OLD CHINA

Memories of the continent of the Gods

A world no longer existing

China opened its borders for individual travelers in 1985, allowing foreigners to visit the country without supervision for the first time. It was hard to resist the temptation of discovering the vastness, the ethnic variety and cultural richness of this country. Radical political upheavals and the campaigns of Mao challenged this vast country in the 20th century again and again. What was left of old China and how  were the people coping after so many revolutions and disconcerting cultural reorientations?

On the brink of a large Chinese revolution

During the time of our three long trips, China was on the brink of an enormous restructuring period. Probably no one had any idea of the remodeling process that was to come in the decades ahead. It would become the most ambitious test that China has seen so far.

However, we discovered a gently prospering kingdom largely untouched by the Western world. It was a short but predominantly quiet and peaceful period between the storms of Chinese tides, a stroke of luck for us.