Date: Fri 04-Jun-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: JAN

Quick Words:

Lawrenson-China-trip

Full Text:

Impressions Of A Changing China

(with cuts)

BY JAN HOWARD

It was a vacation packed with enough memories and impressions to last a

lifetime. Shirley and Don Lawrenson returned to Newtown May 1 following a

17-day trip to China.

"There were several things we wanted to get out of the trip that we did," Mr

Lawrenson said, citing as highlights of the trip a four-day cruise to the

three gorges on the Yangtze River, a visit to Xi-an where thousands of

terra-cotta warriors have been unearthed, a visit to the Great Wall, and a

four-hour boat ride on the Grand Canal.

Mrs Lawrenson's memories include the city of Suzhou, where Venice-like

waterways wind through more than 150 gardens, and watching the process of silk

production in the Wuxi Silk Filature and Reeling Factory.

The Lawrensons had visited China before. In the spring of 1986 they visited

Hong Kong and Beijing. This time they spent all their time in mainland China,

bringing back with them comparisons of the Beijing they saw in 1986 with the

city of today and wonderful memories of their trip.

They returned to China because of a dam under construction on the Yangtze

River.

In the future, "A lot of what we saw will be under water," Mr Lawrenson said.

"Major historic and archaeological sites and old cities will be lost."

"They are taking whole villages and moving them," Mrs Lawrenson said. "The

people have no say over where they go."

Mr Lawrenson explained that all the land and most of the buildings in China

are owned by the government. "People who live there are only tenants and can

be displaced. The buildings will be destroyed."

The dam will be the largest in the world and provide more electricity than any

other facility in the world, but its primary purpose is flood control.

One of the most noticeable changes the Lawrensons observed is in the clothing

of the people, which is now exclusively western.

"The men wear jackets and ties, and the women wear a lot of color," Mr

Lawrenson said.

Even their tour guides wore suits, unless it was very hot, when they would

wear golf shirts and slacks, Mrs Lawrenson said.

The people are no longer as intrigued by foreigners as they once were. "When

we were there in 1986, most of the people had never seen a foreigner," Mr

Lawrenson said. "They were very curious about you. This time they were very

aware of Americans and that we were the source of American dollars."

Street and business signs are now in English and Chinese. "Before, you

couldn't find anyone who spoke English," Mr Lawrenson said.

"Kids on the Great Wall were practicing their English on us," Mrs Lawrenson

said.

The Lawrensons also saw many changes in traffic and transportation. "Before,

there were a lot of wide roads with very little traffic, mostly bicycles and

military vehicles," Mr Lawrenson said. "Now they have expressways, bridges,

and elevated roads going everywhere."

The Changing View

The Lawrensons stayed at the same hotel as they did in 1986, but even that has

changed. "It was twice as tall," said Mr Lawrenson, "with a restaurant on the

24th floor."

"In 1986 we could look out of the windows, and it was all agriculture," Mrs

Lawrenson said. What was then a parking lot is now a combination condominium

and hotel. Instead of four lanes, the road in front of the hotel now has 14,

with bike lanes as wide as a one-lane road.

Though only three percent of the population own cars, the roads "are

absolutely clogged in Beijing from early morning to night," with buses,

trucks, and taxis, Mrs Lawrenson said.

"Shanghai has handled its traffic problems well," Mr Lawrenson said.

Government funding was concentrated on the roads. "They built high-rise office

buildings and roads. They are ready for business. They hope to be the

financial center of China."

Beijing spent no money on its roads, according to Mr Lawrenson. Consequently,

"The traffic situation is strangling that city," he said.

The Chinese now embrace free enterprise, Mr Lawrenson said. "Jobs are not as

controlled by government as they were. People can have savings accounts in US

dollars. They know the exchange rates without any problem." He said that while

people can now work where they want, the government will still supply work for

those who want it.

Mr Lawrenson added that 13 years ago the people had to be members of the

Communist Party but this is no longer true.

Most of the people cook on the streets, Mrs Lawrenson said. "A lot eat out

because it costs pennies to eat." She said most live in seven-floor apartment

houses without elevators and only one bath per floor.

Every tourist area, including the Great Wall, has many little shops, the

Lawrensons reported. "Everything is a tourist trap now," said Mr Lawrenson.

The Temple of Heaven and its 667-acre garden park in Beijing has also changed.

Once open to tourists, the inside of the temple can now only be viewed from

the doorways. There is now a fee to enter the garden park.

"Thirteen years ago we got in, wandered around and took pictures," Mr

Lawrenson said. "Now, you can still experience it, but not the way we did 13

years ago."

An Ancient Army

One of the highlights of the trip was the life-size terra-cotta warriors

uncovered in Xi'an in 1974. Peasants digging for wells uncovered the third

century BC burial site of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, builder of the Great Wall.

Guarding the tomb were thousands of the terra-cotta warriors. The tomb has not

been excavated though excavation of the warriors continues.

"To see them all there together was incredible," Mrs Lawrenson said. Forbidden

to photograph the warriors, Mrs Lawrenson bought a book about them in the

government gift shop. "Supposedly, we have the autograph of the farmer who was

digging a well when they found the first figure."

Mr Lawrenson, laughing, noted that they probably have a different farmer there

every day. "Yes, they are geared for the tourist," he continued.

"The worst was at the Great Wall," Mrs Lawrenson said, explaining that in

addition to numerous concession stands there was an amusement park with bumper

cars and tethered balloon rides.

These establishments are not geared just to foreign tourists, Mr Lawrenson

explained. "The Chinese people are seeing the sights in their country," he

said. "They are politically more free to travel in their country."

Another highlight occurred during their visit to the Great Wall. At one

location, tourists once had to climb 1,000 steps to reach the wall until a

cable car was built. The Lawrensons' car had a sign indicating President

Clinton rode in it during his visit to the Great Wall.

The Lawrensons spent four hours one morning in a small boat on the

1,000-year-old Grand Canal that runs over 1,100 miles from Shanghai to

Beijing.

"It was a real experience seeing what real Chinese life is like," Mrs

Lawrenson said. They also spent four days on a Yangtze River cruise to the

three gorges. "It was not a cruise ship, but it was very pleasant," she

continued.

The beds, however, were not. The Chinese sleep on boards, Mr Lawrenson said.

The beds were plywood boxes with half an inch of cotton batting.

"It looked great until you laid down," Mrs Lawrenson said.

The scent of orange blossoms as the boat went up the river was wonderful, Mrs

Lawrenson said.

Mr Lawrenson said most restaurants in China are usually upstairs. "You could

smell the cooking scents as you went up," he noted.

Both agreed the food in China was wonderful. "We ate everything they eat,

Chinese food designed for Chinese people, complete with chopsticks," Mrs

Lawrenson said. They ate family style at round tables for ten. The food

consisted of five to eight kinds of appetizers and ten main dishes.

"It was so good," Mrs Lawrenson said. "You serve yourself from a turntable."

"We never saw a spoon or knife. Sometimes there were forks," Mr Lawrenson

said. The desserts were always fruit, such as thinly sliced watermelon or

orange sections.

Mrs Lawrenson said at the opera they served pastries, such as cakes,

strawberries dipped in coconut, and dumplings with sweetened filling.

At the hotel, there was a western buffet with a dessert table. The Lawrensons

got ice cream.

The Lawrensons' 45-person tour group flew to China on a China East airbus. "In

coach, there was twice as much room as US on carriers," Mr Lawrenson said.

They saw the Great Wall from the air and also flew over Russian airspace.

While the airplane compared well with American airliners, the airports are

converted Air Force bases, and terminal facilities are limited.

"They have three times the planes of Bradley with the same terminal facility.

There's not enough room for all the planes," Mr Lawrenson said.

The Lawrensons, who have lived in Newtown for 31 years, have another adventure

ahead of them. They will be moving to Sun City West, Ariz. on June 10.

"We're going to miss our friends," Mrs Lawrenson said. "But lifestyles have to

change." They have been very involved in the community during their years

here.

Mrs Lawrenson is a former registrar of voters, from 1984 to 1988, and member

of the Commission on Aging from 1976 to 1981. She recently received a special

certificate from First Selectman Herbert Rosenthal for her 25 years of service

to the Meals on Wheels program. The Women's Club hosted a reception for the

Lawrensons.

Mr Lawrenson served for 20 years as chairman of the Conservation Commission.