"Going East for the First Time" China by Freddiexpat

During my travels I had always wanted to travel to the eastern hemisphere and finally it was time to make this trip. Several reasons motivated me to make this journey of discovery, most of them to do with myself and my life. It was time to take some time out from the mundane life of work and relationships etc. So I decided to take this oppertunity to accept an invite to Tibet for the dedication of a new Buddhist temple (once in a life time occasion) and visit the school there as well. So the plan was hatched and we would go via China.
Little did I know upon arrival in Shanghai in the midst of a monsoon season storm of what was to come.
Picture of Shanghai International Airport (Pudong) and aircraft waiting to be processed for take off as we wait for docking to the terminal building during the storm.

It is late at night and still raining here but not nearly as bad as Shanghai. Was this an omen or not? Still an impessive drive in through the rain.
This is the fourth most important hub in China and we found it to be a lovely city and it is home to the Panda.

Monks on the road to the monestry

Tibet is divided into three seperate regions now and all are under chinese control. To summerise, Central/Western Tibet under direct governership, Eastern autonmous region, and then there is the areas that have been assimulated into China.
This was such an amazing place and one that blew my breath away. It is certainly the most spiritual place i have ever been to. Respect!

• Pros:So much happening! So fast and so good, But
• Cons:will all this change destroy the beauty and culture?
• In a nutshell:Never judge a book by its cover - a great example!