© 2007 Institute of Current World Affairs
The Institute awards long-term fellowships to develop a deep understanding of an issue, country, or region outside the US and to share that understanding with a wider public.
Institute of Current World Affairs - Home Page

Below is a hobbled text version of a PDF document.
In order to read the actual document please click the link below and register if necessary.
(One-time registration is free and very quick.)
Read article

1/11/1973 - Touring by Richard J. Balzer

NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT WRITER S CONSENT INSTITUTE OF CURRENT 7ORLD AFFAIRS RB Touring Broadway Saugus Mobile Home Park Saugus Massachusetts II January Mr Richard H Nolte Ins titute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York New York 10017 Dear Mr Nolte On December Shenyang Acrobatic Troupe China began their American visit Chicago To group acrobats somewhat misleading because think acrobats likely conjure visions gymnasts circus performers The Chinese troupe finely tuned gymnasts impact their depends delicate balancing precision timing unfamilar nature their A traditional Chinese dance whirling Diabalo groups girls balancing while spinning plates delight amaze audience The performance large banner proclaiming Long friendship between Chinese American peoples The troupe America perform goodwill This first Canada Mexico Chile Peru I spent better Chicago Shenyang acrobats would compare contrast visit Chicago tours I China There someobvious differences premises under which operated Chinese large group mainly peform I traveled alone China mainly learn about Chinese society Still given framework Chinese tours concentrated contact people whereas American tours c0ncentrated contract institutions In America making arrangements meant dealing directly institution visiters wanted visit rather government Some institutions accustomed visitors their standard routi while others little experience Because there latituge Wha The first visitfor Chinese tourists U S Steel Southwork plant ocated Southern Chicago Since Chinese Laoning major steel producing province expressed interest visiting steel plant Getting permission US Steel visit their plant matter Having unsucessfullytried visit US Steel previously photographer I surprised What surprising required people going including State department security people their security check We informed plant tures would allowed anywhere plant We could group photograph inside other thanthat would leave cameras buses The troupe greeted everyone welcoming Coffee juice dougnuts servedwhile group formally welcomed As public relations began talking Chinese notebooks pieces paper notes Used numbers tistics given Chinese factory I suspect pared taking However little factual information given during slide followed Welcoming speech The slide Show overview Southwork plant focussed waterpollution control effort US Steel Southwork plant involved The governing structure plant plant daily annual output discussed salaries health beeTit The slide finished group downstairs after taking g_oup pictures split groups visit We again reminded picture durin We spent minutes watching principal steel producing operations My group first steel ingots being pressed shape There explanation process quick through This somewhat changed tapping interest plaining process The finished after returning helmets goggles supplied company started Chicago Hancock building Just several American hosts ginning angry distraught considered adequate Chinese began singing The secur people interperters other American guests applauded loudly tuneful version Clementine For forty minutes there singing forth between front buses first Chinese English Never being knowing I voice I least until American interpr etersinterrupted midst I considered virtuoso performance I words You shouldn Having negative praise I continued singing though I admit enthusiasm somewhat dampened A close parallel steel plant visit heavy machinery plant outside Peking Originally guide young woman about thirty myself scheduled morning visit plant As always I asked arrive early spend factory possible When arrived factory group seven people This particular group included president revolutionary committee foremen workers Our driver invited He decided stayed Couple workers We meeting brief discussion cigarettes The meeting meeting rooms communes hospitals museums schools picture Chairman Mao pictures Marx Engels Lenin Stalin Other My interpreter especially translating sensitive desire spend possible taking pictures watching actual produc explained interest group before cussion began They seemed somewhat surprised would description pecially brief It lasted thirty minutes included usual detailed information At customary I I criticisms suggestions following would appreCiated I asked questions I mentioned things I would which included manufacturing process center nursery clinic eating facility factory housing It least ambitious ertaking especially morning visiting Nevertheless began first several buildings visited posted which Warmly Welcome Friends America InSide building I shown large turbine producing machine manufactured Sweden early sixties The guide explained piece machinery equivalent production certain commune In I identical machine produced Chinese themselves which I about three months production commune The visit center where children It splendid which included singing dancing lasted nearly It first I treated nevertheless I embarrassed effort should After watching attending nursery school classes eleven I I wanted On conference stopped lunch first group workers eating I wandered through kitchen teria outside where workers eating particularly At point chairman surprised asking I would lunch plant I course wouldn inconven ience He assured wouldn suggested short before having lunch After sitting nearly lunch The chairman would typical since prior arrangements The average turned quite sumptuous typical Since without notice I wondered would prepared I advance I would there Nine together chairman Several foremen workers presentatives interpreters driver finally joined Following lunch walked outsid watched workers involved games basketball volleyball Others sitting talking We reentered meeting building passed where payroll being counted Having never sight I asked I could photograph Certainly After housing built factory majority workers We visited several different families I asked about family income nature their their children All lasted until close clock My guide looked tired decided enough The chairman asked I criticisms suggestions I mentioned I enjoyed visit Every United States China seems guests In Chicago meant taking Hancock building The people Hancock building planned little ceremony including lunch attrac posters souvenirs every member troupe clear Chicago states Unfortunately cloudy weather prevented other occasions chinese cameramen tried visit Hancock building In Sian ancient capital Ch there eight story pagoda cener The foreign guest unlike Hancock building where whisked floors minute eight floOrs observation veranda Luckily I visited pagoda clear could remains walls ctions Since ChineSe performances every night Thurs limited themselves morning visits However there performance scheduled Thursday there morning afternoon party planned evening At planetarium there welcoming speech brief facilities The however spent Since December Planetarium Christmas story heavens during birth Christ For Chinese group Planetarium erased entire except planets It seems announcer Shenyang Chicago located parallels roughly Everyone leaned planetarium comfortable black leather seats lights began light stars planets For thirty minutes shown about changes produced evening turning morning It enjoyed The group returned Bismarck Hotel lunch short period before going Museum Science Industry Un Planetarium staff Museum wellprepared visit After split troupe three smaller groups started There Museum hours Those giving realize until after rushed Chinese troupe through captured German submarine Luckily began It would before Museum Chinese would The group spent their penny arcade driving The other things seemed enjoy talking telephones which voice played TV telephone playing computer Unlike Museum Chicago where things rushed visiting museum China something hurried through Eileen I discovered A example tours those given residences Chairman M Yenan My I Yenan dwellings visit Communist Party after Long March We itinerary included visits residences turned museums That itself effect until visited first museum The museum consisted small rooms which Chairman Mao lived worked The guide nearly hours explaining nature rooms their contents their historical significance detailed history period Even fascination period Chinese history would overwhelmed sheer weight informa given After visit guide other guides asked criticism although enjoyed visit short spend major museums We visit museums hoped descriptions could detailed At three museums guide tried convey museum guides They seemed agree continued detailed accounts every exhibit My speaks Chinese heardour guide museum guide hurry please several times heard guide agree continue before Even guide prodding unable alter inexorable nature Chinese museum Behind events there always plans Most almost directly involved planning becomes awareof bargaining mishaps smoothness which arrangments A group twenty Chi troupe invited Mayor Richard Daley council meeting which would welcome Chicago At about AM twenty members troupe including leader assistant leader secretary small children walked three blocks hotel They quickly auditorium where passed depicting Peking Tien An Men square Throughout their Chicago visit Chinese passed these The Mayor actually arrive until Soon after Mayor called meeting order leader Chinese troupe called front The Mayor proud Chicago first great visiting He presentation leader after which leader offered small presents Mayor explained troupe Chicago Then Mayor distributed fluffy Pandas children ceremony almost begun The presentation Chinese returned their seats picked their coats began leave Just picking their coats councilman Mr Mayor councilman represents Chinatown I would I great interest visit Shenyang A crobatic Troupe That I heard I followed Chinese troupe elevator The children their pandas hotel ninth floor They disappeared hallways pandas still their The story behind pandas interesting It seems Chicago would panda The Mayor decided would member troupe panda Colonel Kelly charge arrangements someone noticed these talking pandas labels which Made Taiwan He first thought cutting labels wanting offend guests But decided ought check insides pandas cover voice machines Made Taiwan These pandas scrapped credit talking Taiwan pandas purchased Only entire China I In Canton arrangements visit paper making factory We arrived factory greeted anyone The guide found strange round stray member Revolutionary Committee expected He obviously quite distressed whole matter talked guide minutes disappeared office several phone calls outside smiling certainly still distressed No mistake The previous conversation carried rapid Chinese In English guide factory The which followed noteworthily enough different tours where expected The official Chicago hospitals The Chinese asked visit Cook County Hospital It I remember correctly thelargest public hospital America certainly handles greatest number patients Chicago Several members Chicago welcoming committee disturbed choice afraid would Chinese wrong American hospitals They insisted troupe visit modern private Children Memorial hospital The issue debated after heated discussion manipulation decided group split halfgoingto Cook County other Children Each group would bring performers short patients I Cook County group We Dr Specter explained group philosophy Cook County hospital toaccept patient figure could could medical We arrived discussion about through Dr Specter cameras those Chine whowere documenting entire Heexplained there could pictures taken patients hospital He I explain In country strongly about person private rights Even though person hospital getting medical permission picture You would permission afraid would impossible He asked about possibility patients being photographed document visit He maybe Instead taken wards patients troupe first shown laboratories When became apparent there great enthusiasm decided immediately For reason shown trauma Wh there patients could One bullet wound other alcoholic seemed having severe DTs Luckily group taken quickly through where expected perform The group quickly The performance began couple songs woman including Clementine This followed balancing diabalo spinning magic tricks Both troupe patients seemed enjoy Dr SpeCter minute could pictures performance zeroing particular patient I visited hospitals China Both times I hoping acupuncture operation which everyone wants I hospital Peking hoping I Canton where hotter finally acupuncture operation At Peking hospital I greeted older doctor talked Chinese first As conversation fairly stilted cause translator doctor began English talking exclusively English I again given about history hospital about composition staff about salary scale professionals interest utilyzing Chinese traditional medicine herbs After lenghty around hospital I nursery several wards special patients One patient The whole rubbing He wanted luckly He before Liberation would probably thrown garbage Now saved The other broken With doctors combined Western traditional medicine using Chinese splint rather treatment These hings I could pictures discuss At point while walking garden passed woman looked hardly human The doctor involuntarily flinch because explained percent badly burned saving comrade He asked I would visit I declined When I China I often asked I allowed around pictures I explained cities I visit I freedom around alone buses pictures Only I I couldn picture electric power plant outside Sian During their Chicago Shenyang troupe allowed freely around After rehearsal couple performers wanted hotel minutes weren allowed because security The morning Chinese troupe Chicago large group people Chinese Americans their trips Indianapolis elsewhere As pulled everyone waved goodbye I realized certain extent differences between American Chinese styles reflected values societies The American tours concen trate products production which country while China tours concentrate human organization China greatest resource Received New York January