Myanmar: Forward or Stuck

The Lady: Aung San Suu Kyi 

The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Myanmar is probably Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese Nobel Peace Prize laureate and democracy advocate. Before coming to Myanmar, I watched two powerful films, The Lady and They Call It Myanmar. They both stressed the grand impact the Aung San family have had in Myanmar’s history and how large of a role Suu Kyi still plays in the politics of this suffering nation. Now under loosened military rule, Myanmar was once closed off from the world by self-isolation and harsh economic sanctions and is still suffering from the effects. The poorest people in Southeast Asia and a victim of harsh, tyrannical military-rule, Myanmar’s population looked to Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter Aung San, the late general who gained Myanmar’s independence, to bring the country freedom. Suu Kyi sacrificed her personal life – not being there to watch her children grow up and her husband die – for her country. She founded the National League for Democracy and gathered the trust and support of a nation pleading for change. Unfortunately, the military government was afraid of her power and influence, jailing her supporters and putting her under house arrest for a total of 15 years over the course of 21 years. Throughout her adult life, she has worked tirelessly for the freedom of the Burmese people and plans to run for president in the elections this October (2015). Although she is by far the most popular and worthy candidate, she may not be able to run. Suu Kyi already won an election while under house arrest and was not allowed to take office due to an arbitrary rule stating that those married to foreigners may not be president. Even though her husband passed away, this rule has yet to be changed, thus Suu Kyi’s possible presidency is, unfortunately, still in question.

Drugs in Myanmar

While the military government of Myanmar is corrupt and evil in most areas, they have a clear and strict policy on drug control. Myanmar, a part of the “Golden Triangle” of East Asia, is the 2^nd highest producer of heroin - after Afghanistan - and also produces and sells large amounts of cocaine and opium. According to our guide, the government has established a very harsh punishment on possession of these drugs, sentencing a user to 6 years of jail time for 1 gram of the drug and capital punishment for dealing drugs. However, due to corruption, the drug trade still goes on. The government rarely catches rich and famous people because they have “contacts” and can easily escape the laws. 

The British colonizers first hooked the Chinese on drugs through “The China Trade,” established in order to trade opium for Chinese luxury goods like tea, porcelain, and silk. The Chinese usage went up quickly and spread through the region.  These drugs have continued to weigh down on productivity and hence on healthy economic activity. There is a deep dependence on these drugs not only because of the addiction, but also because they are a main source of income for farmers. Poppy cultivation has tripled since 2006 and all signs are pointing uphill for the drug trade and downhill for the future of the addicted population. 

Income Inequality

Drugs are just one reason why people in Myanmar suffer from huge poverty. Myanmar is the  poorest nation out of the Southeast Asian countries and struggles with a huge wealth gap. The rich get their wealth from one or more of these following reasons: landowners whose property value has risen greatly, military generals “cronies,” friends of the people in power. Driving through the town, the differences between the rich and the poor were stark. The corrupt government has led to poor infrastructure (only 26% of families have reliable electricity), shortage of skilled laborers, unfriendly Foreign Direct Investment laws, and lack of transparency and democracy. All these factors result in an unattractive business environment and so far, very few companies and countries have invested in Myanmar. The people are trapped in a land with little to no education and health care. One guide referred to an ATM as a sign of modernity and a park featured an airplane - working as a restaurant - for the citizens to see what planes are like because most people have never flied in one. The experience made me realize how lucky I am to live in a society where I am provided with not only the basic needs like food, water, education, and healthcare, but also the most important human need: freedom.

Stupas Beyond Compare

The population of Myanmar ultimately lives a very hard life, but Buddhism helps them cope with their worries and do the best with what they have. Strong believers in karma, people go to the beautiful temples day after day to pray for a better life in their next reincarnation. The country enjoys an abundance of temples with golden pagodas drawing followers from all over the world. We visited one of their most beautiful sights, the Shwedagon Pagoda, where we admired a plethora of golden stupas and people from all over the country paying their dues for a good 2015. It was a magnificent sight.

Before coming to Myanmar, I was a little tentative because I had only heard about the poverty and oppression happening there. While I was not misinformed, I learned that there is so much more to the country than its sad history and current struggles. When I come back, I want to visit the ancient city of Bagan!

Laos: Visit Laos!

A Peek into Luang Prabang 

At first glance, there is no indication that Laos is a communist country. There is a surprising absence large red propaganda billboards, no pictures of cult leaders, no stark grey buildings, and no police standing at every street corner. In fact, I was really surprised to find out that religion plays such a large role in the population’s everyday life. The little city of Luang Prabang, "Royal Buddha Image," lies between two rivers: the Nam Khan and Mekong. Decorated with 42 Buddhist temples, the city gleams with golden stupas, multi-colored glass designs, and 2,000 chanting monks. Because of high levels of poverty, many families submit their boys ages 8 to 21 to monkhood in order for them to get educated and be looked after. Thus, a large population of Laotians have been monks at some point in their lives.

Vow of Poverty

Every morning, the town’s monks walk around collecting alms from the residents and tourists. One morning, my mom and I participated in an alms ceremony at a city sidewalk at 5:30 am. We were instructed to take our shoes off as to be on the same level as the monks who don’t wear shoes. We sat cross legged on the floor on mats and waited for group after group to show up. Fortunately our hotel prepared sticky rice for us. We were told that often tourists give the monks packaged snacks or fast foods and that this kind of food does not suit the monks well and they tend to gain weight. Instead, people are supposed to give out home cooked food like rice and eggs. When the monks did walk by, we put a handful of sticky rice into their bowls avoiding eye contact.  It’s important to maintain the monks’ dignity when they are begging for food. Monks are not supposed to ever ask for anything and giving them their food for the day made me feel like I was helping them get through their day. This ceremony does not need recognition, the merit is in the act of giving itself. The selfless sharing is rewarding and adds to one’s karma.

Bearly Rescued

The adorable little city is also home to some natural beauties such as the Tat Sae waterfall and Kuang Si waterfall. The later has tiers of turquoise pools and is a central tourism sight for Laos serving as a natural swimming pool and waterpark. At the base, there is a moon bear (Asiatic black bear) sanctuary run by an organization, Free the Bears, that has set up a rescue and raise program for the endangered animal. On our tour, we were told that many poachers capture these bears to sell them as pets or kill them for the supposedly “miracle working” bile. These bears are tortured as they often lose limbs during capture and are kept in very small tight cages. Free the Bears has done tremendous work in rescuing and nurturing these beautiful creatures and without the organization, the Moon Bears would definitely be more endangered, if not extinct. To learn more about their worthy work, please check out their website here.

Laos’s natural beauty and cultural jewels are harshly contrasted by the toils of communism and corruption.

Corruption, Communism, and Central Planning

The country of Laos remains one of the last five communist countries in the world along side Vietnam, Cuba, China, and North Korea. Even though it is ruled by a communist party monopolizing the political scene, Laos does hold elections for their National Assembly. However, the only legal party is the communist party, so no real power is actually given to the people. The concentration of economic power and hence enormous corruption also contribute to the poverty of the people. With one of the lowest per capita incomes in the world, one third of the Laotian population lives under the international poverty line, at a shocking $1.25 per day. The country struggles to educate its public and provide electricity to households. Additionally, being a landlocked country infringes on easy trade. Less than 5% of the land is fit for agriculture, yet 80% of the work force is agrarian.

Dam that's (probably) not gonna work

A very poor country, Laos looks to the Mekong River to harbor electricity for its own population, but mostly to supply the rest of Southeast Asia. Laos already has 23 hydroelectric dams functioning on the Mekong and plans to have 93 more by 2020. The Laotian government plans to have these electricity exports be its main source of revenue by 2025. This is all great news for the Laotians- they have an accessible natural resource they can take advantage of and use to grow their poor economy. There is just one problem: the Mekong River flows through three other countries, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam, each of which is worried about how these dams will affect their fish populations and communities. NGOs and the neighboring countries have been trying to persuade the Laotian government to stop building these dams but, plugging their ears to concerns for the future, the government digs on. 

Strength Through Struggle

In addition to a brutal history of colonization by the French, Laos was deeply scarred from involvement in the Vietnam War. Because Laos borders Vietnam to the west, Northern Vietnamese soldiers would go through Laos for a safer transport route to the South. Consequently, Laos also became a target of vicious United States bombings: "...Laos, the most heavily bombed country on earth...was hit by an average of one B-52 bomb-load every eight minutes, 24 hours a day, between 1964 and 1973. US bombers dropped more ordnance on Laos in this period than was dropped during the whole of the second world war."

Though it all, the country has stayed strong at heart and pursued a beautiful culture illustrated by their dedication to Buddhism. 

Sri Lanka: A Diverse Land

Yet another beautiful South Asian paradise, Sri Lanka! I have seen a lot of palm trees in my life - but none so manicured and picture-perfect. Sometimes I think I travel just for the sunsets and Sri Lanka did not disappoint. The pictures don't do justice to the pink, red, orange and yellow skies that were truly breathtaking.

Diversity and Adversity

Sri Lanka, an island positioned just below India's southern border, gathers diverse influence from many languages, cultures, and races. It is home to five major groups: Sinhalese, Tamils, Moors, Burghers, and natives. The Sinhalese comprise the majority of the population with around 75% and almost all of whom are Theravada Buddhists with some Christians mixed in. Tamils, mostly immigrants from southern India, make up another 11% and practice hinduism. Moors, belonging to lineage of Arab merchants, make up around 9% of the population and are muslim. Burghers, descendants of Dutch settlers, intermarried with Sinhalese, make up around 4% of the population and are mostly Christian.  There's a small aboriginal population of Veddas who practice animism or a combination of it with Buddhism or Hinduism.  Today, most everyone gets along well, but they didn't get here without a couple of pretty large bumps in the road. 

Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple 

Most recently, the Sri Lankan Civil War brought huge trauma and terror to the nation.  Some 40-50 people were dying everyday. Provoked by the Tamils in the North and East of the island, this war was a brutal, 26-year attempt by the Tamils to siege the upper third of the island and form their own independent country called Tamil Eelam. Led by the Tamil Tigers, this small, but powerful, opposition group battled the Sri Lankan government, tallying up large casualties and war crimes on both sides. The war finally ended in 2009, when the Sri Lankan government unmercifully defeated the Tamil Tigers completely.   Our tour guide said this is the only time that a terrorist group has been defeated - leaders killed and almost the entire population of fighters decimated - in the last couple of decades.  Does the end justify the means? Yes, the economy is growing and investment is pouring in but what about all the civilian deaths and collateral damage?  Should the West take this approach with the Taliban and ISIS?  The question is horrifying but what about the status quo?

While tensions between the two largest races in the country was for a long time very heated, now days, the population lives at peace with one an other. 

The Grand Mosque, Colombo

A(nother) Card-consulting Leader

The current president, Percy Mahinda Rajapaska, has served a total of two terms starting in 2005. Recently, he has called for an election, two years early, and changed the constitution to allow him to run for a third term. Rajapaska, with a weird obsession with horoscopes and superstitions has been credited to making decisions based on what the horoscope of a specific days reads- a characteristic I know I look for in a national leader! ;) Promoters of Rajapaska applaud him for his work in completely shutting down the Tamil Tigers and ending the civil war in 2009, while others question his human rights record, nepotism and desire to dynastically hold on to power.  Unfortunately for Rajapaska, his third term election does not look as bright as his past successes. For example, people are starting to get suspicious about the fact that his four other brothers serve with him in high positions of government and that over half of the parliament consists of his relatives. This obvious and inevitable corruption compounded with the fact that he amended the constitution to enable a third term illustrates signs of a corrupt dictatorship in the making. Just a week ago, Maithripala Sirisena, a member of Rajapaska's cabinet, defected from the party with a couple of supporters and decided to run for president himself. Rajapaska's popularity is slipping as evidenced by his falling poll numbers and poor governance (Sri Lanka fell 14 places this year in the World Bank's ranking of the ease of doing business). On the other hand, Sirisena's popularity is increasing because more and more "ordinary Sinhalese" feel like he is one of them. It will be a tight election, so we'll just have to wait until January 8, 2015 (a lucky day for Rajapaska of course!) to find out!

Women's History

Perhaps one of the most interesting things I learned about Sri Lanka is about their women in positions of power throughout history. Did you know that Sri Lanka not only had the first female prime minister in the world, but also had the first female ruler in Asia? Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the widow of S.W.R.D Bandaranaike, the previous prime minister, took office as prime minister in 1960 and Queen Anula reigned during 47-42 BC. Pretty amazing. 

While we did enjoy some hours of sun and of course beautiful sunsets, the rest of our time in Sri Lanka was swamped in buckets upon buckets of rain. We were told many time how unusual this weather was and that it was the worst storm in decades. Experiencing numerous floods around the country, Sri Lanka just carries along the unfortunate theme of global warming and the detrimental effects it has on so many countries. 

The Maldives: Heaven on Earth

We finally reached our 100^th country! And let me tell you, out of all 100 countries that we have visited, the Maldives tops the list, definitely.  Throughout all the four days we were here, a smile was permanently plastered across my face. Pristine beaches, powder blue skies, turquoise waters, post-card perfect palm trees, and Pintrest-worthy overwater bungalows are just some of the reasons I was in pure paradise. The people were kind and out of their way to show their hospitality.  Everything was really perfect, if that's possible. The pictures really speak for themselves:

Unfortunately not all things about the Maldives are as sunny as the beaches. For starters, there may not even BE a country known as the Maldives in a couple decades – the islands are getting submerged. The Maldives is the world’s lowest country with an average ground elevation of 4 feet 11 inches above sea level. It also has the lowest natural high point in the world at 7 feet 10 inches. Due to global warming and rising sea levels, the country is actually going completely underwater.  There's little the Maldivians can do now to save their fate, the solution remains with the biggest offenders: China, India and the United States. However, the country has pledged to be carbon-neutral by 2019 and has urged many other countries to follow in their footsteps.  

Representing 28% of the GDP, tourism dominates the Maldivian economy. Since the first resort opened in 1972, 84 islands have been developed to house resorts with a total capacity of 16,000 beds.  While Maldives is a Muslim country and absolutely no alcohol can be brought into Malé airport, the resorts are allowed to serve alcohol and tourists there can dress as they please.  The second largest industry, fishing, employs 20% of the labor force and represents 10% of the GDP.

In terms of poverty and quality of life, the Maldives has reached its Millennium Development Goal of having less than 1% of the population live under the poverty line. While geography - e.g., poor access to some inhabited islands - is a key cause for poverty, starvation is practically non-existent. Luckily, both HIV and malaria have been eradicated. However, the country does have some income and gender equality imbalances. For example, the income of those living in the capital, Malé, is 75% higher than that of those living in other islands. Also, households with a greater proportion of females have lower income levels because there is such a low female labor participation rate. One in three women, ages 15-39, in the Maldives has been a victim to domestic violence. 

Unfortunately, the Maldivian educational system leaves a lot to be desired. The capital, Malé, is home to the only schools for 11^th and 12^th graders in the country. The rest of the islands offer education up to and through 10th grade.  There are a few vocational schools for learning trade but no higher education.  In the last decade though, grants from the World Bank have helped progress both public and private schools.

The political scene is messy but typical. External forces ruled the Maldives three times – the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British. The country was a British protectorate from 1887 until gaining independence in 1965. Then in 1968, it became a republic with a president and an authoritative government. The first president, Ibrahim Nasir, was succeeded by Maumoon Gayoom, who served a total of six terms becoming the longest serving leader in Asia by the end of his presidency! Under his control, torture and imprisonment of his regime's opponents was common. After a political prisoner, Naseem, was found by the public to have been tortured to death, a series of political revolutions took place in order to establish more freedom and improve human rights. In 2008, one of the main rebel leaders, Mohamed Nasheed, formed the Maldivian Democratic Party and eventually became president.  This is the first time multiple parties were allowed to operate. Nasheed worked tirelessly towards establishing a free society with a focus towards saving the Maldives from the rising sea levels. For a good story, watch The Island President. When Nasheed tried to prosecute a judge Nasheed speculated was in corruption cahoots with the old regime, Gayoom sympathizers went to work and made him resign at gun point.  No one knows what exactly happened but President Nasheed stepped down in 2012 and the new president has not announced a new date for elections.  Where else have we witnessed this recently?

While the country may have a struggling social and political scene, the sheer beauty of the islands is sure to captivate locals and visitors alike. This beautiful country will always have a special place in my heart.

North Korea: yup, you read that right…

Our final and hands down most interesting stop was Pyongyang, The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea! Yup, you read that right. The “Democratic” People’s Republic of Korea, a.k.a North Korea. Nope, not the country that created Samsung or Hyundai Motors… the one right above it whose population isn’t allowed to use phones or drive cars. So before arriving, my family and I were quite scared, and rightfully so, from all the warnings we got from our friends and family. Every time I would tell someone where I was going this summer, their faces would be lit up with amusement all the way through Iceland, France, Bhutan, China, etc. until I got to North Korea. Instantly smiles faded into looks of concern and “you are honestly crazy” with a side of “WHY?!?!” The first question I would always get would be: “Wait, can you even go there???” And actually, the answer to that question is yes! Until recently, Americans were not allowed to visit North Korea, but nowadays, tourists are permitted and actually encouraged to come from all over the world (at their own risk, I may add) as long as they are with a state approved tour agency and guide at all times. And to my surprise, there were actually a lot of tourists!! So first things first, as you can tell since I am writing this, I survived (this was an honest concern)!! There had been one two many cases of Americans getting detained in North Korea and sent to labor camps for long periods of time for small acts that most people would not consider offenses. Our fears of the airport, hotel, and city were so great that we repacked all our bags into one small luggage (huge downsize from the original 5) making sure not to include anything spiritual, religious, or provocative we either brought from home or picked up on the way (ex. tons of Buddhist accessories from Bhutan!). But with that being said, to our surprise, the airport process was actually one of the most simple thus far, with the exception of having to fill out an excessive number of forms on the way in and to our knowledge no one went through our bags at any point in time! However, I do feel like it was a good call to play it safe. Keep reading if you want to hear what it really is like behind these concrete walls of The Democratic Republic of Korea…

The first stop on our two day tour was the North Korean version of the Arc de Triomphe called the Arch of Triumph. Standing 60 meters tall — 10 meters taller then the one in Paris, of course — this monument, like most, celebrates the Eternal President Kim il-sung and his “successful” military resistance in fighting for Korean independence. The two dates on the monument: 1925 and 1945 mark the year when Sung began his fight for independence and the year of liberation, respectively.

Stop two: Next, we visited the absolutely massive statues of Kim il-sung (left) and Kim Jung-il (right) standing in front of the National Revaluation Museum. You can see the sheer size of these statues well based on how small the people standing beneath it look. In order to visit, it was required to bring flowers to present to the leaders and bow in front of them. Here continues the long list of monuments dedicated to these leaders and furthermore, the examples of the cult personalities formed intentionally around them.

This is a continuation of the monument illustrating the collective, communist, and nationalist struggle against American imperialism while a similar construction was on opposite side illustrating the struggle against Japanese imperialism.

On our first full day in Pyongyang, we visited Kumsunsan Palace of the Sun, the place where both the Eternal President Kim il-sung and his son and also former Supreme Leader, Kim jung-il are preserved. We were not able to take pictures inside the palace, but let us just say it was massive, just like everything else in this city. I went on the longest moving walkway of my life numerous times (to show respect, you couldn’t keep walking, we had to just stand still the whole time, so that really highlighted the slow speed). After going through hallway after hallway, room after room, escalator after escalator, we finally got to the place where the two leaders were resting. Like any other sight of a preserved dead person, it was quite strange. The many Korean people also visiting let out cries of admiration and misery as they bowed past. In addition, lining the hallways were tons and tons of images of the two leaders throughout their lives, again depicting was another example of the cult personality formed around these two leaders.

This is an image of students walking in a very orderly fashion on the square in front of the Palace. This is an example of the level of uniformity and obedience the citizens of this country must abide by.

These women are wearing the traditional Korean dressy outfit to visit the resting place of their leader’s since they must pay the highest possible level of respect. (cough cough more cult personality)

We also visited the National Library that supposedly had 30 million books…not quite sure how accurate that statistic is but nonetheless, the building was massive (as per usual). This is an image of the English classroom where a teacher is doing oral exercises with her students. I observed that North Korea seems to be stuck in the 1950s or something, the lack of technology and style of teaching seems to be something out of an old movie.

This is the view from the top of the National Library. Side note: Something that I have noticed is that there are a lot of panoramic views of the city (especially rotating rooftop restaurants — which I heard from my mom was a very popular 80s thing…). Front and center in the picture is the Tower of Juche Idea. Although we didn’t visit this tower I was able to learn a little bit about this ideology. Juche is an idea created by the Eternal President Kim il-sung as a Korean version of communism or Marxism in order to fit the circumstances, history, and environment of North Korea. Juche, which also goes by Kimilsungism-Kimjungilism (yup.) has been edited over the years to not only distance itself from the ideals of Marx and Angles, but to also completely remove all mentions of the term “communism.” The fundamentals of the Juche Idea are: 1. Political independence, 2. Economic self-sustenance, and 3. Self-reliance in defense. While at first this idea seems okay, in reality it has ultimately blocked North Korea from the world. Thanks to the mixture of additional sanctions from exterior countries and this strict Juche idea, people inside North Korea are not permitted out and deal with harsh trading regulations that lead to famines and poverty. What I find most disturbing about Juche is the cult around it. Firstly, not only is it named after both leaders (after they died they just added the next person to the name…will this continue with Kim jung-un?!), but they also have renamed their entire calendar in association with the leader and this idea. For example, year 2014 would be Juche 103 because Kim il-sung was born in 1911, Juche 1, and so the years are based on that. Secondly, these ideals, when studied, seem to have a Japanese imperialist twist, as if they got a lot of their core ideals from the very people they hate and who controlled their country. The ideas of a closed off and independent economy were one of the Japanese as they were closed off for around 400 years. Lastly, what I find the worst part is that this idea is the only accepted political, economic, social idea and plan “forever.” Not one person can even stop to think about capitalism or even communism because that is not what their great leader said so they mustn’t argue. To me these conformist ideals brought by the cult personality of these leaders leave me, sadly, with little hope for a fast recovery of North Korea…

Korean War Memorial 

        Children preforming at a show.   

Farmers

North Korea on one side of the microphones and South Korea on the other; DMZ.

Unification Monument   

USS Pueblo ship the North Koreans captured during the Korean War. 

China: Communist lite

Where do I even begin?! China is not only geographically massive, but also has been a huge up-and-coming country for the past couple decades. In spite of its cityscape, it still has hundreds of amazing historical sights remaining from ancient times. This summer was not my first time in China, but it was my first time in Beijing. We stayed at the Aman Summer Palace Resort which was absolutely mystical. I felt like I was living in the real summer palace (which I actually was!!) like one of the old emperors-! We actually stayed in Beijing for quite a while in comparison to our other stops and got to experience the city and its beautiful outskirts pretty well! We were addicted to the Silk Market, Peking Duck, and fruity moon cakes and let’s just say the week spent in China was one of tons of food and unmatchable sights…

Beijing Snapshot:

1 — The Forbidden City: Roam the massive compound (preferably not in the sweltering heat and among thousands of tourist) and see just how grandiose this “home” of the past emperors and empresses were… no wonder it’s called a city! I fell in love with the bright color combo of turquoise, royal blue and red that was used all over The Forbidden City and most other traditional architecture.

2— The Great Wall of China: Another must see location in Beijing (a little drive out of the city) is, of course, the old national wall of protection from intruders. Each dynasty that ruled China over the years added to The Great Wall to either expand the territory it cov

ered or to renovate it. Today, not all of The Great Wall is still standing due to the lack of proper building materials available in ancient times. The original parts of the wall were constructed with wood and earth, so when there was rain, the wall would decompose and break down. Luckily, the part of the wall that we climbed was a restored section fitted with a chairlift up and a toboggan down!

3— Drive around the city of Beijing and enjoy the beautiful modern architecture. This was my favorite building that I saw on the street. It is called the CCTV Tower.

Quick History

China was feudal for thousands of years during the reign of numerous dynasties. After being in power for 300 years, the last dynasty, the Qing, were removed from power in 1911 by a national revolution led by Sun Yi Xian. Meanwhile, the European countries had their industrial revolution, the French had their revolution, and America got their independence. Consequently, the British navy became more and more aggressive and wanted to trade with China, specifically aiming to control their sea ports. China neither wanted nor needed the partnership with Western countries like Britain and solely exported goods like tea and porcelain. The British got upset because they felt like this trade was unbalanced since China was making money through exports, while the British couldn’t do the same. Consequently, the British decided to start exporting Opium to China and ended up addicting a huge amount of the population. This led to the Opium Wars which concluded in the signing of the Unequal Treaties — those signed by Chinese officials handing Hong Kong over to the UK under the influence of opium. The Chinese were left poor and suffered severely without a strong leader to raise the country out of its misery.

Two leaders rose up from these unfortunate times: Mao the communist with his red army called the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) and Sun Yat-sen the capitalist. These two leaders and their opposing parties went to war until the Japanese invasion in 1931 that began their involvement in the Second World War. Japan went on to occupy a large part of the northeast and eastern part of China.

The Civil War continued after WWII and resulted in Sun Yat-sen and his capitalist party escaping to Taiwan. Mao went on to found the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949, which still stands today.

China Today

Before Deng Xiaoping’s “socialism with Chinese characteristics” (aka capitalism in disguise) China was economically closed off for around 30 years. Today, China is one of the world’s largest economies and comprises 15% of the whole world’s GDP. It is also home to more than one seventh of the world’s population.

China is one of the most impressive countries I have ever visited due to the fact that they have had such a long and hard history, yet they still ended up being one of the most influential countries today!

Bhutan: The Land of Happiness

Our next stop, Bhutan, goes down in my books as one of my favorite places I have ever visited. We stayed in the absolute best Aman Resort in Paro, Bhutan: ultimate serenity and peace surrounded by lush, green mountains.

Unification and Government

Before Bhutan was one nation, the land was split up into a bunch of little states. A Tibetan Buddhist monk and military strategist (um can you say oxymoron?!) came over to Bhutan and built the first monastery and solidified the power in order to unite the land and population into one country. Up till today, the religious and political systems remain very central to the leadership of the nation; the head of religion and state, work together to rule to country. While this system does seem very intertwined, in reality, there is quite a separation. For example, once one becomes a monk, they lose their voting privilege for their whole life.

The Land of Happiness

Bhutan is dedicated to being the happiest nation in the world, preaching the slogan of being “The Land of Happiness.” They are most famous for their measurement of Gross Domestic Happiness, instead of the Gross Domestic Product, the economic based index the rest of the world obsesses over. Personally, I definitely felt the happiness as soon as I landed. How could one not be elated with lush mountain after mountain framing your window, delicious food and peace and quiet??

During our trip, we visited both Paro and Thimphu and were able to visit beautiful must-sees in both spots…

Tiger's Test, Paro, Bhutan

#1 must-see location: Tiger’s Nest, Paro, Bhutan — follow the windblown prayer flags for a beautiful five hour hike back and forth from the base to visit this majestic Buddhist temple hidden in the mountains.

Buddha Point, Thimphu, Bhutan

#2 must-see location: Buddha Point, Thimphu, Bhutan- journey to the capital city of Thimphu to visit not only one of the largest sitting Buddhas in the world, but also catch breathtaking views of the valley below.

Fun Fact: Thimphu is one of few capital cities to not have street lights or traffic lines!

Hanging prayer flags on the side of the road.

#3 must-see location: Hang Prayer Flags on the hill side — nothing more Bhutanese than prayer flags! Hang your own, or even make your own, as I did, making sure to make a wish as you tie the ends to the trees. This is a super memorable way to leave your little mark on Bhutan.

Before I arrived, I assumed that Bhutan would be very similar to Nepal, but while both have naturally breathtaking mountainous views and welcoming cultures, I enjoyed the serenity of Paro over the bustling streets of Kathmandu. I would definitely make the trek back to Bhutan for another peaceful getaway!