China: Ancient History, Modern Surprises
After spending a month teaching computer skills in Moshi, Tanzania, we were ready for a completely different adventure. China had been on our travel list for years, and with thirty days to explore, we hoped to experience both the country's remarkable history and its incredibly modern cities.
Everyone told us China was big. We smiled, nodded, and thought we understood. We didn't.
Nothing really prepares you for China until you experience it yourself. The cities are bigger. The apartment complexes are bigger. The train stations are bigger. The parks, museums, shopping malls, and highways all seem to operate on a completely different scale. Nearly every day we found ourselves saying, "I had no idea."
What surprised us even more was how often China challenged our assumptions. We expected incredible history, beautiful temples, and wonderful food. We didn't expect to find one of the cleanest, most organized, and technologically advanced countries we've ever visited.
Our first stop was Beijing.
Beijing – Thousands of Years in Three Days
Waiting for us at the airport was our guide, Felix, one of those people you immediately know is going to make the trip special. Some guides simply explain what you're looking at. Felix told stories. And China has some incredible stories.
Our first stop was Tiananmen Square. Standing there, surrounded by thousands of visitors and looking toward the entrance of the Forbidden City, it finally hit us that we were actually in China.
Walking through the Meridian Gate into the Forbidden City felt like stepping into another world.
For nearly five hundred years this was the center of imperial China, home to twenty-four emperors and their families. Legend says the palace contains 9,999 rooms—one fewer than Heaven itself, since no earthly ruler could equal the gods. Whether or not that's true, it certainly felt endless. Courtyard after courtyard. Gate after gate. Hall after hall. We joked that if we lived there, we'd probably spend half the morning just trying to find the kitchen.
The buildings themselves were magnificent, but what really made the visit memorable were Felix's stories. Instead of simply reciting dates, he introduced us to the people who once lived behind those walls. We heard about powerful emperors, ambitious concubines, trusted eunuchs, and perhaps most fascinating of all, the "Dragon Lady," Empress Dowager Cixi. Although she was never officially emperor, she effectively ruled China for nearly fifty years, skillfully outmaneuvering those around her to remain in power.
By the end of the morning we realized Chinese imperial history contains enough intrigue for several seasons of television. Just when we thought we'd seen the largest palace imaginable, Felix smiled and said, "Now we'll visit the Summer Palace. It's about four times larger." Of course it is. That became something of a theme throughout China.
The Summer Palace had a completely different feel from the Forbidden City. Instead of grand ceremonial courtyards, there were peaceful gardens, graceful bridges, and boats drifting across Kunming Lake. Families wandered the shoreline while others rented paddle boats to enjoy the afternoon.
One of our favorite features was the Long Corridor, stretching nearly one kilometer along the lake. Every beam seemed to be covered with colorful paintings depicting landscapes, flowers, birds, and scenes from Chinese history. We could have spent hours simply admiring the artwork overhead.
Later that afternoon we climbed aboard bicycle rickshaws and explored Beijing's old hutong neighborhoods. The narrow lanes and traditional courtyard homes offered a glimpse of what Beijing looked like before modern skyscrapers transformed the skyline. Felix pointed out the neighborhood where Puyi, China's last emperor, spent part of his life after losing the throne. It was hard to imagine someone going from ruling one of history's greatest empires to quietly living under government supervision in an ordinary neighborhood.
The Great Wall
The next morning we headed for one of the places we had most looked forward to seeing. The Great Wall. Yes, we took the gondola. No regrets.
The section we visited was built during the Ming Dynasty in the 1400s and winds dramatically across mountain ridges, connecting watchtowers and signal towers. Standing there, it was easy to appreciate that the Great Wall isn't one continuous wall but a vast defensive system stretching roughly 3,000 kilometers across northern China.
Once we reached the top, Mark looked down the Wall, spotted more watchtowers in the distance, and announced, "I'm going to see what's over there." That turned into a hike across four different watchtowers, climbing what felt like an endless series of steep stone steps. Every time he reached another tower, there always seemed to be one more just over the next ridge.
Betsey took one look at those stairs, decided that two watchtowers were enough adventure for one day, and settled into enjoying the spectacular mountain scenery and the breeze. From her shady perch she watched Mark gradually disappear over the next ridge before eventually making his way back. We both agreed we had made the right decision.
Standing on top of the Wall, looking as it disappeared over one mountain after another, it was impossible not to think about the millions of people who built it centuries ago. Some places really do live up to their reputation.
China in 2026
Felix also introduced us to another highlight of China—the food. Forget what we think of as Chinese food back home. This was something entirely different. One lunch featured authentic Peking duck carved tableside, served with delicate pancakes, cabbage, green beans, dumplings, and several dishes we'd never heard of but thoroughly enjoyed. Another meal introduced us to beautiful dim sum followed by Kung Pao chicken that looked innocent enough until the chilies quietly began doing their work.
We quickly learned that when someone in China says a dish is "just a little spicy," they have a very different definition than we do. At the time we thought Beijing's food was plenty spicy. Little did we know that Sichuan Province was still waiting for us.
One of the things that struck us most about Beijing wasn't any particular attraction—it was how clean and organized everything felt. The streets were spotless. Public transportation was efficient. Parks were beautifully maintained. Even with more than twenty million people, the city somehow felt remarkably orderly.
We also began noticing signs of just how quickly China is changing. High-speed trains quietly whisked passengers across the country at more than 300 kilometers per hour. Electric vehicles seemed to be everywhere. Construction cranes filled the skyline, yet centuries-old temples and palaces stood comfortably beside modern office towers. Ancient history and cutting-edge technology existed side by side in a way we had never experienced before.
As we boarded the high-speed train for Xi'an, we realized we had only scratched the surface of China. We had come expecting remarkable history. Instead, we found remarkable history living comfortably alongside one of the most modern societies we'd ever experienced.
And this was only the beginning.
