China (中国; Zhōngguó) is one of the world’s oldest civilizations. Its long and rich history is present in people’s thinking and values, and in the art, architecture, and feats of engineering that remain from dynasties past. After a tumultuous 20th century, China has dramatically re-emerged as an economic powerhouse. Its rapid development has been paralleled by an ascent onto the international stage as a global superpower. Of course there are growing pains when high-rises and factories surge up to dwarf centuries-old pagodas, but there’s also a strong sense of enthusiasm and optimism about what the future holds. If you visit now, you can see the relics of millennia of history and experience the signs of further transformations in progress.