4. Chinese women are subordinate to men

Ancient China often overshadows modern China in the world’s eyes. We remember stories of women binding their feet, arranged marriages and male-dominated homes.

I have learned that China is ever evolving. Beijing is filled with men and women alike rushing to the subways to get to work. Chinese women have entered the workforce with incredible competence and are continuing to take on many more important roles in society.

5. Chinese people aren't allowed to be Christians

Christianity is a legal religion within China. The Communist Party, which remains an atheist organization, presently allows five religions in China: Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Protestantism, and Catholicism. The idea that Chinese people are not allowed to be Christians is simply false.

6. Chinese people are quiet

While Chinese students who study abroad are, most likely, the quiet, studious type, this is often far from the case in China.

At the grocery store, I am often confused whether people are being friendly or fighting. The subway trains are filled with people answering their phones in boisterous voices, playing iPad games with the sound all the way up and destroying their ears by listening to music far too loudly.

7. Chinese people can't drive

When I visited China at 11 years of age, there was barely a car on the road. They were filled with hundreds, if not thousands, of bicycles. Some 12 years later, the streets of Beijing have definitely changed. My husband, Leif, and I are some of the few bikers left on the road.