Calvin News

Little did Kathy Beltman realize at her graduation in May that her trip to China would plunge her into the vortex of a world crisis. When Kathy finished Calvin, she became the school’s first student to graduate with a minor in Chinese studies. Just a few days later, she joined Larry Herzberg, an Oriental-languages specialist who teaches Chinese at Calvin, and four others in mainland China for a cultural tour.

Beltman, who lives in Grand Rapids, was excited about the trip and looked forward to her first visit to a country she had read about and studied in the classroom. The group, which also included Calvin students Dan Hoolsema, Avonda Medhurst, and Laura VanderHeide, plus William Hoolsema (Dan’s brother), planned to visit peasants in the small towns, stay with artists in their homes, and mingle with students on the college campuses, avoiding the typical tourist locales in favor of what might be called the Chinese "heartland."

The group met many Chinese people. They also saw first-hand a page in the world’s history books as the citizens of the Asian country battled their government in a sudden series of violent and bloody confrontations.

When the Calvin contingent left for China, the Chinese students were peacefully protesting against the government and the U.S. reaction was nothing more than a "travel advisory," so no one was overly worried about any dangers the protests might bring.

"Martial law had been declared May 20 and we left May 27," notes Herzberg, "so we knew what the situation was, but the protests had been totally peaceful, very well-organized, and restricted to a small section of each city. And our travel agent WAS encouraging us to go; he’s a native of China who has an M.B.A. from Stanford and now is studying to be a minister. He’s always believed that it’s his mission to bring the Chinese and American people together through mutual understanding by organizing trips to mainland China. He was very excised for us to go, and I didn’t see any danger to my students or my self."

The first week in China seemed to allay any fears the group might have had. In the small town of Guilin, the five travelers spent time sight-seeing, cruised down rivers, biked through the country, and spoke with peasants and townspeople, some of whom were getting their first look at foreigners. 

"I remember thinking as we were biking," says Medhurst, "how it didn’t seem like we were in a communist country. Things were so tranquil and the people were greet." 

"The first week was better than I could have anticipated," adds Herzberg. "We made friends with our young guides and drivers and were able to go to places foreigners had never been. One day we literally went knocking on doors in the peasant countryside, talking with people. I would often go out in the early morning for long walks to talk to people in the streets. I love the Chinese people, and I think the real purpose of travel is to realize the brotherhood of man. Under the skin we’re all the same." In fact, Herzberg carried his feelings on his clothing: "I love the Chinese people" is printed in Chinese on a shirt he wore every morning on his walks.

"The shirt did open the door for many conversations," he says, with a smile.

The group was in Chengdu, about 1,000 miles southwest of the capitol of Beijing, when the peaceful demonstrations that had surprised Western observers gave way to skirmishes between students and troops.

"When we drove into Chengdu," says Herzberg, "the people were backed up almost to our hotel, which was about half a mile from the square where the protests were taking place. But the people in the square were still not calling for the overthrow of the government or for democracy or capitalism. All they wanted was freedom of speech and reform in the government.

"That night [June 3] we went down into the street to talk to the people, but we got there just as the last speaker was finishing. I asked someone if they supported the students, and we immediately gathered a crowd of about 100 people. One woman was particularly eloquent and spoke to us. ‘The students speak for all of us,’ she said. ‘We’re sick of bureaucratic corruption and privilege and nepotism. We believe it’s time people have the right to express themselves freely. The students are willing to put their lives on the line, and we support them,’

"It was a very powerful experience. I had tears in my eyes. It was a very impassioned speech that she made."

Beltman also was moved by the woman’s courage and passion. "We spoke to people on the streets of Chengdu when we arrived," she says, "and they were speaking out against the government, but the protests were still peaceful. Their support was with the students. The woman felt strongly about what she was saving, and it was obvious she supported the students."

It was in Chengdu, however, that the group got its first taste of the destruction and violence that was replacing sit-ins and protest. Just two days after their arrival in Chengdu, there was a chaotic conflict between the students and the military.

"We spent a wonderful day in the countryside," remembers Herzberg, "but when we got back to the hotel, the crowds were again backed up, this time beyond our hotel. Our bus could hardly get through the mass of people. We asked what was happening, and the people said that the government had decided to crack down on the protests, and many people had been beaten and killed."

Apparently, news of the terrible Beijing massacre had reached the people of Chengdu.

That night brought armed conflict to Chengdu as gunshots and tear gas canisters rocked the silence and burning buses and cars lit the shy. The next night was similar, except this time the Jinjiang Hotel-where the group had rooms on the fourth floor-came under fire.

"The violence started about 11:30 at night," Beltman recalls. "I was sleeping, but woke up when the military started shooting tear gas canisters. We looked out our window and saw civilians destroying a small cafe. We think they were looking for ammunition and weapons to throw at the soldiers. They were breaking furniture and windows. Just below our rooms in the parking lot were several buses. The crowd tried to set those on fire, but luckily they wouldn’t catch. Then they started taking the hotel, again looking for weapons. And the military started firing tear gas into the hotel lobby. When we went down to the lobby in the morning it was destroyed.

Broken glass, pottery, and furniture was everywhere."

"It was frightening," says Dan Hoolsema, a 25-year-old Calvin senior and Grand Rapids native who decided to make the trip after taking a Chinese interim class with Herzberg. "When they started smashing the furniture and breaking glass in our lobby, "we were all scared. I felt like we were in danger."

Medhurst, a 20-year-old English major from Alton, IL, adds: "I don’t even like combat movies, so being stuck in the middle of the fighting and destruction was very scary."

Although the nights in Chengdu had been frightening, the days had brought some of the tour’s most memorable moments. One of the most powerful and moving experiences of the trip came when the Calvin students met one-on-one with some of their Chinese counterparts.

"We were determined to meet with Chinese college students," notes Herzberg. "After all, we were a college group and I wanted my students to have contact with Chinese college students. So our guide took us to one of their very best universities and we went to the English department, so that my students could dialogue in English with their Chinese counterparts. When we got to the building, it was pretty much deserted because of the protests and the fact that classes had been canceled since April. We found a couple of students who were willing to talk to us, but a representative of the communist party forbade us to go into any classrooms or speak to the students.

We walked out of the building-and this again is the grace of God-and as we were leaving in despair, eight young Chinese people drove up on their bikes. It turned out they were all English majors and were all very willing to talk to us as long as we could go to some remote part of campus. So we went to this secluded park on campus and we paired off and all went to different tables to talk. None of the students had been in the square protesting, but they knew many who had. They said when the protests first began, they bought the government line that the protesters were creating havoc and disorder and that the protesters should disperse. But when they saw the brutish actions of the government, they realized the protests were absolutely necessary. They had paid a visit to the hospital to see fellow students and had seen the teeth knocked out, the broken limbs, and the battered faces. They knew their fellow students had been protesting peacefully and they knew what the government had done. As we talked, we all had tears streaming down our faces. It was a truly moving experience."

The Calvin contingent decided to get out of Chengdu after their hotel lobby was destroyed. The unsuspecting quintet decided to head for Beijing, where according to a travel agent, things were much calmer. But when they arrived they learned that the situation, although not currently as violent as Chengdu, was quite unstable. Stay in your hotel, they were warned, and make arrangements to get out of China.

"When we arrived in Beijing, Beltman says, "the situation was pretty calm, but that’s because the military was in control. Businesses were closed, street vendors were nonexistent, and soldiers were everywhere."

This group checked into its hotel near Shanghai University-about 90 minutes from the airport-and began making emergency travel plans. But every other foreign citizen in China was trying to get out, too, so it took a while for Herzberg to figure out a way to leave.

"We were warned to stay in the hotel," Beltman notes, "because the military was all over and they would fire random shots at buildings. At night we had to keep our lights real dim and we were told not to stand near the windows."

The days and nights in Beijing did bring a small measure of international fame to the Calvin contingent. Among the 30 people staying in the 250-person hotel was a crew from CNN (Cable News Network). When they heard about the group’s experience in Chengdu, they taped a piece with Herzberg and the group that ran several times with other stories on the China situation. The CNN people also keep the Calvin contingent up-to-date on what was happening and what some of the rumors were.

"At one point," remembers Dan Hoolsema, "a guy from CNN told me that the rumors were the Chinese Air Force was going to be brought in and they were going to strafe the city with gunfire. It was a pretty helpless feeling not knowing if that was going to happen or not."

The days and nights in Beijing also brought scenes that bordered on the surreal. One night the group went down to the hotel lounge and VanderHeide played the piano. Outside the sound of gunfire punctuated the night, but inside the Calvin students and several businessmen sat, listening to an impromptu lounge act.

And there was the trip to the Great Wall. There was no fighting in the area, but the group’s bus broke down on the way and they had to walk about two miles to get to the most famous of Chinese landmarks. On the way several troop trucks passed them, guns at the ready, but they reached the Wall without incident and saw it in a near state of isolation, something most tourists never had the chance to do.

"It was desolate at the Wall," says Dan Hoolsema. "We ran into two groups of Americans, so it was very quiet. It was a strange time, though, because we knew why it was so quiet. We knew how many people had died and we knew the bloodshed was why the Wall was so desolate. That added a somber note to the visit."

The quintet finally did make travel arrangements out of China, after moving to a hotel near the airport, and eventually all returned safely to the US But none expressed any regrets about the sudden turn their tour took.

"I’m really glad I went," says Beltman. "Even while it was happening, I knew I wouldn’t regret it. I don’t think we were ever in any physical danger; we were just worried about what would happen next. We didn’t know how bad things were going to get. It was moving to see and talk to the people in China and realize how committed they were to the cause they had adopted. Some people didn’t know if the protests were necessary and weren’t sure if the students were going about things the right way, but everyone supported the ideals and goals that were being fought for."

Herzberg also believes that the trip, for all of its troubles, was an important experience. "There are so many lessons to learn in China," he says. "The Chinese have the ability to be content with what they have, even through they have so little. They also have a real sense of community. The people of Beijing turned out by the million to protect the young people protesting in the square from the army. There was a sense that this was their young brain trust and they had to look after them.

"What my students realized also is how much we take for granted in this country. We take freedom of speech and freedom of movement-freedom in general-for granted. It’s not there in China, and people were laying down their lives for it."

Herzberg and the students also noted the scarcity of a Christian influence in the country. There is a real spiritual void in China right now. "There’s nothing to believe in. Until recently religion was forbidden to be practiced, while the communism has proven morally bankrupt and the people see that."

The front-row seat as history unfolded had a dramatic impact on the Calvin group. Concludes Herzberg: "I don’t think if you go to China and really have contact with the Chinese people instead of just seeing the tourist sites, you can come back unchanged. And I know all of us on the trip were changed by our experiences."