events.

One the one hand I love China. The people, the food, the sights, the history are totally amazing. On the other hand the government, repression, the iron clad grip on the people, the autocracy and corruption are terrifying. When you leave on the airplane from China, often the Americans onboard give a cheer and start clapping when lift off is accomplished. They are that glad to leave China.