Gayle and I recently did a three-week quick tour of China. I almost weep at what I saw happening there in contrast to the chaos that I now see in our Country.
Yes there is corruption. Yes, there is an uncurrent of “you don’t want to disappear fro expressing the wrong thoughts.”
But there is also a vibrancy that is there. To Work, to overcome obstacles, striving to climb into the modern world. Millions of the young seek education and wealth and will sacrifice that for stability.
It was hard for me to imagine why the Chinese treated the Tibetans so ruthlessly. They blatantly professed, in their government controlled press and at the local museum, that they helped the Tibetans drive out the unwanted, imperialistic American and British from Tibetan soil. Yes they certainly wanted that tremendous watershed that feeds the major Chinese rivers like the Yellow and Yangtze and also the minerals in the mountains. There were black, threatening armored vehicles guarded by machine gun toting soldiers in the temple square of Lhasa, and dozens of Buddhists prostrating themselves in front of the temple while thousands moved through the square twirling their pray wheels.
It was a crazy, unbelievable contrast.
There is no free lunch in China and the culture expects everyone to work and carry their load and then some. In Beijing they live in compounds where 300 people share a bathroom; where families of husband, wife, child and grandparents live in a spacious 400 square foot apartment. One of our guides said his apartment is so small that he has to turn the TV on and off with his toes.
It is a curious culture that you get confused with the contradictions. Our guide said, on entering the town of Gulin, “this was a very small town of one million or more people.: And driving out of Xian (32 million people) to see the Terra Cotta warriors, we passed mile upon mile of 30-50 story apartment houses on either side of the expressway which appeared to be to a dept of four units until they disappeared in the prevailing smog. Half seemed occupied and the balance under construction.
Frankly, I feel like a big sponge and that it will take many weeks for me to absorb all that I experienced. We have much to learn from China, as we should from all cultures.
How will China of today affect the future of China and the rest of the world in the tomorrow?
Frankly, it’s beyond the capability of my speculation. I am glad I went. I am in awe of what I saw and pray that China will seek a strong and more democratic society.
Good article, Walt! Singapore and perhaps India (?)- (I don’t know about other countries) have a prohibition against having more than 2 children – If they have 3 or more there is no health care, no education,and no financial support of any kind – plus they are fined for each child over 2. It sounds to me like China is suffocating on their own numbers….. From your description China seems definitely a country of extremes. I think China, at this point, needs birth control more than democracy. Nancy
On TV news I learned that a growing number Chinese women come to America to give birth, go through the legal steps so their child is American. This was since child education in China isn’t free their child can move here and learn. Also Xian which I went to 30 yrs ago before national geographic went was basically 300 people I could see when I jumped out of the train and found a way through the trail in the woods to a town. Who knows what’ll be next there?