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7/18/1965 - Ten Thousand miles to London, by train I: China Revisited by C. H. G. Oldham

INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS NOT FOR PUBLICATION CHGO Avenue Tilleuls Ten thousand miles London train I China Revisited Croissy Seine S France July Mr R H Nolte Institute Current World Affairs Madison Avenue New York N Y Dear Mr Nolte On study Hong Kong there Asia One feature which frequently attention black which started Hong Kong after winding tortuous through China Mongolia Soviet Union several European countries ended London It conveyed information technically possible Hong Kong London train Technically possible until early difficult arrange It required simultaneous visas three unpredictable countries China Mongolia Soviet Union whereas might grant unusual three Howev China policy encourage tourism seemed worth return Hong Kong train In Chinese visas within month Intourist approval travel Russia within months informed Mongolian visas could arranged Peking It sufficient encouragement attempt journey One reasons admitted second visit Peking might productive making contact Academy Sinica first visit And which opened channels communi cation Chinese scientists seemed worthwhile It arranged would spend Wuhan industrial complex Yangtse Peking before going train across Mongolia Gobi Desert Mongolia We would break journey Irkutsk Lake Baikal Eastern Siberia cross Siberia Moscow A further break Moscow final across Poland East West Germany Hook Holland thence London The longest stretch would Irkutsk Moscow nights three train Eight twenty morning Sunday April departure after final farewells heartwarming crowd friends Kowloon railway station Oldhams began journey The first sooner expected On arrival Canton could continue train The Luxingshe China International Travel Service representative arrangements travel following Hangchow spend night Canton I objected He wrong group W_2e arranged CHGO travel train Wuhan night No Peking informed before Hangchow It seemed likely reason Chinese insistance flying milit If there troop movements military equipment going south towards Vietnam would along railway which Canton H_eng Yang At strong Our tickets visas validated Wuhan We decided stand First because first journey would great disappointment because I wanted Chinese authorities would react stand The arguments repeated patiently firmly again The Canton Luxingshe representative We received instructions Peking reservations Today train fully booked tomorrow train fully booked there May I suggest hotel discuss problem there Oldhams We reservations train months I already visited Hangchow refuse event We intend railway station Canton until matter settled because hotel undoubtedly charge expensive standard U S family We willing Wuhan Peking either Canton Hangchow It apparent outset would catch train evening after several telephone calls office equally apparent Canton office Luxingshe authority decision After three hours discussions departure train Just before I counted number empty berths there Were twenty I suggested representative there something inconsis story perhaps office should telephone Peking clarification If there reason Chinese Government travel train Wuhan accept their change plans But bureaucratic error intended station until righted Whereupon again Brenda began children played cheerfully The unfortunate representative quite distraught I never tourists before And never government travel service arrangements before replied Finally after hours again office telephoning Peking instruCtions At point agreed hotel later reappeared could train It goodness their hearts Peking arranged famous beauty rather train industrial Later Peking discovered tourists obliged Canton reported Western press later completely closed civilian traffic Without reading incident I believe illustrates several features which fairly typical Communist Chinese behaviour First there complete ability decision local level Secondly local junior official CHGO perfectly willing invent excuses The train claimed either arrived Canton following berths allocated Finally illustrates their unwillingness admit error almost certainly reasonably acceptable explanation their change arrangements The train journey Wuhan hours Chinese passenger coaches similar Russian later travelled across Siberia The individual compartments quite spacious berths small table potted plant For family compartment another Chinese Men women expected share compartments The Chinese trains always excellent although asked until could served promptly The passed quickly pleasantly The children enjoyed trains immensely In China Mongolia there always things interest window brought plenty things which occupy ourselves great stock books remained unread while organised children activities After crossing mighty Yangtse river bridge built Communists arrived Hankow three cities which Wuhan Our reception there followed pattern familiar during previous Shortly after arrival senior official local branch Luxingshe visits hotel arrange itinerary One tries politely refuse usual tourist sights which offered replace these visits places greater personal interest In Wuhan happy compromise A visit Iron Steel Corporation entire family visit University myself school Brenda children return which agreed shown East Lake spend afternoon seeing Yangtse Bridge At steel corporation shown whole exciting process blast furnaces there operation third nearly ready operation hearth furnaces there operation there steel rolling precess We there another rolling preparation plans another shaped steel It first visit steel plant I knowledge which basis comparison This plant dated equipment clearly Russian origin although Chinese claimed Soviet Union We shown central control where furnace characteristics automatically recorded It claimed million steel processed seems figure probably indicates capacity rather actual figures Coal brought Hubei Hunan Provinces refractory materials found close meters There workers workshops operation The visit Wuhan Comprehensive University similar visits other universities months previously I could another statistics table Chinese universities information policies before Following usual pattern physics chemistry laboratories fairly standard whereas biology seemed relatively neglected Brenda children visit kindergarten provided opportunity Chinese children dance isplay which practising CHGO May Day celebrations One dance theme shooting American planes North Vietnamese patriots Another hours Peking May Day There usual discussion China Travel representatives The usual efforts choose itinerary which included meeting Academy Sinica scientists visit their Geophysical Research Institute I reprint paper published Science journal American Association Advancement Science which described earlier visit requested passed Academy Then since following May Day there nothing crowds developments Crowds there certainly We about groups already marching their flags their appointed sites revelry As foreign guests tickets parks There festivities place The May Day practise parade occurs October Ist instead parks filled colourful shows dancers Only people tickets parks ickts given those workers students merited In Coal Hill Childrens Park where spent morning seemed groups allocated special locations relative wander around group group This noted sense criticism would clearly impossible allowed sundry parks illustrate incredible organisatlon which I thought weresontaneous celebrations These activities continued morning Our children great Whenever appeared parted children ushered front pinning donkey throw ffigy President Johnson diversions before center attention We would through lines applauding Chinese applaud return Janice joined dances It Chinese children members Peoples Liberation Army joining games thoroughly enjoyed themselves In evening there fireworks Again impressive organisation One million people Tien An Men Square adjoining streets their appointed The square divided subdivided numbered squares As foreign visitors tickets reviewing stand watched three displays twenty minutes length without doubt impressive fireworks The Peking occupied visits usual tourist sights We climbed Great Wall along holiday multitude children scrambled jumped around Imperial palaces Ming Tombs Great Hall People energy little decorum They rowed themselves around Summer Palace concern guides whocouldn tswim andWerethrilledbthepandabear David our12year managed flight stairs ended hospital suspected fractured It sprained But I finally granted small measure success After years trying contact Chinese geophysicists I invited visit Geophysical Research Institute Academy Sinic Geoloical Institute I report these visits letter I admit achievement considerable satisfaction It difficult comparisons between visit months earlier Making visit family personal individual contact conversations Chinese difficult I consciou feeling being inside glass capsule making contact world I passed through It trying children through interminable introductions which commune hours There Support Vietnam posters plenty American Imperialism displays But atmosphere propaganda those hysteria The objectives seemed ridicule American efforts Vietnam suggest inevitability right I fewer political debates although I couldn resist temptation argue twice It controversy South Vietnamese poisonous One Chinese guides mentioned subject I suggested admit sickness really poisonous He objected could photographs people killed I commented faking photographs cynically added I believed I It accident following taken exhibition American unmanned planes Chinese The queue Chinese stretched least honoued guests taken front The photographs speak themselves There plenty tourists Peking Wuhan I suspect Vietnam situation having influence tourist trade China In Wuhan interpreter somewhat wryly remarked Many tourists afraid China They afraid their brains washed tense situation Vietnam deterring Yours sincerely C H G Oldham Our Peking ICWA Fellows Anthony Dicks CHGO Received New York July CHGO49 P American unmanned planes China display Military Mu Peking A chute carefully arranged display label which shows Pioneer Parachute Co Inc May CHSO HONG KONG TO PEKING Photographic Supplement We Young children Canton CHGO The Museum Chinese History Peking after David sprained ankle chair provided useum The Great Wall May CHGO WUHAN UNIVERSITY Top General Central building library Center A chemistry laboratory Bottom Reading rooms library CHGO II Manpower still widely China WUHA Left front department store Below At parallel Yangtse River On waterfront Wuhan CHGO WUHAN White steel Wuhan Steel Rolling Kindergarten children Wuhan school shoot American planes May Day performance Wuhan Peking On occasion dinner served compartment Scrabbling China Note ubiquitous feature travel visits institutions Look Waygwo Ren foreignmz From Wuhan Peking train CHGO Bei Hai Park May Day The setting American display shown below American soldiers shiver shake poster depicting Vietnamese states Throw barrel resolutely exterminate American aggressors CHGO An attentive crowd watch acrobats perform Bei Hal Park Peking May Day Janice Keith watch workers workshop China Hungary Friendship Commune Peking CHGO Technical assistance China Hungary Friendship Commune Street scene Peking Sign above bicycle states forbidden leave bicycles sidewalk TIE A ME SQUARE MAY Ist