Khan wrote:EDIT: im really surprised you havent run into many dojos O_O I would have thought there would be lots of competitions and events featuring Kung Fu just like how in Thailand there are kickboxing events everywhere you look.
If kung fu dojos were a popular thing, then who would be making all those products from China? You can visit the Shaolin Monastery but I'll warn you ahead of time not to expect too much.
Anyway, potholes and animal feces do exist in poorer region roads (mostly potholes). But in those areas, pollution seems to be better. And on the matter of pollution in China, I've always felt that folks exaggerated its external appearance. I wouldn't be surprised if the air was harmful but I've been to some of the major Chinese cities and, even though I have allergies, felt no different than in major US cities. There are plenty of days with blue skies. Most of the purported pictures of grey days are simply fog, not unlike a foggy day in New York.
If you want to see one of the best mixes of natural scenery, temples, and well-paved but narrow roads on the edge of a mountain, then Tibet is definitely the place to go. Unfortunately (fortunately?), it's a land of extreme weather. It's the only place I've been where one hour, my hair was caked with snow one hour and the next hour, I could take off my coat. Even besides the unexpected snow, sleet, and flooding, I wouldn't ever want to drive on those roads. it looks amazing being hundreds of feet above lower ground and rivers but it's usually a single lane each direction with no lane marking in the middle, no shoulders, and oftentimes no guardrails. If the driver were to lose control, he'd be an instant goner.