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For 56-year-old Chen, an ordinary woman in west Beijing, the past two years have been a period full of jubilance: One daughter bought a 120-square-meter apartment, which is well above the average level for a Chinese family, and another got married to a German working in the Chinese capital.

"I never thought of such things as marrying a foreigner and buying something with money borrowed from banks when I was young," Chen said. "I still feel like I'm dreaming."

What has happened in Chen's family is an example showing that Chinese people become more open both in ideas and in lifestyles as they are getting better-off.

The change, analysts say, is attributed to economic and social prosperity resulting from the nation's reform and opening up policies during the past two decades.

"Here we have real neighbors and friends," says Adum Lajoie, a 26-year-old American, who, together with more than 50 foreigners, lives in Ju'er Hutong in downtown Beijing.

At the entrance of Ju'er Hutong there is a covered area where foreigners often drink tea and chat with groceries bosses and bike repairmen.

"We don't consider foreigners strange, and they are quite easy-going," a grocer there says, noting he has been impressed by the foreign friends' vitality and politeness.

More stories about China's opening up have happen not only in daily life, but also in trade, economic and many other fields across the country.

In response to the new situation of economic globalization and China's entry into the World Trade Organization last year, the state has pledged to do a better job in opening up by "bringing in" and "going out".

"China should take part in international economic and technological cooperation and competition on a broader scale, in more spheres and on a higher level," Jiang Zemin said in his report to the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

The state is pushing forward readjustment in relevant policies to fulfill the commitments it made when joining the WTO. Overseas investors have been allowed access to the finance, insurance and telecommunications sectors, which were once closed to them.

As part of the efforts to develop an open economy, an increasing number of provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions have sent local officials abroad to take training courses in such areas as economics and management.

To better prepare themselves for exchanges with the outside world, Chinese people are more enthusiastic than ever before in learning foreign languages.

"China has become the largest market for English teaching in the world. The people's enthusiasm for learning English is amazing," said Robert Diyanni, an official with the College Board of the United States, while attending the 2002 International Education Cooperation Week here in September.

Analysts say China has shown great confidence in opening up for the past two decades and is set to open its door wider to the outside world.