Susan B. Piepho, Professor of Chemistry

Having recently returned from a fascinating three-week study-trip to China, I'm eager to share some of my impressions. China is changing rapidly, undergoing a transition from a closed off, state-run society to one which is embracing a number of features common in Western economies. These changes were set in motion soon after the death of Mao in 1976. Human rights and freedom of the press are nowhere near Western standards, but the return to stability after fifty years of unrest, civil war, the war with Japan, and the chaos of the Cultural Revolution is highly valued.

The Chinese people are full of optimism since they are earning more, have open access to goods from around the world, and have more choices in how and where to live. The return of Hong Kong to China on July 1, 1997 is seen by the Chinese as the end of an era of foreign interference and occupation which began early in the nineteenth century.

Our trip took us to through cities and provinces concentrated in the Southern part of China: Shanghai, Kunming (Yunnan province), Gwangzhou (formerly called Canton), Zhaoqing (Gwangdong province). This region has shown the some of the greatest gains in prosperity of all of China. The trip ended in Hong Kong.

Questions for Discussion

What will be the future of Hong Kong under the "one country, two systems?" Will China become more and more like Hong Kong, or the reverse?

How far has China already moved towards capitalism from Mao-style communism? (Farther than you might think!)

How does the role of women in China compare with that in the United States?

Recommended Readings

Jung Chang, Wild Swans, Three Daughters of China (Anchor Books, New York, 1991). This widely acclaimed book is a fascinating family memoir following the lives of the author, her mother, and her grandmother during the chaotic period from 1909 to 1978 (when the author leaves China to study in Britain).

Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl Wu Dunn, China Wakes (Vintage Books, 1995). This book by two New York Times reporters discusses the changing values in China due to economic reforms and growth.

Spence, Jonathan, The Search for Modern China (Norton, 1990). This book is a clear and cogent account of the development of modern China from the late Ming dynasty to the Tiananmen Square crackdown in the spring of 1989.

Recent newspaper and magazine articles (see also the web links below). Recent examples include (1) Patrick E. Tyler, "Riches Tasted, China Hungers for Freedom", New York Times, Friday, May 30, 1997, Section A, page 1, and (2) "Hong Kong, Special Report," Business Week, June 9, 1997, page 44.

Web Links

Condensed China: Chinese History for Beginners

China Home Page

Yahoo! - Hong Kong '97 Handover
Excellent source for links to Hong Kong - related topics.

Washington Post
Enter "China" or "Hong Kong" above the "Find It!" window.

Washington Post, World Reference -- China

New York Times
Click on "News by Category", and then "International".

New York Times, Special Feature on Hong Kong

China Daily
Web edition of an English language newspaper produced in Beijing.

Business Week

Films

Viewing Chinese films is a way to gain some understanding of Chinese history and culture. Those listed below are all directed by Zhang Yimou and star Gong Li. They are widely available with English subtitles.

Raise the Red Lantern (1991). In this film set in the 1920s, a beautiful 19-year old woman becomes the fourth wife to a wealthy Chinese man. The film depicts the struggle of the four wives for the attention of the master.

The Story of Qiu Ju (1991). An often humorous story about a pregnant woman from the countryside who journeys endlessly to obtain justice for her husband who has been kicked in the groin by the village chief.

To Live (1994). In a smoky gambling den in the 1940s in China, a drunken young man gambles away his family's fortune. The loss proves to his salvation. The film follows the man's odyssey of survival through war and revolution as well as love and loss.