Shaun , procrastinating will not help , every one who goes to the Middle Kingdom has their eyes opened , whether they be from any country or a regular traveler to other countries , the openness of the country and its people make a farce of what we assume , so check out for when you can go look ,book your flight , etc , and then make your own decisions based upon your then knowledge , you have jumped well past any lead up fluff , just as Ying and I did , and you also have the added advantage of family members that are USA based , so work out your holidays and go , the early bird catches the worms , others are left to starve , regards Ying and Robert .