As I passed between under the mustard yellow arch, the world transformed from seedy streets to the oasis of the Jade Buddha. Past the entrance man-sized urns imprisoned flames and spewed ash, enabling worshipers to light reeds of incense which they used to pray to Asian gods carved in wood, melted out of metal and chipped out of Jade. Yellow robed monks patiently sat watching the worshipers be photographed by the intruding tourists that paid no reverence to the unfamiliar icons. Cleverly designed for all visitors, Buddhists found peace and tourists found site and the opportunity to pay numerous tithes for the privilege.

From the temple I caught a tour of Shanghai that included the Yuyuan Garden, an ornate estate that has since been transformed into a magnet for tourists; the old town, where the locals congregate in mass to eat, buy food and socialize; the Bund, a promenade with a view of the glittering downtown Pudong quarter; and the French Concession, where the birthplace of Chinese Communism has been transformed into a chic promenade that smells of capitalism.

After learning more about Chinese society, it’s become quite clear that communism in it's pure or traditional form is not the appropriate classification for their nation. Rather, it appears that their economic system is a; socialist version of capitalism; the state runs more public industries than the government does in the US, but the citizens have a structure in which they can be enterprising and obtain disproportionate wealth. And the political decision-making appears totalitarian in nature; the governing body, the Communist Party, unilaterally makes decisions and remains unchecked.

Our tour group was small and our guide offered telling comments about the perspective of the citizenry. She wanted to have access to websites and more information than was available, but found it hard to comment about the inaccuracy of the media they do have access to. "Why does CNN think it knows more about our country than we do. We call it China Negative News."

Trash cans appear to be a Western innovation. Individuals at terminals or other public venues are expected to hold waste until they encounter someone making a collection, often identified by the trash bag that they are carrying. However, spotless streets, sidewalks and terminal floors confirm that this technique is effective; the locals must have deep pockets, as there are few trash people.

Desert winds carried the dust from the barren patches between buildings into the toxic air, creating a concoction that seared by eyes throughout the day making them a patriotic Chinese red and ensuring that I ended my night a bit early.