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6/4/1965 - May Day in Peking. by Anthony R. Dicks

INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Flat C Floor Conduit Rod Hong Kong ARD June Peking Ir Richard H Nolte Institute Current World Affairs dison Avenue New York N Y Dear I Nolte No foreigner travelling China during April could grasp importance Day The expectancy partly built festival where spend clearly topic conversation foreigner suspects quite sharing views Vietnam fellow probably unable appreciate ideological front It eminently cceptable small almost everyone I Chin Peking whether I would there Day would point travels China I might chance seeing leders Not provincials without their celebrations All country banners appearing painted slogans various kinds Long People Republic China Long People Communes Long Chairman Proletarians World Unite Raise Three Red Banners Tse Tung Political Thinking course specifically related Vietnam solidarity United States imperialism In ddition these April flags began ordinary houses evening Nanking I heard military practising May Day repertoire As I nearly missed festival altogether through miscalculation number would south north instead reverse direction dvertised Had I stuck I would repeted erlier mistake which spending St Patrick S Day between New York Boston spent great train between Tientsin Peking Fortunately however somet irksome attentiveness axingshe Chin International Travel Service served stead mistake pointed Shanghai When I asked guide there Ya whether anything could steps lready taken suggested I direct Nanking Peking leaving Tientsin altoge povisional bookings would Day Peking Arriving Peking Airport April I several degtions being welcomed festivities I whisked Nin Tsu Nationalities Hotel raison which provide accomodation suitable visitors Peking minority areas enough parties people Iay Dy Not there guests among other foreiguers Tsu fellow Fellow I C W A Geoffrey Oldham Brenda their children floor chiefly given ongolians sheepskins riding hsbits boots little label words Inner ongolian Autonomous Region People Delegation Chinesed ongolisz Other large groups Tibetans Turkish looking people Sinkiang Uighurs Koreans China there numerous others whose names written characters which I The costumes these arious groups themselves fascinating assortment Some quite expensive traditional costumes special occasions others ongolians costume still regarded sensible working dress others given traditional dress modern Chinese cotton suits women Russiau looking woollen skirted suits aukle socks between these whole spectrum Day Pei Hsi Park Peking group dancing schoolgirls edify audience soldiers military combinstions giving rouDs_ motley exotic As provinces streets buildings beflagged particularly houses nrrow residential lanes lsmge banners slogans being public buildings The place honour either portrait Chairmsn Mac front Tien An Gate reserved almost conservative slogans Long Chinese People Republic Long Solidarity Peoples World elsewhere there hitting In squsre opposite Tien An Gste coloured portraits erected preside festivities On extra ordinarily anachronistic bearded crvtted figures Engels other Lenin always reason depicted China wedging spotted thanthigh cllsred jacket which which China copied Stalin A oleasant feature Dy clebrtions occssion presenting several evenings classical Peking opera which rather modern opera being favour I taken performsmce night arrival courtesy Laxingshe The night however April agency entertain foreign tourists Peking noble Peking Duck feast restaurant At given invitations various celebrations tickets admission Pei ParM morning stands Tien An Men Square firework display evening This first inkling I discussed celebrations Like fellow tourists I Supposed hoped there would parade square reviewed leaders Prty State It turned however great feature October rather attraction ofyDay series entertainments amateur professional troupes vrious parks I asked whether meant there parade I vague answer bmcame clear there I remnants towards morning reason foreign tourists would better parks Pei Hai Park named after called Northern Sea fmuous Peking parks appears textbooks Chinese I there early morning companionable guide Hu We joined outing service manager Laxingshe Su evening Quite I chosen illust rious escort I because I spoke Chinese Nm Su spoke Znglish On other uestions about interest Chinese I later found responsib ilities included srrsmgement visits interviews L xingshe clients The streets crowded holiday makers tightoups waltzing custom goups outing Some Two entertain crowd obviously Pei Hai Park humorous going dialogue about Vietnam Note shows bamboo clappers another already wemring costmce At gates stood number military policemen people tickets Nr Hu entry parks ticket purpose being ensure crowds evenly distributed throughout twenty parks anyone could obtain tickets nadvance their factories unions street conmittees other orgsuizations I doubts about partly because I doubt whether there would whole population twenty parks which small chiefly because large numbers people milling around streets square entrances parks apparently without tickets However there certainly cross section people sorts Pei Hai Park whole fsilies three generations young people groups married couples various grsndparents small children There plenty foreigners diplomatic community foreign experts given tickets Pei IIai tourists prominent soldiers women People Liberation Army there force Almost dressed their uniforms collar badges stiff peaked ARD khaki cotton stiffer Russian style epaulettes which ranks managed democratic helping As turned extinction ranks armed forces thethysuch trappings abolished I probably display military finery Peking Inside there number stages elaborate performances example acrobatic display organized trade union group talented amateurs modern students Peking Oper School The majority entertainments however little clearings often chirs arranged round I stopped clearing where there appeared women soldiers singing group described Chinese I Torris dance complete bells sticks white costumes curious hopping which ppareutly popular Hopei This performed factory workers though accompaniment provided obliging ccord onist previous shows students various ranged quality primary school dancing groups often steps polished performances senior secondary school students They appeared great enjoyment particularly those dressed Actors plays modern theme would walking around sorts makeshift uniforms carrying stage weapons drums while dancers would wearing costumes sorts minority natlonalites Above there seemed general licence splash children together adult performers walking about shades Probsbly least third children performing other When doing walked about their parents friends seems probable member family taking which tickets could obtained But families seemed little interest performances rowed round boats flying balloons flags eating maybe listening estern style brass People Liberation Army playing middle One nicest sights I quite magnificent bearded patriarch gently paddling round grandson maybe great grandson GAIETY Above A group workers suburb factory performing Hopei dance PeiHai Park Below Primsry school children dancing under their teacher shouted directions Those wearing scarves Young Pioneers ARD SOLIDARITY Above I arching behind outsize edition Works Chairms Chinese wokers march Vamese comrades ballet Cartoon shows President Johnsen Vietnam Below Young Pioneers rching Great Hll Peeple Tien An Suare There definite political theme behind entertainment offered Pei Prk demonstration Chinese people support people Vietnsn their firth resolution American imperialism This theme could lmost everything exuple little sideshows manged smsll At stand could miniature fishing smsll downed U S plsnes another possible throw wooden balls effigy President Johnson charge I invited bounce table smsll cylinder looked When I succeeded I asked outside cylinder painted resemble masonry lightheerted ughter I bounced U S headquarters Saigon The designers operators little about years I stopped clearing where ballets tablesux strongly political flavour progres In after group girls dressed Vietnamese peasants skirmishing wooden rifles I stage Americans begins expect professional opera groups Chinese soldiers peasants workers demonstrate their solidsrity Vietnamese miming their occupations singing suitable songs The whole compsmy girls grand finale cadre carrying large Collected Works Chairman Mac This foliowe ballet danced livelier group which I overheard meilleur lycee Pekin Again dancers girls their performance represented phase dressed Whether reson seemed unable their performance seriously althou danced giggling despite serious faces their largely military audience An interesting feature I watched relating Vietnam seemed limit support given purely peaceful activities there suggestion military In general message seems support Vietnamese through greter productivity labour other words Job China standing shoulder shoulder Vietnamese people The mjority performers these shows girls young women applied dancing Once primary school seemed involved these May Day activities though there exceptions One activities largely province ARD notsbly sideshows sIredy referred there number their teens making political venerable popular enter inment dialogue storytelling rhythmic accompaniment bamboo blocks cstanets The stories ususlly funny verse seemed crowd One I watched while about fourteen comedians power facial expression telling other story experiences American Vietnam I struck siplicity entertsirment offered Quite apart monotony politics content everything seemed unsophisticated To example people getting pleasure uessing nswers series riddles conundrums which painted cloth string As sideshows there prizes getting right which could checked gsinst Apart politics nature answers trditionsl tinment I wonde whether there nnhere world where things enjoyed specifically whether citizens Westernized Shanghai would Sasily shtertained Another noticeable thing refreshqents public Judging standards Hong Kong ChineSe festival occasion heavy indulgence sorts special foods cooked sweets fruit pastr kinds It there seems shortsge these things Chin except imported fruits freely other places I expected stlls there It seems there deliberate dissoc iation between eating public entertainment opera Mr Hu remarked I think regret sorts Nembers People delicacies Militia marching Tien An Squsre ARD I0 heatre probably puttin widespread ating opera tending better behaved audiences refreshments Day As Pei Hai crowd clapping indicated arrival leader official Outside gates I archers Tien An Nen Square olose P Ch Peking senior member Party rrived large Red Flag limousine Once there burst applause I could mobbed We drove Tien An Square where parade breing It seemed rather chaotic affair stage There several marching colmus marching completely different directions As column passed thick crowd closed behind while police tried clear column which might marching right angles first There great numbers flags parade together drums bands groups children doing drill detachments rather young ca1ahn march looking militma carrying rifles fixed bayonets several floats trophies carried shoulders which favourites garlsmds flowers gigantic replicas Collected Works Chairman Nao Groups workers stuent about shouting slogans cries their cheerleaders carrying posters referring Vietnam After about watching these marchers dtrying photograph through highly mobile crowd I tsken another Chung Shah Park which Forbidden City Ameng other attractions there I Army entertainment putting acrobatics singing clearly professionals their compre officer ARD II uniform It notic apart troupe there soldiers After while Nerermmrm began their properties final programme began which every child sight joined It simple enough dance everyone holding hands concentric circles being outside girls centre dnced great gusto appsrently without tiring I By Square emptying everyone midday meals Hu Nr Su seemed pleased I claimed afternoon could For peeple though afternoon opportunity shopping I Hsitan Tachieh street hotel abeutive clock shops doing roaring trade Aft Dy dinner Oldhams I guides again firework displmy Tien An Nen Square This foreign guests together nmber oversems Chinese other ticket holders presumably officials prominent citizens assembled lmrge viewing stands either Tien An Nen Gate itself Along among flags large palace lanterns leaders visible stared At square enormous crowd assembled I there least million people sight The atmosphere astsquare floodlit buildings flags clusters globular white lights impressive occasion which after square designed When lookedmore closely became crowd disorganized series groups gremt bearing group organizing entertainment either music making dancing Right A contingent girls doing front stand exercises march Tien strategically placed An Nen Squmreo psrty Centrsl Nationalities Institute giving performances whole different dsnce throughout evening groups universities similar institutions The scene square looked merry distance contrast atmosphere where wited chilly I rather wished I there However I nglish friend there rigidly control movements squre foreigner would sllowed group group wtching dancing I impression merriment designed chiefly those looked testands After stand about fireworks began It certainly finest shows I It consisted essentially successive bursts rockets about fifteen being fired point circle round squre All rockets different complicated neatly timed colour combinations To slight surprise there pieces slogans pictures outlined The first display lasted about after which dancing resumed enthusiastic groups regardless fireworks until round reckets The display about clock after which people stand dispersed The crowd stayed quite while I heard enough Even hotel though I could loudspeakers sometimes music sometimes cmmmeny Whioh Chinese Yours sincerely Received New York June