LIVING POSTCARD: The scenery of Jiuzhaigou brings a new meaning to breathtaking (LIN YIGUANG)

I was staggering and tripping my way up and down the steep stairs of the Great Wall, repeating to myself the same words former U.S. President Richard Nixon had exclaimed on his historic visit to Beijing: "The Great Wall is truly Great!" My breath came in short panting spurts as I tried to give the impression of being undaunted by the simple task of ascending and descending the ancient stairs with gravity.

"Hello, are you American?" "Can we take a photograph with you?" Smiles and friendly voices seem to come from every quarter as tourists from Japan, Korea, and other parts of China's mainland sent hearty salutations my way.

However, when belief and reality are poles apart we often relegate the immediate experience to the realm of fiction exclaiming, "I can't believe it!" or "Really? That's incredible!" After my return trek to the Wall, I branched out to other adventures outside of Beijing and found even more delightful surprises.

Recently, while sitting on a touring bus driving through the misty mountains of Jiuzhaigou, my seat could barely contain me. It was virtually impossible to remain seated without jumping up, pointing my camera at an incredible view, and hoping that I had actually captured even a scrap of the things our bus full of eyes had witnessed. Amid the many gasps of wonderment, the "Ohs!" and "Ahs!" I felt that what I had been seeing was only a dream. They say in some famous fishing resorts that the fish "literally jump into the boat!" Well, in this scenic wonderland it doesn't take a master photographer to capture superb camera images, you simply can't miss regardless of your photo-taking ability or level!

With helpful tips for these adventures obtained from hotel workers and taxi drivers, and armed with my monthly reading, this time the Chinese classic novel, Moment in Peking by Lin Yutang, I was determined to get a deeper feel of what it means to observe China that native Chinese see. Although we live in a totally new era, I have been able to have wonderful discoveries and growth beyond a novel's mythic characterizations.

In urban places like Nanjing (in Jiangsu Province), Xi'an (in Shaanxi Province), Changchun (in Jilin Province), I found contemporary feats such as the start of China's automotive and movie industries that are showcased along with mind-boggling architecture, and a permanent international sculpture exhibition that continually attracts.

The serene waterways of the "Watertown" in Suzhou, contrast sharply with the stubborn yet quiet bustling of the night rivers converging currents in Chongqing. Nevertheless, magical change and wonderment pervades the senses. To the adventurer, one predictable reward is definitely the delightful surprises introduced by the colorful food paradise in Nanjing along the riverbank at night.

It is hard to forget the superb media-watershows with music in Hangzhou (in Zhejiang Province), Chengdu (in Sichuan Province), and Chongqing, which compare quite competitively with those in Beijing and Hohhot (in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region). Chengdu also boasts quiet, majestic tea gardens and innumerable havens for fashion addicts.

In rural locations like the colorful pools of Yellow Dragon Cave mountains, and Jiuzhaigou's crystal-clear water that mirrors the dreamlike world above the clouds; or the chocolate curving tongue of the Yangtze River snaking around the Three Gorges. Among the silent, towering cliffs I could envision mythic characters guarding the colorful river pass. Slipping past cities in the early morning, or transport barges, doing their routine chores gave me a sense of connection to the vitality of growth in China's new age.

I keep saying "Hurray!" for the developers and city planners in each of these locations, because in my mind, clearly, somebody has got it right, possessing wonderful vision and creativity for Chinese and foreigners alike yet to be discovered! They say, "The shortest road to Friendship begins with a smile." In China, this is doubly true, and accompanied by a willing attitude, you can discover the most wonderful surprises in the most unusual of places.

I seem to be reclaiming my youth, and all of this is due to a new life in China. Quite like the movie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the "fountain of youth" seems to be here in the Far East.

The writer is an American living in Changchun, Jilin Province