Over 20 percent of the world's population is Chinese, and by economic standards, China's ascent is only just beginning. The Chinese nation, culture, economy, and language will only get more and more relevant in the world during our lifetime.

But how much do you really know about modern China?

What you’ve learned in school and what you’ve read in the papers or seen on TV may not be so true any more.

Have a look at the following generalizations about China and see if any of them sound familiar to you. Can you open your mind and change your preconceptions about China?

Misconception 1: China is an ancient culture

Why, yes, of course Chinese culture is ancient! One of the world's oldest actually. But what is modern China all about? China nowadays is a vibrant modern society, with unique pop culture, fashions, arts, tastes, and habits. Chinese people are proud of their heritage, and there is always an awareness of "old China" inside people's habits and tastes. But the real China of today is a fast-moving modern place: the old continues to give way to the new, and Chinese people are all looking to their future, not resting on the laurels of the past.

Misconception 2: China is backward and poor

By 2050, it's estimated that 50 percent of China's population will live in the cities, and this is where the focus of national policy is at the moment. Chinese cities are being built up at an astounding rate--every metropolitan city in China is currently a dazzling scene of infrastructure change--new roads and flyovers, skyscrapers, stadiums, hotels and resorts, and of course new massive ostentatious government buildings. The word "developing" has come to have connotations of “third world,” but in the developing cities of China you can only marvel at the pace of improvement all around.

If you travel to the countryside in China, you certainly might certainly get the impression of a “developing nation”: people are still farming the land using pre-industrial-revolution tools and techniques, and their lifestyles certainly couldn't be described as cosmopolitan. However, what you may not see is that these people's children may very well be those upwardly mobile professionals in the city, sending home substantial portions of their ever increasing paychecks to their family. Chinese people are ultimately loyal to their parents and will routinely save and send home large proportions of their salaries. Even though many of the youth who move to the cities may not be managers or entrepreneurs, city salaries for even basic jobs are enough in comparative terms to make everyone happy. Everywhere you go in the Chinese countryside, you can see previously disadvantaged families buying cars and building new houses. So the wealth of the cities will filter to rural areas through private channels, regardless of the urban-focused investment policies of the government.

Misconception 3: Chinese people eat “Chinese food”

Forget what you think you know from your local "Chinese" takeout menu. Unless you've spent several years living in mainland China, it's unlikely you would have even a clue about Chinese cuisine. The variety is mind-boggling and almost certainly unrivalled in any other country. It is common of expatriates in China to tell you that every day they are still trying new dishes, even after living there for years.

Modern Chinese people in the cities also eat pizza, burgers, spaghetti, sandwiches, candy bars, and all sorts of common international fare. Visitors to China who find the indigenous cuisine to be, well, less than tolerable, will have absolutely no problem feeding themselves. Side note: When visiting China, it would behoove any traveler to be a bit more adventurous than to head straight to one of the hundreds of Starbucks springing up in every city.

Misconception 4: China is a communist country (Well, sort of…)

Politically, China is still a one-party state and the Chinese do not elect their leaders. How much does this matter? For starters, China was never the same style of “communist” government that we associate with Soviet Russia; and the days of Mao are long gone.

Nowadays, government in China is actually much less centralized than in most other countries, with an amazing amount of power in the hands of provincial or city-level governing bodies. These local governments are increasingly competing with each other to improve and enrich their domains, and the effect is a lot more positive than most western journalists’ portrayals.

Are the Chinese people oppressed? Hardly! Chinese society is, as any observer would be forced to admit, remarkably free and progressive. In point of fact, most Chinese people couldn't be described as particularly agitated about "freedom" or political change, being more concerned about getting a piece of the GDP pie and improving their lives and their children's lives. The political sentiment which most Chinese people share is a desire for stability, safety, and prosperity--and basically anyone would have to admit the government in Beijing is currently doing a really good job at that regardless of any abstract criticisms of their "communist" political identity.

Economically, what is China? People always laugh at the phrase "capitalism with Chinese characteristics," but it's true it's hard to find any description or comparative model for the Chinese system these days. In many ways, the Chinese are more capitalist at the moment than anyone else, perhaps because the system has lagged behind in regulating and taxing the explosion of private commerce in the last 20 years. The name "The Wild East" has a certain truth about it at the moment, but things are becoming more standardized--the RMB (Chinese Yuan, the currency) is now open to trading, and of course, China is now a member of the WTO.

Misconception 5: China is closed and difficult to visit

Anyone from almost any country in the world can easily obtain a Chinese travel visa from a travel agent and book a flight to any of China's growing list of international airports. Once in China, you can go and stay pretty much wherever you want. It's just as easy as visiting any other country.

"Yes, but Chinese people don't speak English!" True, but how many other popular world travel destinations can you think of where the local people speak English as their (or one of their) first language(s)? In the cities of China, a lot of people can help out clueless travelers, and even if you're trying to be independent or adventurous, you'll find Chinese people quite friendly, tolerant, and not scary at all (generally).

In terms of other traveler fears about safety, security, and cleanliness, China is already in the top tier of countries in the world to live in or travel to. Frequent travelers to China will back this up: even in the inner cities of China, you can walk around as a highly visible foreigner, and although you may be stared at, you will never feel in any danger or discomfort. Unless you were expecting a 'normal' western style toilet - oh dear! – that’ll have to be an experience you'll have to find out firsthand by visiting China yourself!

In conclusion, wake up and smell the tea! You need to visit China and experience it for yourself: there is no way you will break through the misconceptions and prejudices about China from your armchair.