My first trip to mainland China was 1n 1986, coming back from working in bright modern Singapore. The entry visa from Hong Kong was an astronomical $100 (now $170 for me) but too tantalizing to miss --- big changes were already happening. I took the hard-class bench train on a 2-day ramble from Canton (now Guangzhou) to Beijing (already changed from Peking). Much of the route was primitive rice paddies and water buffalo implements. Stops along the way were unpredictable but gave a glance at the human condition. Beijing itself was one of the biggest challenges ever of my travels. Suspicious looks, absolutley no English (or French, or Spanish), and food in neon colours or odd body parts. In those days, there were "Friendship Stores" where only foreigners like me could shop, in U.S. dollars of course. Nothing but trinkets and rough shirts, back when Made In China meant very poor quality.
After a couple of days, I caved and took a flight back to Hong Kong, on the newest aircraft in the country --- an old Boeing 737. There's the Beijing Airport in those days: dusty, dark and difficult.
I know that all of these scenes have changed, and you can argue for better or worse. But my return to China this week will be like going Back to the Future, to a place no one could imagine 25 years ago.
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