[ProtectOurFreedom]

I worked in communist China for 7 months fall ‘76 to spring ‘78 in three extremely remote locations. I tell you, it is very disconcerting when they take away your passport. Getting arrested by the Red Guard was another worrisome experience. But it was the experience of a lifetime. At the time, there had only been 10,000 westerners in all of China since it was closed off after the 1949 communist revolution. I arrived two weeks after Mao had died and there was huge turmoil in the government.

[GoldenState_Rose]

What an incredible experience!!!

[cba123]

Very interesting. I never talked to anyone who was there so early. I was there for seven months also, but that was around '83. Still lots of Mao jackets, but it was still quite early. 你会说普通话吗？ (I speak a little bit)

[kearnyirish2]

It must have been an interesting time, and maybe something for a young adventurer with only himself to look after. As a married old guy I have too much to lose, and too many people relying on me. Whenever anything happens to Americans in these communist sh!tholes, I’m reminded of things like American hikers being arrested by Iranian border guards because they strayed across an invisible line: Why put yourself in harm’s way?