THE BEGINNING OF SPRING IN CHINA

Caroline Feder

It is Spring in the People's Republic of China.  Or rather, it is the beginning of Spring, with shy flowers just emerging from their long winter sleep.  Roses are beginning to unfold petal by rosy petal, symbolic of the new China, just awakening from many years of winter sleep.  How beautiful is Spring. But there still remain those muddy patches, that old dirt-encrusted snow and ice.  Soon this too will be gone and a beautiful new China will begin a New Season.

One sees the wonderment, the "I can't believe this" expression on the broad, yellow faces with the almond-shaped velvety eyes, the straight black hair, as they stare at the tourists dressed in gaily colored pantsuits and dresses.  The tourists have stylishly coiffured hair - short, long, curly, from white to black.  No drab Mao-style jackets and baggy pants are seen on this strange-looking group.  In addition, they wear makeup, face powder, blush, lipstick and nail polish!  Yes, Spring is just beginning in the People's Republic of China!

I have visited China four times.  Each visit to a different area.  Every year a difference had been noted in the people; an awakening to the world outside China.

At first, it was more a curiosity.  People were very hospitable, polite, but curious about us.  They asked as many questions of us as we asked of them.  They are a proud people and they seem suspicious, rather wary.

They are very proud of their accomplishments since the Liberation of 1948, and justly so.  From near desolation, near starvation, they now have plenty to eat and clothing to wear; everyone has a roof over his head and a job.  Granted, their lifestyle, their standard of living, when compared to ours, is much lower.  But Spring is on the way! 

We had beautiful air-conditioned tour buses in China, but the seats were made to fit the slim Chinese derriere rather than the more amply proportioned Yankee forms.  Nine buses were in our caravan with two pilot cars carrying members of China Travel Service and other VIPs.

The buses were successively numbered from 1 to 9 and were strictly regimented to remain in that position.  Speed, in my estimation, was a deliberate 30 miles per hour or less, to avoid hitting one of the thousands of bicycles and Mao-suited pedestrians.  There was a veritable sea of those blue and gray-jacketed people covering the streets -- masses of humanity!

Chinese people, like the Japanese, are very artistic, although the similarity ends there.  The Arts and Crafts Research Center was first on our agenda and tour members entered a rather imposing looking building.  Inside, we were amazed at the intricate work being done there; etching, carving, needlepoint and paper-cutting.  Over jasmine tea, we were informed of the research necessary to perform these intricate projects before the actual work was begun.

A large needlepoint folding screen in front of the workroom entrance looked like a beautiful three dimensional painting.  The waterfall was so realistic, one could almost hear the water splash.

A past middle-aged man demonstrated the paper-cutting technique.  With curious tourists surrounding him, he deftly cut out a very intricate design of a singing bird in a lacy leafed tree.  He had no pattern, except a mental one. It took him about five minutes to complete the work!  Fantastic!  He deserved the ringing round of applause that he received.

We visited the Children's Palace in Shanghai.  Apparently, every Chinese city has one or several of these extra-curricular schools, attended after regular school hours.  Children attending are "hand picked" by their regular instructors because of their skill and interest in certain areas; such as, music, art, acrobatics or mechanics.  They receive advanced training in these schools.  Always, as we entered a room, we were greeted with applause, which we courteously returned.  The Shanghai Children's Palace, one of eleven there, although large, was rather rundown and drab in appearance, like the city in general.  However, a few new buildings are under construction, mostly without elevators.  It is common practice to walk up four, five or more flights of stairs.

VIPs.  The buses were successively numbered from 1 to 9 and were strictly regimented to remain in that position.  Speed, in my estimation, was a deliberate 30 miles per hour or less, to avoid hitting one of the thousands of bicycles and Mao-suited pedestrians.  There was a veritable sea of those blue and gray-jacketed people covering the streets -- masses of humanity!

Chinese people, like the Japanese, are very artistic, although the similarity ends there.  The Arts and Crafts Research Center was first on our agenda and tour members entered a rather imposing looking building.  Inside, we were amazed at the intricate work being done there; etching, carving, needlepoint and paper-cutting.  Over jasmine tea, we were informed of the research necessary to perform these intricate projects before the actual work was begun.

A large needlepoint folding screen in front of the workroom entrance looked like a beautiful three dimensional painting.  The waterfall was so realistic, one could almost hear the water splash.

A past middle-aged man demonstrated the paper-cutting technique.  With curious tourists surrounding him, he deftly cut out a very intricate design of a singing bird in a lacy leafed tree.  He had no pattern, except a mental one. It took him about five minutes to complete the work!  Fantastic!  He deserved the ringing round of applause that he received.

We visited the Children's Palace in Shanghai.  Apparently, every Chinese city has one or several of these extra-curricular schools, attended after regular school hours.  Children attending are "hand picked" by their regular instructors because of their skill and interest in certain areas; such as, music, art, acrobatics or mechanics.  They receive advanced training in these schools.  Always, as we entered a room, we were greeted with applause, which we courteously returned.  The Shanghai Children's Palace, one of eleven there, although large, was rather rundown and drab in appearance, like the city in general.  However, a few new buildings are under construction, mostly without elevators.  It is common practice to walk up four, five or more flights of stairs.

Driving through the countryside on our way to a commune, we noticed many fields of yellow-flowered rape, grown for its seeds.  In the Shanghai area, three crops are raised per year; rice, wheat, and rape.  With a billion people to feed, no time, no land, and no labor is spared!

Although the fields look beautiful, the commune houses are very bleak.  Just bare essentials for daily living comprise these homes - a bed with a mattress and a quilt, a bare light bulb for lighting.  There are no lamps, no pictures, no carpets and no indoor plumbing.  The kitchen is usually outside in another shack.  It has a crude stove in which rice straw is burned for fuel.  A few pots hang from nails in the wall.  Chickens scamper and scratch outside.  Chicken, duck and fish, along with rice and homegrown vegetables, make up their diet.  The duck and chicken eggs are usually sold.

We were honored guests at an acrobatic show in a large new multi-storied building in Shanghai.  The skill and grace with which this performance was done was amazing.  This year, the performers were given recognition by name, a first since my earlier visits to China.

Following the performance, native Chinese, who were seated in the rear half of the room, applauded their guests as we filed out.  Only then, when we had gone, did they walk out.  The Chinese are extremely polite and well-mannered.

All too soon, the last day of our short visit arrived and we were obliged to sail from this just awakening land.  We felt sorrow to hear the sad strains of farewell music beamed via recording to us on the ship's decks.  Crowds of Chinese people lined the shore, clapping and waving us on our journey.

We returned their farewell waves, feeling assured that "Spring" is on the way in the People's Republic of China.  But Spring weather is fickle and difficult to predict.  it might be some time before the roses are in full bloom.

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