Truly Asia

Unlike the vast majority of people in mainland China, I get to watch international television. It's common knowledge in Beijing that a satellite dish is illegal, what with all those radical scenes of democracy, diversity, and Lady Gaga possibly beamed directly into one's home and all. As usual, some of the best stuff on TV is commercial advertising, and you get the sense that Asian tourism plays a big role in this. I watched an international commercial recently, inviting would-be tourists to Myanmar. I mean, really, Myanmar? Where harsh military rule is a standard and, until recently, bloody revolution a constant threat?

The Chinese market is evolving so rapidly that the tourism business cannot help itself. Every Asian country believes that the soon-to-be wealthy Chinese citizen will gladly book a trip to someplace like Cambodia, Thailand, India, or Vietnam.

Wrong. On multiple counts.

First of all, China isn't too hip on giving its citizens permission to travel overseas. Second, it'll take some time before the average Chinese family of three can even think of being able to afford it. The Chinese laborer who is helping manufacture the products that are shipped around the world probably has no visions of taking his family on a trip like that. Ever. Seriously, a sight-seeing journey for this guy is walking down the street to the market and back.

He should want to see China first, anyway. The Chinese government is taking the smart road by encouraging its people to tour domestically. Many museums here are free-of-charge, including the massive and violence-inspired Military Museum in Beijing. I haven't been there, but I'm told they've got weapons dating all the way back to when Peking Man used a club to beat-down a saber-toothed tiger.

I'd like to think Chinese families want to relax on a vacation, and it's tough to do that with a travel itenerary that might include a standoff between Army troops and dissident monks in Bangkok. There are more than enough spectacular sights to see in China, plus you don't need to go overseas to experience the dangerous aspect of travel, especially considering the buses that fall over cliffs and high-speed trains that crash into ravines.

And if you're in Beijing, you would hope the Military Museum is still free-of-charge. You don't have to go that far to see the Stone Age up close, after all.