15-9-2000
Everybody loves chairman Mao.
A friendly young Chinese couple invites me on the terrace of a tourist restaurant. The moon shines over the lush fairy tale mountains, the favorite scenery of classical Chinese painters. Our conversation is helped -once again- by a pocket size translating computer. He eats beefsteak and fries with knife and fork while i attack my sweet and sour tofu with chop sticks. Our neighbors are Japanese, he hates all Japanese, tells how in the 30s during the occupation they spilled his grandmother's bag of rice on the street. All young villagers speak english here, the constant tourist stream and business seems to be the best teacher. At dusk i walk through the narrow streets and catch glimpses of the Olympic ceremony, the two Koreas under one flag. Many living rooms are decorated with a huge Mao portrait; while in beijing the official party line currently states that Mao was also wrong 30% of the time. I talk with a guy who had to study Mao's heroic deeds at school. No bad word about the chairman, in those times people used to be honest at least, now corruption is everywhere. The fact that the Party still holds all power does not bother him too much.
I follow a guide through a huge cave, he touches stalagmites and -tites, many are ruthlessly broken out. In the name of material progress nothing is safe in today's China.

Go South

Tom Tobback © 2000