China

Visiting China was not what I expected. The inevitable modernisation of the country is well underway particularly in Beijing. The food was great, especially the dumplings. Finding the old hutongs and wandering through them was fantastic and I feel that I was very lucky that I was able to experience this before they all disappear. Climbing the Great Wall was awe-inspiring.

I enjoyed visiting but my view of China has been shifted by the recent disappearance of a Chinese-Australian writer (which has since been denied) and detention of other prominent dissidents including the artist Ai Weiwei.

Ai Weiwei's beautiful works have been shown extensively in Australian and his installation Sunflower Seeds  is currently on display at the Tate Modern, London. Weiwei's works explore society, culture and history from the perspective of a Chinese dissident. He is now The Artist as Political Hero.

I am not sure if China is high on my list to visit again but I think that the dramatic craggy countryside, terracotta warriors and lights of Shanghai may lure me back.