Mountainous landscapes have been one of the main subjects in Chinese art since the Song Dynasty in the 11th Century. It's hard not to appreciate the dreamlike quality of painted rocky cliffs fading into misty skies and elegantly drawn branches of bamboo. As my eyes wandered through the mystical landscape in the back of this taxi, I felt transported to another world. But then I suddenly realized that I was stuck in a traffic jam in the concrete jungle with my dirty feet plunked on a cheap floor mat made in China.
