China – realm of the center

Picture gallery: China

30 years following the end of the Cultural Revolution, we began to collect impressions of a country with an enormous wealth of cultural treasures and which  commands a heritage like no other on earth. 

Currently China is experiencing an economic upswing involving 1.3 billion people which will have consequences for the rest of the world.  The changes China is now undergoing influences all aspects of life.  Opening up China’s borders means being competitive on world markets. As well, government-run factories must be able to make long-term profits instead of receiving government subsidies.   The result of subsidies is hidden unemployment, migrant workers and negative effects on the pension system.  Added to these issues are geographical problems such as encroaching desert areas and heavy silt build-up in large rivers. 

Even though the Confucian-influenced culture appeared very different to us, we experienced several distinctive weeks in a fascinating country with friendly people.