Mao's thoughts

We all shook hands. With King Lear was a group of Red Guards, all clutching the mandatory copy of Chairman's Mao's thoughts and sporting peaked caps. Their tunics were peppered with "swap" badges of Mao Tse Tung.

On the bus to the city centre, I asked King Lear what he was going to do now that his University days were over. He said, rather regretfully, that he was going to be a teacher. He explained that if he had his choice he would be a peasant or a factory worker. He realised, however, that he could serve his country more usefully as a teacher, and that he must put his own wants out of his mind.

"Chairman Mao teaches us," he explained, "to serve the people."

We reached the main square of Soochow and King Lear pointed out places of interest and translated the large posters that covered every available square foot of the walls and shop fronts; including the windows. Many of them were directed against members of the Soochow City Council and others accused members of the central committee of the Chinese Communist Party. Still more posters defended those attacked.

This graphic debate often used cartoons of prominent figures. Heads of the "Soviet revisionist leaders," and the more familiar face of President Johnson were easily recognised. The heads, proclaimed the posters, "should be crushed."