While at a little tea house outside the Forbidden City in Beijing China our host placed a Dragonball tea ball (shown above) in a glass of hot water. Within minutes the ball opened into a beautiful flower. That image stays with me as I reflect on the country of China. Much like that Dragonball until around 20 years ago the country had been closed up, the world not allowed in. However in the late 1980’s the country was opened to the world.All of the beauty and rich history of China is now open and just like the Dragonball tea that you can drink once the flower opens, the world is now flowing into China drinking of its vibrant cultural heritage.

Centuries old trees, gardens, springs, temples still beautifully maintained and revered are visited by tourist of numerous nationalities who flock there throughout the year. From the bustling growing city of Shanghai to the quaint mountain town of Tai’an home of the Holy mountain, Mt. Tai; to the small 2500 year old city of Suzhou also known as the Venice of the East; to the historic city of Cofu, home of Confucius, the famous thinker and philosopher known for his teachings of wisdom; to the beautiful city of Jinan, the capital city of the Shandong Province and also nicknamed City of Springs due to its many Artesian springs some of whom are over 2,000 years old and still springing up; to the wonderful city of Beijing famous as the location of the Great Wall of China as well as other sites China has opened up with so much to show and share.

I spent eleven wonderful days travelling through the places mentioned and more last month. Starting with this post, I will be writing a series entitled “Dragonball” here on my blog to share my reflections, hindsight and revelations received as a result of the trip. Stay tuned. To be continued.