Here is the serious note...Caution: may be too serious for fun lovers

On a serious note: Seeing  ancient sights in China is interesting for two reasons.  One, the obvious, is the historical significance of the sight.  This culture is ancient and intricate and beautifully historic, there is a sea of sights and  information to enjoy and to take in.  For goodness sake, you are standing on something constructed in 400 AD (I am referring to my recent Great Wall experience, which was very cool). What's not to appreciate?

Reason two, less obvious but equally interesting, is the government's role in these sights.  What I mean is that, often times, when you see something in China, often you aren't seeing what is boasted, what is advertised.  You are seeing new things in place of the old things.  I don't know how to describe it other than I constantly question the validity of the statements on historical sights or news posts or...almost everything actually and something has driven me to this point.  As often as you see the real deal, you see a fake replica.  This is true for cars and bags and eggs as well as for tombs and walls and caves.

As a person in China, you are at constant mercy of the government (this could be said for any country in the world, but some more than others).  The government does what ever it wants, including blatantly lying to and controlling its people.  Right now, Beijing's thing is just short of fully destroying its ancient and cultural sights (not to mention all but fully exploiting its environment) in the face of making quick money on things built for the moment.  Don't get me wrong, I appreciate my experience here. However, I feel equally blessed and cursed having the ability to enjoy these things and also having the time to learn a little about what is going on over here.  What is truly interesting is how I see these things, but my Chinese friends don't seem to notice.

I am here for a blink of an eye. I know it. And this is why I fully appreciate (with love and hate) my time here.  It seems that as much fun as one can have in a place you can't avoid learning a bit (for good or for bad) on your way...