LIVING IN PEKING
The great landmarks of old Peking remain.The majesty of proportion and plan,the walls,the lakes,the architectural marvels of palaces and temples are still there.So is the quiet away from the bustling main streets that is one of the city′s great charms,that quiet broken only by the song of birds,the voices of children and the rustle of trees.But otherwise the new Peking is quite different from the old.
I shall not here describe the more obvious changes,those that have also changed world history.These are sufficiently well known.What I want to tell about is the way the city has been transformed for its ordinary people—who built it over the centuries for others,and who now own it.
First,the health and comfort of the many,not the few,are what count now.Former governments built roads,laid on lights,installed water-systems,only to suit the rich.In the past three years,under the people′s own government,such work has been concentrated on what were once the poorest,most neglected sections.
Before liberation,Only 40 per cent of Peking′s people had running water.Now 80 per cent have it.In the old days,none of the tap-water could be drunk without boiling.Now all of it is safe.As for light,one can hardly count the number of poles the city has added to the streets.What is more important,they have been put in places no one thought worth lighting before.
Peking was always beautiful.But in the past it was also dirty and unhealthy.What a change now!When the people′s army first came in,one of its first jobs was to remove tens of thousands of tons of garbage accumulated over the years.In 1950 alone,51 miles of sewers were cleaned and repaired,and 16 miles were added to the system.Peking′s streets are now kept completely free of litter by the city,helped by its organized householders.Even the bustling outdoor market at Tienchiao,(the‘Bridge of Heaven’)once so filthy as well as picturesque,has become quite spotless.Peking residents say proudly that“if we could clean up Tienchiao,we can clean up anything.”
Summer Marvel
In warm weather,Peking used to be full of flies,mosquitos and other insects.But in the summer of 1952,deputy-mayor Wu Han made a personal inspection of the four main city markets and did not see a fly.Many residents,too,did not see one in their houses all summer,and found it unnecessary to use mosquito nets at night.A small thing?Not for public health.Several intestinal diseases,once common,have become extremely rare.So has malaria.And people,especially children,spent the summer,free from insect bites,in comfort instead of in irritation and torture.
A Peking newspaper recalled that a former mayor,under the Kuomintang,also wanted to rid the city of flies.He consulted a number of sanitary specialists,but they all reported that it was useless to think of such a thing until China became highly industrialized.Faced with this unanimity of‘learned’opinion,the mayor gave up.But since the liberation,the people have learned to do the‘impossible’.China is not yet industrialized,but Peking is quite so.
Undoubtedly the feat was difficult in a pre-industrial environment.It was only through the joint efforts of government and people along many,many lines that it could be achieved.The government dredged millions of cubic yards of mud from lakes and creeks.Stagnant water,the breeding place of mosquitos was pursued to its smallest hiding places.In every courtyard,buckets,washtubs,basins and jars were turned upside down when not in use.Garbage collections were doubled.Weeds were pulled up,bases of damp walls sprinkled with lime,hollow trees filled.Horse and mule carts were not allowed in the streets without a canvas bag to catch the manure.Most important,the people were mobilized to kill insects the moment they appeared.That was how it was done.
Waste Spots Turned to Parks
In the meantime,new places of recreation and enjoyment appeared where once there were only evilsmelling ponds and marshes.The long-neglected lakes of Shi Cha Hai are now the site of the municipal swimming pool and a pleasant boating area.Excavations began this summer in swampy Tao Jan Ting,once a scenic resort for poets but later a dilapidated healthy hazard,where another public playground and swimming pool will appear.A new lake with a shoreline of 2.5 miles has already come into being there.In the middle of the lake is an island.The hills on the shore, built of earth dug out to made the lake,are high enough to afford a view of the main landmarks of the city.Together with Lung Tan,another of the eight waste spots still to be reclaimed,Tao Jan Ting will form part of the future South City Park,with athletic stadiums,cultural palaces and other facilities.
The vast labour of sanitation and reclamation,while of first importance,is not the only municipal construction going on in the city.The rehousing of the working people in better,more modern quarters has already begun.Three apartments,have already been completed.Others are being built.
Peking′s ancient buildings are getting their share of attention.Among them are the Yung Ho Kung or Lama Temple,which has been thoroughly repaired with government funds.The Buddhist priests and monks of this important shrine are pursuing their religious duties as usual.There is full freedom of belief in our new China.
Neighbourhood Democracy
These are all examples of the changed outer aspect of Peking.How about the people?
First of all,I would mention the activities of the women.Perhaps our greatest civic force are the housewives—who are no longer confined in their own homes,but participate in running the affairs of the whole neighbourhood.In my hutung ,for example,there is a Mrs.Yung who comes often to inspect our courtyard to see if everything is clean.She tells us of meetings and other events of interest,arranges for injections and inoculations against seasonal health risks and gets assistance for those neighbours who need it.
The men are busy too.Each day,the hutung is swept by a different group of able-bodied volunteers.
Nor are the old people idle.They distribute the pension payments and contributions of food and money which the government makes to families with sons and daughters serving in the people′s army or with the volunteers in Korea.
It is interesting to note that,in our competition for the cleanest courtyards,the poorer families,often still living crowded together,came off better than the richer ones.This was pretty much the rule everywhere,reflecting the new pride of the working people in their city.
I have read in American journals that we are supposed to be a‘police state’.We have policemen,of course,but it is they who serve the people,not the other way round,The local police stations are available for meetings of all kinds and policemen consult bourhood improvements,Moreover,during the San Fan campaign against corruption,waste and bureaucracy they called on all the people to criticize them!The neighbours organized meetings to air any complaints that they had,and the police had to stand up,explain themselves,and make selfcriticisms when the complaints were warranted.
After the San Fan and Wu Fan,Peking held its elections.Each side-street had its general meeting to choose representatives.Then the larger neighbourhoods got together,compared the men and women various streets had nominated,and chose the best by common consent.The process was repeated at the next level,and that was how we got candidates for the People′s Representative Conference of Peking.
Apart from various districts,different occupational groups put up their candidates.As a playwright,I am in frequent contact with the city′s actors and actresses and know that their five candidates were named through 55 delgates sent to the nominating meeting by the entire profession.This double basis of representation,however,does not violate the principle of ‘one person,one vote’.Because I belong to the theatrical workers′ constituency,I didn′t vote to nominate a street candidate,but my wife did.
What does a representative do after he takes his seat?He remains in close touch with his constituents and reflects their views and demands.The itinerant actors,for example,wanted the government to build schools for their children,and arrange special facilities for rail shipment of their costumes and stage properties.The people of the hutungs ask for such things as more street lights,repair of roads and elimination of nuisances.If anyone in the neighbourhood has lost his working capacity or is ill,the representative is expected to get him relief or prompt medical care.An active person in the position can do a lot for his fellow residents,and if he isn′t active he doesn′t get reelected. In short,no one is friendless or forgotten any more.Everyone is represented in the governmant and has someone responsible for his welfare.
Needless to say,the people like this system very much,and it has naturally changed life a lot.For example,one can trust the food nowadays.All food on sale must be prepared in a sanitary manner and be kept covered from dust.And every pedlar must display his license number so that if he sells poor products he can easily be found.prices are fixed;there is no bargaining;a receipt must be given for every sale and those who over-charge must answer for it.Quarrels and scolding are hardly ever heard in the streets.
The people want education and they are getting it.Besides more schools,every neighbourhood has its night classes.The municipal people′s government has decided to wipe out illiteracy in the city within three years.In order to keep abreast of the times,people organize themselves to listen to important radio broadcasts in public centres or at the homes of neighbours who have sets,while our teen-agers read newspapers,at definite times,to neighbours who are still illiterate.My 16-year-old son does it several evenings a week.But this doesn′t mean the youngsters don′t have fun.They are always on the go and their health is better than it used to be—almost every one is involved in some kind of sports.
Future Plans
What of the future?The full plan for the city is not yet worked out but some things are already clear.We are getting more good water,more electric power,more municipal services,more schools all the time.Trees are being planted and open spaces will be filled with grass and flowers.Industries will be moved outside the city and universities will also go outside,to more spacious quarters than the crowded ones some of them still have to put up with.The city is divided into nine boroughs,but it has now been decided to change the number to seven.The distinction beween the central area and outlying ones will be minimized because each district will have a government centre,public gardens,cinema theatres,a large school,and a big department store.Peking will become even more beautiful and a better place to live in.
Our capital combines the old traditions and the new changes in China.Practically everyone who comes to Peking from the outside says,“This is the right place for Chairman Mao”.The people say Chairman Mao brings good fortune to everyone.Those we used to call‘poor people’feel this most of all.