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A world unto itself, The People's Republic of China was spectacular. My travels enabled me to get a glimpse of a unique culture and exposed me to the many different faces of this growing and rapidly changing country. My visit to the mainland's three major—and very different—cities, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing, left me with a more refined view of its society and also illustrated that there is a very different way of life that rests just below the surface of everyday experiences. A rich history, deep-rooted customs, communist government and evolving economy, China was a completely different world that eclipsed my unpresumptuous expectations. There are several advantages of seeing so many cities and countries in succession. Quickly comparing geographies, sites, foods and peoples standout but a lesser realized value is that expectations are properly managed. A city doesn't have to live up to the hype of being singular destination; rather it can reveal itself distinctly. City hopping in China highlighted little differences in the cities that I would not have noticed traveling to them individually, which for me created a mosaic of a country that was, is and a glimpse of one that it will become.

The southern metropolis of Hong Kong began my Chinese experience and pleasantly was much more than I had expected. A former British colony and quite atypical form other Chinese cities, Hong Kong has existed as a very distinct economically and culturally open city for several decades. The resulting modernization, diversity, wealth and continuous growth is evident in a larger western cultural influence, congested skyline and economic heartbeat that pluses throughout the city. A few interesting places I saw were the various antique markets, Hong Kong Museum of Art, The Grand Buddha, The Peak and countless rows of never ending skyscrapers. (HK is home to four of the world's 15 tallest buildings.) I was very fortunate to have one of my buddies, Brian Yang, show me the ropes. For about a week we tore up Hong Kong 's very diverse scene that certainly impressed this New Yorker. The modernization and overall feel of current day Hong Kong, and its further integration into the mainland, in my opinion, will pull China towards a more democratic future. As it exists today this is undoubtedly a city I could live in.

In 1997, after a hundred years of laissez-faire capitalist British rule, Hong Kong was given back to mainland communist China under the condition that for the next 50 years the territory will enjoy a its own economic and political freedoms. Communist China, undergoing its own economic reforms, in the words of Deng Xiaoping, it was “one country, two systems.” Unfortunately, since the handover such freedoms have slowly begun to erode and, in order to gain international attention to the issue, protesters in 2003 staged massive rallies in downtown Hong Kong that took the strict communist government by surprise. The reason for the social studies lesson is I was hopping between the cities exactly one week before the first anniversary of this event and it was fascinating to see the different perspectives in the different Chinese metropolises. (There is more to come on this topic.)

Shanghai was the first stop in true China and it had a completely different feel than Hong Kong . Shanghai, famous (or rather infamous) for its history as being a gateway to Oriental trade at the turn of the last century was a bustling city with tremendous economic autonomy that attracted traders from every corner of the globe. The city's monetary freedoms where only matched by the social and moral ‘freedoms' the province made eternal in the term ‘ Shanghai nights.' In the 1920's American and most European nations set up shop on Shanghai 's famed Bund Street to capitalize on its location along the strategic Yangtze River . The street is a stunning showcase of turn of the century architecture.

However, after the Communist revolution in 1949, when Mao Zedong consolidated China 's rule and put a stop to capitalist investment in the country, the region stalled under strict economic control resulting in decades of minimal growth. Only recently, in the last two decades, has China opened its economic doors and invited growth and modernization to the city. Now with several billions of international investment dollars flowing, the city is modernizing at breakneck speed and can hardly grow quick enough to keep up with the demand. (Exploring the city at times felt like exploring a construction site.) Still, and especially along the Bund, it is amazing to see the dichotomy first hand. On one side of the river an array of magnificent three story buildings with ornate concrete facades. On the other, Pudong, side is a myriad of futuristic glass and steal buildings that look like they belong in a George Jetson cartoon. It is truly a captivating sight. I particularly liked the Jin Mao Building , the fourth tallest building in the world which is complete with a Grand Hyatt on the 56 th through 88 th floors and a spectacular observation deck—this building was impressive and in my mind rivaled my beloved WTC. Other uniquely Shanghai structures that are worth noting worth noting are the phallic Oriental Pearl TV Tower, the Shanghai Art Museum , and the family of buildings that were sprouting up along People's Square.

Another fantastic aspect of this city was the nightlife. I expected the mainland to be more subdued and low key but Shanghai doesn't lack anything from cities like NY, LA, Paris , London , Tokyo , HK or any other place I have ever overpaid for a cocktail. Complete with an abundance of super cool (but less pretentious) Europeans, Americans, South Americans and Asians, nightlife was as cosmopolitan and as fun as any of my favorite haunts with a lot less of the social stresses. On the mainland, the trendy vibe was unexpected and pleasantly hip.

Still, several times I experienced random encounters that reminded me that I was in China , a different world from my own. I could never remember to take off my shoes when I entered someone's house and I rudely grabbed peanuts with my fingers as they came out as appetizers. Another example that this wasn't The States happened while I was watching CNN news reporting on the Hong Kong protests. As the news clip began to air, the commentator beginning his second sentence describing the HK event, the TV went black without sound. Not thinking anything of it I changed channels and received the variety shows and local sitcoms without incident. Upon flipping back and pausing for a moment the black screen gave way to the same commentator just in time to say, “… reporting form Hong Kong Central.” It was the first time in my life I had experienced such blatant censorship first hand. From Communist China to Shanghai nights, I guess old habits have a way of lingering.

Beijing was a more cultural experience. As much as this city is also growing, preparing for the 2008 Olympics, it is not the same as Shanghai 's fervors attempt to create a new Gotham . This country had a deep almost unrivaled history that is evident upon visiting sites such as The Temple of Heaven, Forbidden Palace , Summer Palace , Antique Street and the Great Wall of China . These rich historical and culturally unique attractions authenticated my Chinese experience. I have to admit running up and down the steep slopes of the Great Wall and, on Antique Street , simply having tea and hours of conversation and with locals rank as some of my summer highlights.

I also want to note that Beijing 's food is exceptional; I had Peking Duck four times in seven days. I think over all the nation's capital has the best grub in China . Don't get me wrong the Dim Sum in Hong Kong is the superb and the noodles in Shanghai are exquisite, but when westerners think of Chinese food they rightly think of Beijing food. And as a final note I want to inform my western brethren that fortune cookies don't exist here or anywhere I visited in China.

On a different note, Beijing is to China what Washington , DC is to the U.S.A., the governmental epicenter that projects a totally different kind of power. You could feel the weight of important political and social decisions happening all around you. In the nation's capital and especially Tiananmen Square , the Chinese people exude national pride. Furthermore, regardless of his history of very questionable economic and political leadership, Mao Zedong is a national hero and the Chinese people cannot get enough of him. He has a mausoleum, a two story picture in the center of the capital, his face on every piece of currency, his statue and image, like his little red book, is omnipresent. Mao was seemingly everywhere.

A month getting familiar to the customs and exploring the towns was not nearly enough, I left looking forward to returning to this part of the globe soon.