And just as I'm impressed by these signs of China's journey to the 21st century, I'm eager to see those ancient places that speak to us from China's distant past.

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Before I began the journey that ultimately took me to China, I told myself that no matter how difficult it might become, there was no turning back.

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Meanwhile, at the Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital in Orlando, Florida, the family of 8-year-old Sierra Journey Factor were more convinced than ever to take their child across the world to China for a treatment they conceded is not a guarantee of a cure.

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From 1990 to 2008 China's workforce swelled by about 145m people, many of them making the long journey from its rural backwaters to its coastal workshops.

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