I don't disagree, but... > It didn’t feel like the hell hole that western media consistently portrays. Tourism is not a reliable way to draw such conclusions.

I don't disagree, but... > It didn’t feel like the hell hole that western media consistently portrays. Tourism is not a reliable way to draw such conclusions. You don't really "know" a person or place until you navigate conflict with them. Feelings are easy to manipulate-- doing so is the premise of all advertising and propaganda. China has modernized with meteoric speed but it is within our lifetimes that the country was ravaged by famine and poverty. It's too soon to tell whether this is a Potemkin village financed by Evergrande or if they legitimately have their shit together.