China

You know China is very different pretty much as soon as you cross the border. The geography and climate between southeastern Russian and northeastern China is obviously very similar, but the use of land and the buildings are very different. The old buildings follow a recognizably Chinese style, and the new buildings contrast sharply with the general disrepair of Russian buildings. The first full day on the train through China you could see the waterfields, with people still carefully planting sprouts at 6 in the evening. If Russia was a contrast of the colorful with the drab, China is a sharp contrast of traditional with modern.
Beijing itself is a perfect example. There's so much construction and so many new buildings that almost gleam through the dust clouds on Wangfujing street. At the same time, you can't go very far without encountering a historical site or older buildings with the traditional stone walls and tile roofs. Another seemingly ubiquitous part of the scenery are the many police. I'm still not sure if that makes me feel more or less safe, and how it affects the local citizens.
One of the nicest things to see is how everyday people enjoy their historical monuments and parks. It's not at all uncommon to go to the Summer Palace on the weekend with your family to take a nice leisurely walk and enjoy an ice cream, or to go the Temple of Heaven and relax in the walkway by singing or playing games with your friends. It's not a history lesson or an obligation, it's their culture and their home environment, and they are very comfortable in it. We have parks in the U.S., but I can't really imagine anyone grabbing a book and sitting on the steps of the Lincoln memorial for an afternoon to relax.
The city retains its color at night as well, which gives it a very lively atmosphere. However, going in search of true Chinese night-life is an interesting enterprise. Without a decent command of the language or a better knowledge of the city, it's easy to get sucked into a rather expensive tourist-heavy bar. It is disappointingly easy to find meccas of western culture, english songs, english captions, and english clothes. The modern style obviously must be Chinese since it occurs here in China, but I can't help feeling sometimes that much of it is a version of Western style not very subtly stretched into a pop culture frame for Asian youth.
The people themselves overall are much more down to earth than the Russians, with easy smiles and sometimes much more casual clothing (especially young childeren lol). You just have to be careful that a few bad experiences in a shopping market or with a dishonest driver don't ruin your perception.
China also has a rich and interesting history that's easier in some ways to access then Russia, but also more difficult. There are many signs in English, but a sign only tells you so much and not often many subtleties about cultural references or more interesting historical stories about individuals.
Overall China is much more colorful, open, and accessible than Russia. But they are both such different countries and cultures that most comparisons are completely unfair and pointless. China in its own right is definitely a sight to see, but to really experience "China" is something not all Westerns are able or even encouraged to do.

When walking the streets of Beijing, it is exactly how I pictured China to look and feel- if not even better. The culture is amazing. The architecture and the temples we have seen so far are absolutely beautiful. I'm curious if the fact that us coming the summer before the 2008 Olympics helped because of all the restoration projects to improve the look of the city. Aside from the older buliding in the traditional style, it's interesting to see the modern buildings with unique but distinctively Chinese designs. I really enjoy how the city is set up, especially with the lakes and the surrounding buildings. These smaller areas of shops and restaurants, as well as parks, help to make the city seem less overwhelming in size.

Beijing is...WOW.

It is truly unbelievable to be sitting in the midst of this enormous, booming, modern city, that has really only become what it is within the last 10-20 years. The people here, I must say, are overall much more friendly and enthusiastic than those of Russia, and I feel much more at ease here for some reason. In Russia, we all seemed to notice that smiling was a rarity, and while it may not seem like a big deal, it really makes a big contribution to the effect the city has upon you. In China, people smile--alot, at that--and it really makes for a much more positive atmosphere.

Of course, it is puzzling to me because while I feel happier here, I am very well aware of some dark undertones as well. Police are everywhere, and I still can't help but feel uneasy that in Tienamen Square, not a single sign memorializes or even acknlowedges the tragedy that occurred there. So, there is yet again, just as in Moscow, a contrast. I suppose contrast is everwhere, but these two cities certainly serve as great examples.

The history in this city is remarkable, and I love that the amazing buildings and palaces of the past are intact and in such great shape. Of course, this makes for quite a swarm of tourists nearly every famous place one goes, but it is quite worth the business to see such sites. And, most of all, I cannot wait for our trip to the Great Wall!

Overall, the experience here in Beijing has been incredibly positive--the people, the sites, the sounds, the food, and just the overall feeling. I can't wait to see how it compares to Mongolia...

Before arriving in Beijing, I had very little interest in China, even when understanding its economic importance. Now that I've seen big, crazy Beijing, however, I'm much more interested.

The contrasts between Moscow and Beijing are the first things that struck me. In Beijing, you can smile at strangers and it's not creepy. There are restaurants, bars, and general activity everywhere. Everything is CHEAP. There are SO MANY people! In Moscow, streets are often empty, and it's hard to find a reasonable restaurant you can afford.

Beijing still has many obvious problems. There are very poor people everywhere collecting trash and harassing Americans. Many people are trying to sell you something, but it's really more like begging. The city is very dirty, and it's been making me a little sick. My lungs feel clogged, and bug bites are turning into really nasty problems.

Furthermore, much of the development in preparation for the 2008 Olympics is somehow disturbing. The government is bulldozing much of "old Beijing" (read: the real Beijing) and replacing it with Western-looking structures. They've repainted the Forbidden City and other culture attractions, which makes them look more like Disney World and less like a serious historic artifact. I will be very interested to see how the world perceives Beijing during the Olympics. I have the feeling that the Chinese government will not be able to hide every problem.

The economy here confuses me. I see a lot of activity in Beijing, but the train ride through the countryside revealed a deep poverty right below the country's shiny surface. When I get back to the United States, I'm going to do a lot of reading.

The fun thing about entering China by train is border crossing day: two six-hour stints on either side of the border getting your passports checked and your bags poked through and waiting in the train station. In the Russian station everyone (not just our group...everyone) looked down in the dumps: worn out, soggy from the weather, hungry, grouchy. There wasn't much food available, little room to walk around, the border patrol was full of sullen young Russians who looked more like hooligans than law enforcement.

The minute we stepped into the Chinese station, the atmosphere changed. Everyone around us was smiling, laughing, drinking. The station was much more open, cleaner; there were shops, there was food, even the ramen for sale was better. The women of the Russian train staff were cheerfully buying scarves on the second floor.

Beijing had the same sort of instantly favorable impression on me. The city's bright and full of life, the weather good and hot. It's easy to get around -- taxis everywhere if nothing else, though most of the cab drivers don't seem to have a clue as to where our hotel is. We're very near to the Forbidden City and Tian'anmen Square, which is convenient. People are generally pleasant and helpful, and there hasn't been as much staring as the warnings led me to expect there would be (aside from a group of high school students passing through Peking University snapping photos with their cameraphones and shouting "Hello! Hello!" -- the one English word everyone seems to know here, even the tiny two-year-old girl we passed in the Summer Palace). Shopping here is like a sport, temples and palaces are huge and gorgeous, good food is beyond reasonably priced -- it's downright cheap -- and incredibly varied. We like the eggplant.