MUTIANYU, CHINA - They say China's Great Wall is the only man-made object you can see from space. But on this hazy morning, we can barely see the small portion of the UNESCO World Heritage Wall that snakes through this remote outpost, a two-hour drive from Beijing.

SUZHOU, CHINA - If you believe the Chinese, this grimy, polluted industrial city of 6 million about an hour’s drive from Shanghai is “Heaven on Earth.”

XIAN, CHINA – They call this ancient capital the “Jewel of China.” Maybe it's because It sparkles at night.

XIAN, CHINA - Jiang Li (a.k.a. Ella) asked what other city walls I had walked on? “A few,” I responded but before getting a chance to name them, the local girl I met while walking Xi’an’s ancient stone fortress interrupted me and asked: “Okay, how many have you ridden a bicycle on?”

XI’AN, CHINA - We were warned not to take out our cameras and try to photograph the old man hiding behind the hand-held fan.

SHANGHAI – This is the most modern and technologically advanced city in China. But it’s Shanghai's past that will really excites foreigners.

HANGZHOU, CHINA - The neatly attired young man welcomed us to his tiny tea village that rests just outside this mega-city of six million people by saying: “I will be your guide because I am the only one here who speaks English.”

DEGE, CHINA — “Shimmering like crystal in a mid-day sun; blinding snows melt and rivers run.” These could be the words used on a glossy brochure to promote any number of European or North American ski destinations.

DUOYISHU, CHINA — This remote farming community is still blanketed in darkness when the alarm sounds and tells me it’s time to prepare for another early-morning shoot on this photographic pilgrimage.

QINGDAO, CHINA - The ground is unsteady. I can’t seem to keep my balance. I hold onto a railing tightly but can’t walk in a straight line. I can hear people laughing. I must look like a fool.