Dear China,

1. Please allow free ownership of land in your country. Right now, people can only own the building above the land, but not the land itself. Tea farmers cannot sell their land if they want to change their life, or maybe pursue another career. This lack of freedom to let people follow their passions can only hurt your economy. Not to mention the hurt that comes from not letting your land be distributed by market forces.

A beautiful vista of tea fields in China. Want to buy the fields? Too bad, you can't, they are property of the People's Republic of China. You could buy the tea plants, but not the land. Hmmm could this mixed incentive system cause problems? In the valley at the bottom right of the photo there is a village recently renovated by the Chinese government. The government forced the village to renovated because they are in a touristical area. The residents had to no choice to renovate, had no choice in the design, and had to pay 50% of the cost. Freedom? Yeah right.

2. Do not force people to upgrade their homes and pay half of the renovation fee just because they live in a touristical area. When I was traveling in China I met a tea farmer who was facing this exact dilemma. "Do you like the idea of a renovation?" I asked. "What choice do I have?" he answered. Please give people free choice in how to make their homes no matter where they live.

3. Stop all central planning and end all government owned corporations. In case you have not noticed yet, trying to plan your economy, and state owned corporations, are far less efficient than free market forces and entities. Quite often, in fact, central planning is destructive. The other day here in San Francisco I met a traffic planner who gave an MBA course in Stanford to a host of Chinese mayors. They were trying to figure out how to re-create the Silicon Valley in China. Well, here is a clue, traffic flows and city design is not the key to recreating the Silicon Valley. Giving your economy greater openess, and people greater trust in their government will! Which takes me to points 4 and 5.

4. Stop regulating advertising in your country. A lot of people may not know that China heavily regulates marketing and advertising materials. Marketing and advertising is essential to a young industry and to the growth of new brands and business.

5. Allow for the free flow of information. OK, sure you argue that all countries censor to some degree, especially with the recent U.S. effort to block wikileaks. But can you cut the freakin' crap please?!?! Blocking wikileaks is one thing, blocking websites like Facebook, Youtube, Skype, Wikipedia, and Twitter is quite another. Do you know that Facebook is more than a website? That it is actually a marketplace? An economy in itself? That there are hundreds of millions of dollars made selling apps and games on top of Facebook. That there is such a thing as Facebook Connect? And that Facebook is now integrated on hundreds of millions of websites across the web? Do you really think your economy can prosper when you block websites like this? Do you think your shameless copies of RenRen (Facebook) and Youku (Youtube) can really compete when they are so heavily censored? Just open up already! Give your college students to ability to go to websites that don't end in .cn!

6. Give your people more than one banking card. Right now you only operate under Union Pay. Whereas the rest of the world has Visa, Mastercard, American Express and on and on. Is it really good to only have one player in this game? Please, please, please learn that competition is good for markets. Please?

7. Stop controlling commerce with your receipt system. For anyone engaging in business in China you have to get a quota of receipts that more or less cap the amount of sales you can have. Of course, their is a huge black market to make receipts and often times, you do not even get a receipt. The system is already being circumvented, why do you keep it? WHY?

8. End the hukou system and let your people freely migrate to whatever city in your country they want to. I mean, come on, how bad is the disparity in your country between rural and urban areas when you actually have a permit system to control where people live. Do I need a permit if I want to move from San Francisco to go live in Chicago, or New York City? What a joke! This is no doubt a miserable scar of communism. Maybe you need to let it heal, but for the love of your economy, your people, and everyone's prosperity, please end it as soon as possible.

9. Please don't hack my email, attack me, arrest me (or people like me), for criticizing your system of government. If you need proof of this, see the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Winner, or learn about the 2010 Gmail Hack.

How much does China have to grow to have the same GDP per capita as the U.S.?

Right now The U.S. has a GDP of around 14 Trillion and China has a GDP of 10 Trillion.
The U.S. has a GDP per capita (person) of ~47,000 (11th in the world).
China has a GDP per capita of $7,400 (128th in the world, just behind Algeria)
That is 6.35 times lower than the average American.

So, China needs to grow its economy 6.35 times to have the same GDP per Cap or standard of living as the U.S.
That is a GDP of ~60 trillion. Great! I hope they get there. I really do, because contrary to popular belief the world will be a better place when every country is developed and contributing to innovation, health care, and a sustainable environment. Also, just because China will have a bigger GDP than the U.S. does not mean it will lead in terms of innovation, or entertainment. Right now, the E.U. and the Rest of the World (if you will) has a higher GDP, but you do not see U.S. influence shrinking. Incentives and government structure really matters. A lot. So China will have to be a completely open and free China if it is ever going to lead. I certainly hope it gets there sooner rather than later.

Osaka view at night.

Think Global. Act Japanese.

Bling bling.

Noodle place.

Boat tour on the river.

Time capsule from a world expo in the 70s.

Museum.

The moat and a building outside Osaka Castle.

Going to the castle.

Osaka Castle.

Octopus inside this kind of balled pancake is a traditional food in Osaka.

The final product! Tastes a bit like octopus pancakes with soy sauce.

Osaka castle.

View of the city from the top of the castle.

A Ferris wheel type attraction to see the city.

We buy our 500 yen tickets from an automatic vending machine. Everything is by automatic vending machine in Japan, and why not? I think selling tickets is not that pleasant a job, and with 3-4 machines, there is hardly any line...

View of Osaka from the wheel.

Another view.

and another view...

After the ride.

Going to the sky building, which has an escalator leading to a panoramic vista of the city. The Japanese are fond of this apparently.

Those two bars running across the roof are escalators!

This is what they look like up close.

On the roof they have this kind of glow lighting on the floors for romantic effect.

The city at night.

Poster of the building.

Another poster view, I think the architecture is fantastic.

Osaka by day.

Pickled vegetables.

Even more!

Dragon statue inside a temple.

Very cool.

This is what a sewer cover looks like in Japan!

Mall.

Going to a nearby beach for the day.

Osaka sun.

A cool indoor mall.

Another Ferris wheel on the way to the Osaka aquarium.

Inside the Osaka aquarium.

Penguins.

Fish! (Anchovies)

Big fish! (Whale shark)

View of the sunset from the pier.

Sunset in the land of the rising sun.

The rising sun on the way to the airport and to Hong Kong.

Japan rail conductor who made announcements then bowed to everyone in the train.

Sunrise.

Tea scene in the Osaka airport.

and so it is farewell to Japan. Farewell to trains that go everywhere at anytime, farewell to great sushi, farewell to great, I mean great, toilet systems and baths, farewell to clean, neat, orderliness, farewell to history, farewell to a magic culture. Think Global, Act Japanese.

Now life is living you! Wish I new what the rest of the sign says...

A traditional Geisha statue, you see people dressed like this around Kyoto, particularly in the neighborhood of Gion which retains a lot of the traditional feel of Kyoto and it's past with Geishas.

This. is. Kyoto.

Fushimi Inari shrine, with so many orange gates!

Most of the gates had dates on them for when they were built or installed.

Writing I cannot yet read.

View from the top of the shrine.

A typical shrine, there were a lot of statues of foxes.

View of Kyoto.

Entrance and exit gate to Fushimi Inari shrine.

Japan is really really good at trains.

Look at the retractable shades to cover the sidewalk. Awesome!

Temple on the same street photographed above!

River along the famous philosophers walk of Kyoto.

Lots and lots of paper cranes.

Walking towards Gion.

Street view of historical Gion where a lot of the upscale bars and nightlife is located in Kyoto.

Another view.

Fans!

The river which denotes the border of Gion.

The Golden Temple. As far as I could read and tell, this temple is really plated with gold!

Going to the Imperial Palace.

And that was the last stop for Kyoto, next is Osaka, a mere 30 minute train ride away on the Shinkansen line.

Restaurant.

Japanese style meal. Bean sprouts, soup, tofu! Notice the order and neatness, that will be something of a trend.

Kamata subway.

Tokyo from the city Municipal Building which was completely free and even gave handy neighborhood by neighborhood guides of Tokyo.

Around Tokyo.

Tokyo University.

Rainbow bridge.

View of Tokyo from Rainbow bridge.

Rainbow bridge.

View from the far side of the bridge after walking across.

Rainbow bridge from the boardwalk.

Mochi ^_^ A Japanese glutenous rice desert.

Shopping street.

Indoor "fresh air" type mall popular in Japan, and an all round good decision in my opinion.

Shopping streets with retractable shades in the roof. There are shades everywhere in Japan. I think one of the main reasons is that being pale is equated to beauty in Japan, so people take pains to avoid the sun.

Asakusa temple, was bombed in WWII but is now mostly rebuilt and beautiful.

Another view.

and another view...

I don't know why, but they dress statues here...

Gates. Simplicity is beauty.

Zhao Ying in the temple. The matted floors are clean, novel, and comfortable.

More of the temple.

Mat floors! Paper windows! Beauty!

Food mall inside the subway.

Endless consumerism via automation describes Japan well, and it is great!

Authentic sushi in Kamata which is a good residential neighborhood to get the real deal. This sushi was awesome!

Festival!

Gates!

Barrels of Saki, older than WWII!

Temple square.

Japanese wedding procession at the temple. The temples in Japan are still in use!

Hello!....Kitty!

Crepes have taken off in Japan!

The Disney Store near Shibuya Crossing.

Shibuya crossing, a kind of shopping district and mass transit convergence stop.

Around Shibuya Crossing.

Inside an expo center.

Shinjuku electric market. (I think)

Temple in the city!

Gates!

I think this is near Ueno.

There are some immigrant businesses in Japan, and their Japanese is pretty good too!

Religious festival!

This is the standard model toilet for Japan. There was one in Osaka that even lifted the seat for your automatically!

Monorail!

Japanese trains = art.

Paper craines.

Coy!

Prayers and wishes as offerings.

Scene.

The religious festival continues with food sales and a fair type atmosphere not unlike the States.

And so we left Tokyo to go to Kyoto. There was no rush to do this since there is a train from Tokyo to Kyoto every 10 minutes! The trip took about 2.5 hours and some photos will be posted in the next post.

The skyline from a taxi. (Cost of taxi ride 5 USD for 30 minutes)

Every Chinese tourist attraction has some monument with big characters and every, EVERY, Chinese gets their photo taken with it.

Point in case.

Buddha.

In a cave!

More caves!

This one is famous.

This was on a wall inside a temple and was simply amazing. Tons and tons of carvings of many Buddhas. All of them told a story.

Some ceremony, but due to China being an atheist state, it was difficult not to be cynical.

Later we went to see some tea fields, but got side tracked off the bus by someone promising to show us the real thing. After sampling some teas for sale at his house, he delivered on the promised tour, and then after about 1000 steps of hiking we took in the view.

This is the lake Hangzhou is famous for and man was it pretty.

Hangzhou is a famous  town for its sites, and also for its beautiful girls, but our impromptu guide from the bus told us all the pretty girls married foreigners and left...I was leaving mainland too after 5+ months in China.

Part of me cannot help but feel like China is a dangerous place. Like if you stayed long enough
you would start to believe the government angle. Believe that it is OK to have
censorship since it is for the good of the country, believe that Tibet is a part of
China and it is for their own good, believe that it was stupid for Google to leave
China...etc...because at its heart, China is one big community, and most of the Chinese people love it like a religion, like something they put their blind faith into and gets them through their day, but deep deep down, their mistrust and doubts lay like lava in a volcano.

Anyway, I was going to Japan, a place where motorcycles, cars, and buses actually stop at pedestrian crossings, and dark chocolate could be found at any stores. But I would come to miss the crazy chaotic buzz of China...in fact, I still do...

Top of the street in our neighborhood which is close to many tourist
attractions.

View of the rooftops from the hotel. I would also like to suggest
that you can see the heat.

Inside Lion Grove Garden which is a world heritage site.

These three men symbolize wealth, longevity, and happiness (or prosperity).

A pond in the garden.

This is a stone boat in the garden which is actually a bit
like being in a real boat.

A bridge going across the pond.

The Rock Garden/Maze, that despite being
rather compact, is easy to get lost in.

Signs attached to the tree.

View from the top of the rock garden.

A canal street.

A Water Lily in the Garden of Cultivation.

Ducks kept by the lake.

Another view of the garden.

Woman collecting and selling lily flower bulbs, the seeds of which
can be eaten.

A view of all the lilies.

Another canal view.

A pagoda in a different park.

The park.

A canal runs through it.

Just another great sign translation.

A very pretty wood engraved board which had to be hidden
during the cultural revolution or it would have been destroyed.

Grapes hanging from the vine.

View inside the garden.

The tower.

Steps to climb up.

Looking down from the top.

A dragon made out of hedges.

An authentic Gondola from Venice, Italy, given to Suzhou
in recognition of the cities canals, and also because Suzhou is a sister
city to Venice.

Garden view inside the tower.

View from a castle in the garden. The first gate could
be broken leading the enemy into a deep area. Another gate could then
be lowered behind trapping them.

A view from the lake across the garden.

That is all for Suzhou, an interesting and historical city in mainland China.
All cities in mainland China seem to have a distinct charm in a way
that cities can in developing countries where hegemony is not so
universal or easy. Next is Hangzhou, nearby Suzhou and the last
stop in mainland China.

Shanghai Pudong International Airport (Bright and Clean for the World Expo)

Tescos is in China!

A street view of Shanghai.

Another view of Shanghai with its clear blue skies.

Lily flower seeds are on sale now, these are the remains of the big lilies you see on the lake.

View of the Bund, a big shopping street in Shanghai with European Architecture.

Another example of European Architecture

The Bund again.

Walking down the the Harbor view. 很多人。

Toward the Shanghai skyline with its (sometimes tragic) art deco style.

The Shanghai coast.

The Shanghai skyline again.

There are many European style buildings on this side of the harbor.

People on an escalator to the sky in Shanghai.

Within a garden temple in Shanghai.

The dragon wall.

Another view.

The God of Wealth.

A temple employee productively passing the time.

At the Shanghai expo, every country has their own design, which is often extravagant, sleek, or both.

Solar car at the Dutch Pavilion.

The Zimbabwe Pavilion, my childhood nation, an information display on the inside stated that pottery fragments from China dating back to 1000 years ago were found at Great Zimbabwe and this finding suggests Chinese-Zimbabwe relations started long ago.

Each pavilion had a token stamp (or visa) that could be placed into a Expo Passport. Chinese people lined up in droves to get these visas, perhaps after generations of difficulties with being able to obtain them otherwise.

Brunei Darussalam, my favorite country of the expo and one of the richest in East Asia after discovering oil in Borneo.

The China Pavilion which requires waiting in line at 5 a.m. to get a pass to wait in line for hours to even enter. As a result, I did not go.

The Lebanon Pavilion which focused on Lebanon's Phoenecian origins and presented the many sleek and beautiful things that are Lebanese.

Don't forget about Tajikistan!

The seed garden exhibit at the British Pavilion which housed thousands of seeds.

The Shanghai Oriental Pearl Tower

View from the top with a glass floor.

Cathedral in Shanghai.

Waiting area for China's new fast rail service, which still sells standing tickets.

After Shanghai we traveled to Suzhou a town home to many UNESCO world heritage sites and the subject of the next post.

Dried fish products of all type and variety (including Shark fin) are available
in this city...

Like all vacation towns, you can find novel crafts and memoirs, I was
particularly taken by this penguin made entirely out of seashells.

View of Qindao Harbor

Second view of Qindao Harbor

Chinese beach. There is a lot of this kind of green seaweed. Also, Coca cola
predominates in China.

Here is piles of the seaweed collected, which seems to be a daily
task in Qingdao. Armies of labor hauling away seaweed, garbage,
or other things on wagons and carts is still a common occurrence in China.

A view of the common side of Qingdao.

Seaside view leading off to a lighthouse island cultivated by the German's
during their occupation.

Submarine at the Chinese navel history museum.

Statue placed by the Germans on aforementioned lighthouse island.

China...

View inside Laoshan (Old Mountain) Park.

The Ying and Yang symbol predominates in this park, and symbolizes the
Dao Jiao religion. A religion created on the teaching of Lao Tsu and his great
work the Tao Te Jing

Huge Buddhist statue in the Indian style...

Indian style gates...

Another large stone statue.

Inside the temple.

Big Chinese characters carved everywhere. The Chinese like that...

Church left by the Germans, where many many wedding couples now take
their photo. In fact you see quite a few Chinese wearing crosses in Qingdao,
but how regulated their religion is by the government is unknown. The Chinese
like to face that they are open about religion...Indeed there are churches in
Beijing where Chinese can go, but the messages they deliver are pre-approved. ;)

Chinese style: Do not cut the tree, just build the wall around it.

View of the beach from a point of vantage.

Frankly quite cool and weird graphics for China...

German style great house, where Mao himself vacationed one summer. Pay a few
and enter to see his bed and writing desk.

A last view of Qingdao beach before boarding a plane to Shanghai. This photo
makes Qingdao look sleek and modern, but it is not. At the heart of it, it is
another tourist beach town, charming, picturesque, full of distractions and curiosities.
If it came to it, I would come back for another vacation.