The miracle of China, from a poor bicycle nation and one style army uniformed billion people under the Maoist regime into the top economic power.The genius of the late Deng Xia Ping shooked the pillars of Lenninist communism and embraced the West's Capitalist System of Economy, while still safeguarding the communist political system, thereby preventing anarchy as what happenned in Russia, has propelled China to an incredible transformation to catch up with the West and Japan in just very short years. I believe China will turn fully politically democratic but in their own timetable. For the meantime, the focus is towards the economic infrastructure, wealth and modernization, as examples of these buildings below, designed by the Architectural World Who's who, including Foster, Herzog, ARUP , which if not for the slanty eyed people in the background, you would think the landscape could've been Chicago or Munich.
ALL BUILDING PHOTOS BELOW ARE SCANNED IMAGES FROM ARCHITECTURAL RECORD, ISSUE 07-2008
PLEASE CLICK TO ENLARGE)
Chicago?
The Modern Olympus
Inside the Birdnest
The Steel Bird Nest- Night View
The first 1/2k mile
The other half 5k
The Pagoda Blasphemy
"But for the romantic architect fool that I am, If ever I would have a chance to visit China, I would rather stay, study in detail, admire the symmetry, the colour and passion of the ...
...the true Chinese character of The Pagoda!" ,
and if only to dream, accompanied by the most beautiful Chinese Geisha, Zhang Ziyi! 
MonkeyPie
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China certainly is fascinating, more now than ever with its juxtaposition of style, tradition and economy. I'm going there in September- I had hoped to see the bird's nest myself but Beijing will be difficult to get into.. so I'm sticking to Shanghai and the southern provinces instead. I'm sure it'll be just as rewarding!
Actually, it's funny- all this renewed construction is raising serious environmental issues. I was looking into a PhD focussed on sustainable mass housing in China. It's all quite interesting- like having a clean slate for well planned cities.
If I see Zhang Ziyi when I'm there, I shall pass on your regards