Chicago and Beijing. Two bustling cities. Two cultural and economic dynamos. If not separated by 6500 miles, they might appear as two lovers, shining with municipal passion across the vast plains that surround them.

Alas, the cities are far, far apart. And similarly separated are two smaller, human lovers. The Fullbright Program and the Academic life have conspired to separate us for nine months: one in Beijing, the other in Chicago. If we cannot be together, we might as well make the most of being apart.

In that spirit, we present an extended comparison of Chicago vs Beijing. Ever wanted know how the CCP stacks up against the Daley Dynasty? Or Lake Michigan against the North China Plain? Or for that matter, how the pizza is in Beijing, or whether Chicago has enough of a wall to keep out the hordes of Mongols roaming the Illinois steppes? On Chicago vs Beijing, we'll answer these and other burning questions.