China : what we have learned!

Hello Our time is China was curtailed by events beyond our control. So we visited new friends (Fabia & Alwin) in Shanghai and did the tourist thing in Beijing. These two huge cities have populations of 20 million + people. We found them to be clean, vibrant and exciting places to be in.
We have learnt that.

1. The Metro transit system in both cities is fast, safe and cheap. Aus .50c per trip, a train every 3 minutes.
2. EVERTHING in China is BIG
3. The Chinese eat a lot of noodles and rice ( I hate noodles).
4. Our walking tour of the Forbidden City showed 18kms on the pedometer
5. Our walking tour of the Temple of Heaven showed 16kms on the pedometer
6. The Great Wall in very very big, very very steep and very very long, 6700 kms
7. Traffic lights mean absolutely nothing
8. Taxis are metered, fast, efficient and cheap
9. The Summer Palace is beautiful and varied
   
10. The high rise builidngs in Shanghai are beautiful, aesthecially pleasing to the eye and fun, We christened them bottle opener, rocket ship, crystal. Just awesome (see image)
11. Chinese toast is hot bread
12. The Bund area (Shangai old business district) is half a metre below king tide. It has a huge levy with ocean going ships sailing by.
13. Italian Coffee costs $6 per cup
14. Starbucks, McDonalds, Haagen Daas have taken over the known world
15. Starbucks coffee is horrid and costs $5.50 per small cup (paper)
16. The D Train from Shanghai to Beijing reaches speeds of 200kph. The Z train reaches speeds of 300kph
17. Peking Duck is delicious and is served in most restaurants in Beijing $5 per serve
18. Chinese Laundry is not cheap
19. Hot buns come in all flavours and usually with soup
20. Normal day Tiananmen Square has 250,000 people all congregating for the visit to The Forbidden City
21. Chairman Mao is in state in Tieananmen Square Mausoleum
22. The Birds Nest is spectacular
23. China has a 1 child policy
24. A license is needed to become parents
25. The Chinese seed the clouds in Beijing and model the weather. It only rains on Thurdays
26. Tragic!! all internet interactive sites are barred (flickr, twitter, facebook, blogs etc)
27. We are told 30,000 hackers man the email desks to filter all email
28. Boy babies are favourite and outnumber girls 70/30

Conclusion for us. Our trip was too short and we will be back. Philosophically we wonder what will happen in 10 years when the new generation hits production age. The girls can take their pick and the population will hit minus growth. Girls here do not want to marry young! But what of the experiment in social behaviour? The kids have 4 doating in laws, grand parents and parents. And no siblings or cousins to learn from. The kids we saw their behavior was shockers. Still China has seen many changes and this is just one more in their 6000 year history. We loved the experience. If you have not been here, come. We believe it's worth the journey.
Image 1 Shanghai business district hi-rise. (bottle opener, crystal etc)
Image 2 Bell tower Ciboa village
Image 3 Scorpion Kebabs
Image 4 Mal and the Forbidden City outer gates
D Trains at Beijing station