China

Photo & story by: Debbie Stock

The People's Republic of China is close to the size of the United States (U.S. has approx. 2% more land mass) with 1.4 billion people living there, compared to 333 million residing in the U.S.

Although there are 55 ethnic minorities in China they comprise only 8.5% of the population—91.5% of people are Han. In U.S. states such as California the ethnic mix has a wider spread with 39% Latino, 36% white, 15% Asian and 6% African American. While that's a major difference, our government push to build affordable housing in every city and neighborhood forces California's municipalities and others around the nation to become more like China with its condensed, high-rise housing structures.

Located in the Asian continent, China sits on the western Pacific Rim. Home to the Himalayan Mountains and world's highest Mount Everest (over 29,000 feet high,) thousands have tried to "conquer" this mountain with more than 4,000 people succeeding and 300 losing their lives trying to climb it. That's a mere drop in the bucket compared to the estimated 250,000 lives lost in traffic accidents annually in China.

Divided into 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 municipalities directly under the Central Government, and 2 special administrative regions, the country's current form of government is relatively new. Shortly after WWII on October 1, 1949 Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic of China (PRC) from atop Tiananmen. The result of a near complete victory by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the Chinese Civil War, millions of non-combatants were deliberately killed by both the Nationalists and Communists during the war, resulting in the death of between 1.8 million and 3.5 million people between 1927 and 1949.

As an ally of the U.S. during WWII, the loss of 2.2 million Chinese lives are attributed to its role in fighting Japan.

I asked a China-born neighbor what year she left her native country and she said her father packed up the family and immigrated to California in 1941 when she was just 6 years old. (California's largest Chinatown was established in the 1840s in San Francisco and that city has the highest per capita concentration of Chinese Americans in the United States, estimated at 21.5%.)

If you have a bucket list, China is not to be missed. With its goal of being the dominating world power, it's fast on its way and visiting will give you insights as to what's in that country's favor.

China is a land of contrasts where...

• gleaming skyscrapers cast shadows over 1000-year old temples and pagodas.
• high-tech vehicles drive side-by-side with beat up pedal bikes with carts.
• the poorest of poor slave in sweatshops to make high tech phones, computer equipment and expensive luxury items.
• 21st century drug launches of the latest pharmaceuticals and several-thousand-year old traditional Chinese medicines are both "made in China," the world's leading exporter.

For now, here are a few ....random photos from China trip