How China Transforms the U.S. Stock Market
As my adventures here in China draw closer to an end, I want to finish the week with my latest impressions of this amazing country. Tomorrow I will likely touch on both China, and the U.S markets, but for today, my writing is all about China.
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My Trusty Steed Our second full da
y in Jiuzhaigou was spent in a small Tibetan village. After adjusting to the bed we slept in late, a welcome rest that was aided by our long hike and sampling a few local beers. We spent the morning with my brother Reid on an exciting two-hour horse ride through the hills surrounding the village.
Reid and I sported our 10 RMB cowboy hats, each complete with an imprint of a bull. The hats seemed appropriate given the activity and my impression of the Chinese economy. We took a number of great photos of the village below and the beautiful terrain while on the ride. Our horses were led by Tibetan women wearing Nike shoes and clothes, another reminder of the effects of globalization and reach of Western culture.
Mountain-view on our ride 
Later in the day we began a Tibetan cooking class with our host's brother; he is also the chef at a local restaurant that recently received accolades in Lonely Planet. We made Yak and potato curry served over rice, tomato and Yak soup, as well as a mushroom dish – all cooked over an indoor wood stove. And yes, the Yak was tasty.
We spent our evening in the common room of the home. This room hosts the cooking stove as well. There is a separate kitchen where food prep is done, but the cooking itself is in the brightly painted living room. We enjoyed the company of a British couple who were also staying in the home, and shared travel stories and our impressions of China.
The next morning we woke early and packed up. Before leaving, we went upstairs to a prayer room where "mama" (the mother of our host) said a prayer and wished us safe travels. The prayer room is neatly decorated, with brightly painted walls with burning incense.
We then headed back to the airport and boarded our flight to Chengdu, where my brother Reid is living…
Our river view room at the Shangri-la in Chengdu was extremely comfortable, especially as compared to the accommodations in the Tibetan village. The Shangri-la is truly a five star hotel, with comfortable beds, outstanding service, great views, and world class restaurants. For $160 one gets an amazing room that would easily go for $500 in New York City.
View of Chengdu from our hotel room
After checking into our hotel we took a cab to Reid's neighborhood and walked to his favorite local dinner spot. We sat in a private room and met many of Reid's friends, a diverse group of Westerners from the U.S., New Zealand, and the U.K.
The family style dinner for ten people with what seemed like an unlimited supply of beer cost only 300 RMB, roughly $40.
Food and local beer is very affordable in this country, especially if you're willing to try the local restaurants where waiters don't speak English and the menu is written in Chinese. In many ways the cultural experience is worth paying extra for, but I'm not complaining. This restaurant didn't even have a bathroom - what passed as a 'local option' bathroom was actually located across the street in a different building!
There is no doubt that Western culture has arrived in China
The weather has been consistently nice, and warm. However, with the exception of our time in Jougaizou, we have only seen blue sky on two of the fourteen days we've been in the country. Pollution is most definitely an issue. The cities are built in valleys and are surrounded by hills and mountains. Their location, coupled with large amounts of pollution, mean the skies are cloudy and smoggy most of the time. We'll be happy to get home and enjoy the clean air and blue skies of rural Vermont.
The big site to see in Chengdu is the panda center. This world class facility breeds and raises both giant pandas and red pandas, and has successfully bred over 140 of the endangered animals – a significant feat given the animals lack of sexual interest.
Most of our time in Chengdu was spent relaxing and hanging out with Reid, his friends, and his Chinese girlfriend Tein-Quin. It's been fun seeing where Reid lives, and to experience a little bit of his life in China.
Out next adventure is a trip on the Yangtze River. This river is literally transforming China, both because of trade expansion and because of dam construction. The Three Gorges Dam is located on the river and is the world's largest hydropower project. I will bring you an update soon.
About the Author
Ian Wyatt is a co-founder and President of Business Financial Publishing and the Chief Investment Strategist and Publisher of SmallCapInvestor.com and SmallCapInvestor.com PRO.
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