too proud to kneel for another expensive Western meal

 The Yellow River

with a mighty brown flood,

and the Yangtze

with potent dragon's blood:

and buried ghosts,

tears dead and alive;

protesters in Hong Kong

finding it hard to thrive

beyond Mao's little Red Book,

raising their heads for a gambler's quick look.

there's the Great Wall:

a Terracotta army of the first Emperor

holding swords and shields standing tall.

Dynasties leading into the historical past,

with echos of great tragedies

which last and last;

fields of plenty and loss

too far to walk across;

sprawling cities on the expansive coastal plains;

thunder over the mountains and torrential rains,

arriving too early or leaving too late,

while sipping pearl milk tea from a special China dinner plate,

too proud to kneel

for another expensive Western meal!