A Search for Common Ground

When I first rode into rural areas in northern Hebei Province, I was immediately impressed with the scenery. It was not flashy, like Guilin, or some such mountainous region covered by mist. Instead, it was wide, flat and empty. There were a few skinny trees along the side of the road, but for the most part the ground was covered by one plant, corn, and that stretched over the horizon like a green blanket.