Chinese people have stood up!

It was my wife Lakshmi who first awakened me to the beauty of China.

She had been invited to attend the 50th Anniversary Celebrations of the founding of the People's Republic in 1999, held in the Great Hall of the People at Beijing. The festivities were grand, and as usual, Chinese hospitality was superb.

However, more than the architecture and the visible progress that China had made, what stood in her mind was the warmth of the Chinese people. She came back enchanted by a friendly people who remained peaceful neighbors of India for five thousand years, and made me decide to visit China as well.