Replies

I went to the Shaolin Monastery in 1987. Its debasement was great even by Chi-com standards. Much vandalism. No restoration or even basic maintenance. It was a lengthy bus ride to get there. Then there were many tacky souvenir stands. You climbed up the hill and finally there was the monastery. They were taping a kung fu video there that day so you couldn't even go in to see what little was there. (Typical Chi-com crap. The place was essentially closed for the taping, yet they still let scores of people pay hard-earned money and spend hours riding out there to be denied that which they were there to see.) The cemetery was really cool, though. And the surrounding mountains were beautiful. I have some good photos somewhere.

On the way back to town our bus came upon some PLA vehicles stuck in and blocking the road. The steep, windy road had big mudholes. Two vehicles had tried to pass each other (in opposite directions) at a particularly bad spot. Neither would back up for the other. One got stuck in the mud blocking the road. Traffic backed up in both directions. PLA officers from each vehicle screamed at each other for a long, long time. There were numerous trucks filled with troops just sitting there. Scores of men in all. Yet they were never ordered to get out and free the mired vehicle. Finally some men from some of the stuck vehicles (not soldiers) freed the truck so everyone could get underway again.

At the time it was fashionable to speak of China as a "sleeping giant." An American I met while travelling there said simply "I don't see it."