China’s travel agents compete by carving out tours that conform less to Western notions of a grand tour than to the likes and dislikes of their customers. When the Chinese travel industry polls the public on its dream destinations, no place ranks higher than Europe.
It felt as if everyone was getting away, and I decided to join them.
For several millennia, ordinary people in China were discouraged from venturing beyond the Middle Kingdom, but before the recent New Year’s holiday-the Year of the Rabbit began on February 3rd-local newspapers were dense with international travel ads.
