China certainly ranks as one of the most fascinating places I've visited in my life. I spent a month there and felt like I had barely scratched the surface. From the bustling and lit up Hong Kong to the thousands of years history seen in exhibits such as the Terracotta warriors to the incredible beauty of Tibet, in China I found a whole spectrum of experiences.
The people often have a very positive attitude, and while they will be openly curious about (and unsubtly point out) foreigners, I found people on the whole very keen to help me in my travels. Many people were also very generous: I got on one train and the girl sat opposite me reached into a bag for an orange, smiled and placed it into my hands. A souvenir shop in Guangzhou invited me in for tea and didn't want me to pay a thing for it, but rather just to meet me.
China has experienced massive economic growth over the last decade, and is moving forward at an incredible pace. You can look at a whole bunch of skyscrapers, knowing that the area they sit on was farmland just 10-15 years ago. However, a lot of the stability in this time has been due to the government making a deal with the people: you leave the politics to us and we'll make you rich. How China manages the coming years, in the face of the inevitable fact that the economy is a cyclical beast that goes through booms and busts, we will just have to wait and see.
