by Marilyn De Angelis Pennell

Created on: May 20, 2008

China or Japan? It all depends on what you are looking for and how open you are to what you find. Are you a tourist or a traveler? If you are new to Asia and simply want a taste of it, dip your toe into Japan. You will not be disappointed. But, if you seek a challenge and truly want to travel some back roads and experience a country with a 5,000 year old history unlike any other, pack your bags and head for China.

I fell in love with Japan more than thirty years ago as a recent college graduate. I lived with a Japanese family, taught English and traveled throughout Japan. I can even speak enough Japanese to get around. Japan is more "user friendly" for Western tourists. Train travel is simple and efficient and English is spoken, especially in major cities. It is charming, clean and safe and its people are sincere and honest.

Yet, I was always drawn to China. I remember traveling to Tokyo years ago on a packed Northwestern flight from Chicago, en route to my second stay in Japan. During the flight I met a fellow traveler who confided that if I really wanted to experience a truly "foreign" culture, China was the place. In China I could see water buffalo walking down city streets!

Those water buffalo stuck in my mind for many years, until 2006, when I had the opportunity to spend one month traveling throughout China on a summer Fulbright Hays Fellowship. Our group of 16 college and high school teachers arrived in Beijing on a hot summer day. There were no water buffalo in sight. In fact, Beijing was so much like New York City that I couldn't believe my eyes. At first. But then little by little, the "heart of the dragon" revealed itself to me.

Beyond the usual-and wonderful-tourist sites such as The Great Wall, Tienanmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace, there are still hidden gems in Beijing. The hutong alleyways with life teeming all around are part of the old China that is fast disappearing, especially in the big cities. Shopping in the traditional markets and visiting The Summer Palace on a Sunday afternoon with people of all ages enjoying ballroom dancing and traditional Chinese music are treats to savor.

But, there is urgency here. A "new China" is emerging now, one that prides itself on its rapid economic rise. But, an unfortunate aspect of the "new China" is the fact that the powers that be seem to want to erase the vestiges of the past, much to the chagrin of the people. The hutong and the traditional courtyard houses are being razed in a building

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