As you're reading this, some of your neighbors are roving around the Forbidden City.More than 100 individuals from Kootenai County have departed for China in recent days, part of the first groups of the exploration and information trips organized by the Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls chambers of commerce.

The travelers are faring well so far, assured Coeur d'Alene CEO and President Todd Christensen."We haven't heard any fire drill calls," he said.

The first group of 80 departed from the Seattle airport on Oct. 2, and another group of 80 on Monday. The remaining groups are scheduled to leave on Oct. 9, 11 and 18.

Once they arrive, they will follow the same 9-day itinerary of exploring landmarks in Beijing like the Great Wall and Tiananmen Square, commercial highlights like a tea factory and the neon beauty of Shanghai.Only a small portion of the 340 going on the trip are entrepreneurs trolling for global trade partners, which is technically the reason for the trip, Christensen said.

The businesses traveling on the trips preferred not to be identified, he added.Most of the those who took advantage of the $1,899 package are just folks wanting to get to know another country, he said.

Nearly all are from Kootenai County, though some are bringing friends and family from out of state."It's a great opportunity for cultural awareness, to be able to experience firsthand the people and culture of China," Christensen said.

The amount of interest was more than he expected, he added, and the chamber is considering future trips abroad.Christensen, who has visited China on group trips before, won't be going this time. Instead, he's allowing other chamber staff to have the experience.

He is grateful for the time he has spent there, he said, and suggests it for anyone."The important value of the trip are the cultural understanding and awareness," he said. "We hear a lot of rhetoric or misinformation about China. It was a good opportunity to see firsthand the similarities as well as the differences in our two nations. That personal understanding is of great value to all travelers."