Discoveries at the crossroads

British media professional Michael Harrold's almost accidental China journey started in 1994. He has since witnessed the country's transformation over the decades and looks forward to experiencing its future, Erik Nilsson reports.

Michael Harrold's China journey has been anything but typical. It began in 1994 with a stint in the country as a stopover on his way home after spending seven years as the first Briton to live and work in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

He decided to enjoy a few days with friends in Beijing before heading home after working as an "English-language adviser" in Pyongyang, editing English translations of the writings of, and speeches by, the country's then leader, Kim Il-sung, and his successor, Kim Jong-il.

During his visit to Beijing, he dropped off his CV with the Foreign Experts Administration at the Friendship Hotel in Beijing before hopping a plane back to the United Kingdom.