“A journey of a 1000 miles starts beneath one’s feet.”
February 1st, 1966
Now that Suk Hing had decided to escape, she felt a great weight lifted from her shoulders. The only problem was that she actually had no idea where to begin. She needed to work on an actual plan, and then find the courage to execute it. She knew that the longer she waited, the harder it would be to go. Taking the only option she felt she had, she confided in Jin Jing. Jin Jing had lived in the town much longer than Suk Hing and might have heard a lot more about those who had already attempted the journey to Hong Kong. Jin Jing seemed knowledgeable about so many things, Suk Hing was certain she would have information. She might even know how people started off and whether they made it. Asking was a huge risk, for both Suk Hing and Jin Jing, but at least Suk Hing knew she could trust her friend.
That night after the meeting, Suk Hing asked Jin Jing to accompany her for a walk in the local park. The park was the main community area of the town, with a small plot of grass and a few scattered benches. Hundreds of people gathered there each day to chat and relax after the long work hours were over; it was their only time to socialize in peace. Suk Hing gently guided her friend to a quiet area away from others who might overhear. It was now or never.
“I need to speak with you,” she murmured in a low voice, close to her friend’s ear.
“Oh, Suk Hing, we’ve been together all day, you could have spoken to me any time,” her closest friend laughed.
“No, this needs to be in private, so no one can overhear, and you must promise me your secrecy. Do you promise not to breathe a word of what I say to anyone?”
“Of course, Suk Hing! What is this about? Tell me quickly, you’re beginning to frighten me.”
“I’m going to try and get to Hong Kong.”
Her friend’s eyes grew wide and she grabbed Suk Hing’s arm, linking it with her own so she could pull her close and hiss in her ear.
“Are you crazy? Where is this coming from? You haven’t said a word or made any sign that you don’t agree with the government. What’s brought this about?”
The two girls plastered smiles on their faces as they walked arm in arm, just two friends out for a stroll, talking of things of no consequence to anyone but each other.
“I’ve felt this way ever since I was old enough to understand what the government stood for. There is nothing here for me, except you of course, but I have to go. The only problem is I don’t know where to start. I don’t suppose you have any connections, or have heard how others have done it?”
Jin Jing hesitated before she decided to answer her friend honestly. “Yes, actually I do. I have a friend who has a friend who knows some things. Let’s sit down on the grass here and I’ll tell you what I can.”
Suk Hing listened carefully as Jin Jing talked, filing every scrap of information away for future consideration.
“Hundreds try each day, from all over the mainland. The more that try, the more the escape points become known to the soldiers, and the tighter the security gets. Guard towers have been hastily erected over many of the shorelines up and down the coast. Hong Kong still has its borders open but there are rumours that they won’t be for much longer. They fear the city’s going to become over populated, and they’re going to have to limit the amount of refugees they take. It’s said that it’ll become just as dangerous to be caught at the other end as it is being caught at this end.”
“How long have you known about all this?” Suk Hing asked, fascinated by her friend’s knowledge.
Jin Jing shrugged, “Awhile, but I never knew you were interested or felt the way you did. It’s not something you casually bring up in conversation.”
“What do you know of the actual journey?”
“Vague details, I know it’s a long journey to get to a crossing point that’s even remotely passable. I’ve heard the distance from Guangzhou is close to 100 kilometres, but that’s not counting the out of the way routes you’d need to use to avoid detection. And there’s the long swim across the Zhujiang River. In the dark. Lots of people don’t make it, Suk Hing. Just as many get caught before they even make it as far as the water, or die of starvation during the journey itself. Are you certain about doing this?”
“I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. I have to do this.”
Jin Jing looked resigned and sad, but nodded. “Fine, give me a couple of days to talk to my friend, and we’ll take it from there. Come on, we’d best get home or our families will start to worry, and we both still have chores to do.”
Over the next few weeks, the girls made a habit of strolling in the park together, unnoticed and not raising any suspicion amongst the hundreds of others who gathered there. Jin Jing had told Suk Hing of a few people who would have more information. They had a rough description, but nothing else to go on. As they made their way among the people that gathered in the park daily, they kept an eye out for anyone who might fit the bill.
Suk Hing also started smuggling away a few tiny grains of rice wherever she could. She couldn’t spare much, but thought a few grains per day would mount up. She had no idea when she might have to go, and needed to be prepared. If she couldn’t take it, perhaps she could at least have a decent meal before she set off. She had no doubt she would make it happen, one way or another.
She also intensified her training at the swimming pool, trying to fit in fifty laps every single day, preparing her muscles for the strenuous journey that she hoped her future would hold. She also tried to save the odd few coins here and there, hiding them under her mattress in her room. The money was still only a pittance after several months, but it was better than nothing at all. At the very least, she felt she was doing something to make her escape a reality and not just a hopeless dream.
One fresh, early February night in 1966, Suk Hing’s luck changed. Walking as usual with Jin Jing, she spotted two men who had separated themselves a little from the rest of the crowd. They were talking with their heads bent low and their eyes were on constant look out for anyone approaching them or getting too close. She nudged Jin Jing and motioned to them briefly with her head. Jin Jing studied the two men.
“They seem to fit the general description,” Jin Jing agreed. “What age would you say they were?”
Age was a difficult thing to determine due to the hard lives the people were forced to endure, and Suk Hing considered carefully before answering. “My best guess would be somewhere between twenty and twenty-five.”
“I think so too, so that fits; and they do seem to be sharing a secret. Do you think we should approach them?”
“Of course,” Suk Hing replied. “I can’t let this slip through my fingers. Perhaps you should stay here though, if we get caught, it’s better that you aren’t seen with us.”
Jin Jing let her friend go, watching anxiously from a distance.
“Excuse me,” Suk Hing said in a timid voice, approaching the two men. “I’m looking to buy a soccer ball for my brother. You look like you might play, and I was wondering if you could recommend a place to purchase one?”
Jin Jing had already told her that escapees often purchased soccer ball bladders to use as makeshift floats to aid them in the journey, something they could cling to, helping them to keep afloat if they couldn’t swim anymore. They were something that could be passed off as a gift or a replacement for a burst one if questioned and they could be deflated and packed easily into a backpack, and then blown up again once the sea was within sight. Suk Hing hoped that if these were the right men, they would recognize her question as some sort of code, realizing what she really wanted without having to speak it aloud. If they weren’t the men she sought, they would think her a little odd, but probably no more than that. She could turn it around to make it sound innocent if the wrong person suspected something and reported her.
The two turned in her direction and looked at her warily.
“I’m sorry, but neither of us play, we can’t help you,” one said, with a cold expression on his face.
“Oh, I was so certain you were the two I had been told to look for, are you sure you don’t have any knowledge at all about soccer balls?”
“We don’t know what you’re talking about, our apologies, but we have to go.”
With that, the men walked away briskly, leaving Suk Hing dejected. Jin Jing hurried to her side and led her off.
“Don’t worry, it’s to be expected that they would be cautious of strangers. You could be a sympathizer for the government. Let things settle then try again once they see nothing bad has happened since your approach.”
There was nothing for Suk Hing to do except take her friend’s advice. She carried on as normal for a few days, working, swimming, attending the meetings and strolling in the park with Jin Jing. She spotted the men again but didn’t try to approach them until the fifth day. This time she was more direct, too tired of waiting to worry so much about the consequences if she were wrong.
“I want out, and I’ve been told you are the ones to make it happen, so are you going to help me?” she said in a low but determined voice as she marched up to them.
The two men laughed. “You’re too young and small to be that feisty,” they teased her.
Suk Hing all but stamped her foot with frustration. “I’m eighteen, almost nineteen, old enough to know my own mind. I may be small and thin, but isn’t everyone? I’m stronger than I look; I’m a farmer and a lifeguard.”
Her impassioned speech piqued their interest. “A lifeguard? So you’re a good swimmer?”
“Fifty laps every day without stopping, minimum.”
“Well, that does help,” one of the men muttered. They exchanged a glance, seemingly communicating silently between them. They had obviously come to a silent agreement when one of them spoke.
“We might be who you are looking for,” he admitted. “Meet us back here in three days’ time and maybe we can talk some more.”
Suk Hing was happy enough to turn cartwheels as they walked away, but she kept herself in check until she and Jin Jing had left the park. As they walked, they whispered and giggled, looking like any normal girls who had encountered a handsome suitor. It was the perfect cover and anyone who witnessed their antics smiled, pleased to see some happiness could still be found amongst the young, despite the harshness of their existence.
Suk Hing’s nerves soon settled into a grim determination over the next few meetings with the two men. They were wary of her initially, careful not to reveal too much, giving very general information and making it all sound like rumour and speculation. The two men remained cryptic, unwilling to commit to imparting the hard facts that Suk Hing needed from them. She never learned their names, or where they lived. Personal information was taboo. One day, Suk Hing broke that rule, mentioning her brother by name when talking of past attempts made and routes used.
“Kin Mou?” one of the men asked. “I know Kin Mou; he came to us for help with a group of others. He became a good friend of mine, which is why I know his real name.”
“Do you know if he ever got the opportunity to try again? I know he was caught the first time.”
The man shook his head. “You’re right. As far as I know, he is still in the commune. I am sure he will try again; my friends are keeping an eye on him and waiting for the right time to approach him. The opportunity will present itself.”
From that point on, the men trusted Suk Hing, and she was let into the plan. They were to wait until June; the warmer months made the sea more bearable for the swim. A maximum of five escapees would be sent at a time, trying to keep a low profile and not attract too much attention en route. They recommended a backpack each containing one soccer ball bladder, and food and water for a week if they could manage to gather it together. They also recommended that each group carry a compass to share, or one each if they could, in case they were separated at any point in the journey.
Over the weeks, the meetings continued, with people coming and going. Sometimes there were as many as a dozen people in the group, yet as the park grew busier as the weather turned warmer, they still did not attract undue attention from the soldiers that patrolled the town day and night.
The people who came were mixed, but all shared the same hatred and fear of the government. It was a relief for Suk Hing to discover the whole country hadn’t been brainwashed into believing their lies. One man was about fifty-years-old, and everyone’s heart broke a little when he was informed for his own good that he would never make the journey. They all wished him well as he left, but knew his life would hold nothing but sadness.
During one of the many meetings, Suk Hing decided to question the group leaders about the bodies she had seen at the train station in the city. Not only had the visions plagued her, but also the explanation eluded her. She had tried to understand why there had been so many bodies, but it still made no sense to her.
The group leader nodded, his face sympathetic. “I’m sorry you had to see something like that at such a young age, but this is an example of what is happening all over China. In the rural areas, life is very bad. People are forced to work too hard, aren’t fed enough and the soldiers are freer to treat people cruelly. Many flee to the larger cities, hoping they will be invisible there, perhaps finding jobs and places to stay. All too often, they can’t find work and they end up homeless and starving. The train station is one of the few places that is open all night and they seek refuge there to sleep. What you saw that day were the ones that didn’t wake up that morning.”
The group gave a collective gasp of horror and Suk Hing placed a hand over her mouth. “You mean that might be the numbers on a daily basis?”
“Probably, yes.”
That particular meeting was brought to a hurried end, but the shocking conversation had only served to fire their determination even more, no matter how severe the risks. All those that came to express their wish to escape were given the same grave warnings. Military checkpoints and borders were in place all over the country and every town and village was occupied by armed military personnel. Many of the routes were becoming known to the government and were more heavily guarded than they had been previously. Options were narrowing, margins for error slimming. The only routes that were still safe usually involved crossing the southern mountain ranges at some point, making it an arduous and deadly journey. They would be at the mercy of the landscape, the foot and air patrols, the elements, and the wildlife that lived up there. Most changed their minds once they heard the full dangers and low odds of survival. Suk Hing, however, did not.
Suk Hing was allocated two travelling companions and a date of June nineteenth for her departure. Suk Hing got to know her travelling companions, who were both young men about the same age as the leaders of the group. They were pleasant and friendly, and Suk Hing felt she was lucky to be assigned to their group. One was outgoing and fearless, while the other was more reserved and slightly more worried about the experience to come. Although she never knew their names, she felt that she knew their personalities well, and that the three of them had already bonded. The wait would be tense, but the careful planning and memorizing of their specific route helped to pass the time, as did the squirrelling away of the few coins and food that she could spare. Settling upon a route would be difficult. Many of the most obvious ways were now used so frequently that they were heavily guarded and watched. The leaders of the group helped them, pointing out the methods of transport that they should avoid at all costs due to so many being captured whilst using them. The main ferry from Guangzhou was out of the question, but there were other options, smaller ferries with more infrequent routes. The three finally agreed upon a route that added time, but gave them a better chance.
Two months after she was fully included in the meetings, Suk Hing decided she needed to be more proactive. The more they spoke of the journey, the more dangerous she realized it was going to be. She would be at risk of being identified as a runaway at many points as they had to use public transport. There was no doubt that the journey would be taxing as well as risky, with hours and hours of walking and mountainous terrain to cross. She recalled her brother’s mentioning his old school friend, Chang Chang, before he made his own escape attempt. Given Kin Mou’s fate, visiting Chang Chang would pose significant risk. Suk Hing wasn’t even sure if the woman would help. Perhaps her brother had been mistaken about Chang Chang’s contacts, or her knowledge of any safe houses or routes to the coast. Perhaps Chang Chang had been discovered as an ally to the freedom swimmers and was now under arrest or being carefully watched. Though uncertain, Suk Hing decided to make the trip to Chang Chang’s home in Guangzhou; the chance that Kin Mou’s old school mate might provide Suk Hing with crucial details to aid her escape outweighed the potential dangers, or the gnawing doubt that would plague her if she didn’t take the chance at all.
While not a far distance, the bus journey from town to Guangzhou was expensive and tiring, punctuated by numerous stops and delays. Luckily, Suk Hing remembered where Chang Chang lived. As she made her way through the city, Suk Hing hoped that Chang Chang wouldn’t be angry that her brother had spoken of her. Tentatively approaching the house, she knocked on the door and waited anxiously. When Chang Chang opened the door, she instantly recognized Suk Hing and greeted her warmly, inviting her in for tea.
After some enquiries into each other’s health and the wellbeing of their respective families, Suk Hing got to the point of the visit. Chang Chang was very surprised and extremely wary until Suk Hing explained her brother had trusted her with the information that Chang Chang had contacts.
“Not so many girls attempt the journey, Suk Hing. Are you sure you want to do this? Are you strong enough?”
“I’m sure,” Suk Hing replied with a determined lift of her chin.
“Fine, then tell me the date you will travel and the route you are taking.”
Suk Hing went on to give her the details of the journey. The girl thought for a moment and then nodded.
“Yes, there is someone who knows a family on that route who are willing to help. I’ll organize the place to stay for you. How many of you will there be and how long do you intend to be there?”
“There’s only three of us, two guys and me, and we would like to stay two nights, if possible.”
Chang Chang nodded again. She went on to inform Suk Hing of the payment each would need to make for the privilege of safe shelter. She explained that although many were against the government and were keen to help those brave enough to attempt escape despite the risks, times were desperate all round and money had to be made wherever it could. She told Suk Hing the thirty Yuan price included warm food and hot water for baths if required, as well as a comfortable bed to sleep in and gather their strength.
Suk Hing agreed upon the fee on behalf of the three of them, knowing her companions would be glad for a bed and hot meal by the time they reached the safe house. She was then shown on a map where the house was located, and told to repeat the information until she had it memorized.
“Don’t write it down. Their lives would be in danger if this information fell into the wrong hands.”
“I understand, and thank you.”
Chang Chang waived her normal fee for setting up connections, but accepted it for the others, and they parted on pleasant terms.
“Give my regards to your brother if you ever see him again,” Chang Chang called as Suk Hing departed for the long journey back home, repeating the new information in her head as she travelled. She had no real idea if she could trust Chang Chang, or the information given to her. The whole trip could have been a waste of money, or worse, a trap. She had to take the risk, though, and the excursion to Guangzhou had left her feeling a little more in control of the situation. There was less left to chance and her odds of survival seemed to have improved.
The time flew by, and soon it was the night before her journey would begin. Struggling to control the whorl of fear and excitement within her, Suk Hing made her way to the park, where she would take her final walk with Jin Jing.
“Jin Jing, I’m leaving tonight.”
“Tonight! Suk Hing, that’s wonderful! Are you sure? Will you be safe? You have your route, I guess. And your travelling companions, right? Don’t answer, don’t answer…I’m just…”
Jin Jing paused; there were tears welling in her eyes. She gripped Suk Hing by the shoulders.
“You’ll make it. You’re going to make it.”
“Thank you, Jin Jing, for everything. Without you I couldn’t have even come this far.”
The two friends embraced.
“I hope I never see you again,” said Jin Jing, half-joking.
That night, Suk Hing waited until her mother went to bed, and then crept into the large room that served as a kitchen. Her backpack sat in the corner, already containing two deflated ball bladders, her compass, and around thirty Yuan, which was all that was left of her savings after buying the necessary items little by little. She now had to prepare food. The others had given her advice on what to take with her. She mixed rice flour and sugar in a bowl with water into a stiff paste that she could squeeze into balls, quickly fry, and lay in rows to cool and dry out before she packed them. This was all she had to eat for the next week at least, but they were small and light, easy to carry, and the sugar and carbohydrates would provide her body with much needed energy, albeit in very small quantities.
Having done all she could for now, Suk Hing lay down to try and grab some precious sleep before it was time to leave.