Q. Every society honors its own heritage. But how can you tell what that is?
A. Pay attention to the traditions that the society holds on to. Look at the origins of its government. And notice how it relates, as a society, to the rest of the world. Take the case of China, for example....

SPECIAL REPORT
Setting: A classroom in Maryland
Characters: Mrs. Bonn, a teacher; students Amy and John Lee; other students, including Bobby, Isa, and Drew

MEMORIES
Mrs. Bonn: Welcome to the World Cultures Book Club! Usually, at our meetings, we discuss books about various cultures. But today, we have a special treat. Amy and John Lee recently visited their uncle in China. And today, they're going to tell us about that visit. Amy?
Amy: Thank you, Mrs. Bonn.... Before we begin, Johnny is handing out copies of a map of China. Notice the line around the east-central region.
John: That's the region where we traveled. It's called "China Proper," and it's where China's civilization began, thousands of years ago.
Amy: We're also giving you copies of notes from our travel journals. Why don't you take a few minutes, now, to read through the map and notes....
John: Okay? Is everybody ready? Are there any questions?
Drew: Yes. Why didn't you travel through western China?
Amy: We had only 21 days, and China is as big as the USA! But Dad talks about going to Xinjiang, next time. Xinjiang is in the west, in the same part of China as the Taklimakan Desert. Our uncle said it has mountains and beautiful oases. But there's a lot of building going on there, too. China is putting in big oil pipelines and lots of new roads.

IMPRESSIONS
John: In fact, now that China's people have so many cars, new roads are opening up everywhere. On one train trip, we spotted five construction crews.
Amy: The government is also planting thousands of acres of trees, to stop soil erosion and reduce air pollution....
John: It's like the new "Green Wall" of China!
Amy: Yes! The People's Republic of China (PRC) — that's China's formal name — is really into environmental protection (EP). But our uncle says that EP takes a lot of money, and so do China's welfare programs. Some Chinese farmers are very, very poor.
Isa: I'm confused.... Your descriptions of China's cities make the country sound modern. But you kept on visiting ancient sites.... You say that Chinese farmers are poor, but Shanghai sounds wealthy. Which is the "real" China?
John: I think my uncle would say it's all those things. China's economy is growing and changing very quickly. And a lot of people are taking new kinds of jobs in high-tech industries. When a country goes through that kind of change, some older types of jobs disappear, and people get laid off.
Amy: But no matter how much the economy changes, China's people seem very proud of their cultural history. China was an empire for thousands of years. And Uncle Ru says the people won't abandon that rich heritage, even though the age of emperors has passed....

QUESTIONS
Isa: .... No more emperors?
Mrs. Bonn: Let's be sure we know the background! Three points: (a) China's last emperor was forced to give up his throne in 1912. (b) Chinese leaders then formed a republic, but it was torn apart by two long wars — a war with Japan and a civil war. (c) In 1949, the Communist Party of China won the civil war, and that's when the PRC was formed....
Amy: Oh, thanks, Mrs. Bonn!
Bobby: John, Amy said that the Chinese people won't abandon their heritage. But didn't they do that, when they formed a Communist government?
John: Let me share a story with you. One night during our trip, Dad asked Uncle Ru how he feels when outsiders criticize China for not being a democracy. Uncle Ru thought for a long time. Then he said: "Well, actually, China's villages do have democratic elections. But let me answer you another way. I recently gave John and Amy a riddle: How does the Great Wall show that Chinese culture is both old and new?" Dad asked what the riddle means, and my uncle said: "Same Wall, different role! The Wall was built to keep invaders out. But now we invite tourists in, to admire it. Similarly: No matter what role China's government plays, it will always reflect China's culture. That's very important, in China...."
Isa: Your uncle sounds like a philosopher! Do you think he'll ever come to the USA?
Amy: I'm not sure. But his son is coming to Washington, DC, next year, to attend college. Maybe we can invite him here, to one of our meetings!...
Mrs. Bonn: He would be most welcome. Tell him that! Thank you, Amy and John!

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