First Great Hall visit a truly grand experience

I'd seen pictures of the Great Hall of the People, of course. But no picture can measure up to entering the massive building for the first time, walking into that cavernous space and taking in the atmosphere. It's a powerful thing, to stand where so many vital decisions have been made and where so many votes have been cast.

And this was no ordinary tour. My inaugural trip to the hall came on the opening day of this year's National People's Congress, China's top legislature and the highest organ of state power. I was there to hear Premier Li Keqiang deliver the Government Work Report on behalf of the State Council. As I watched NPC deputies take their seats, I was struck by the import of the occasion - this was the first national legislative meeting since the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

The work report reflected this period's pivotal nature. Premier Li made firm pronouncements on what the government has done and will do in 2018. Along with the announced GDP growth target of 6.5 percent, the report included continued commitments to high-quality growth, economic modernization and "three critical battles": curbing risk, ending extreme poverty and reducing pollution.