US teacher witness to birth of nation

When Shirley Wood, 96, moved to her Chinese husband's homeland from the United States to become a housewife 75 years ago, it was the beginning of a grand adventure.

While quiet domesticity isn't usually the acme of excitement, it was the relatively alien character of the culture in which she immersed herself that made the move magical.

Then, as now, the sight of an American woman living in a two-story home in the ancient city of Kaifeng, Henan province, was unusual.