Beijing's cold war underbelly is penetrated

Dedicated readers of this blog will know that I am unabashed about my love for all things history, particularly when it comes to China. Though I do love the ancient history of this country, I find myself intrigued more and more by the cold war-era history under Mao. When I walk around this city, I'm still fascinated by the faces of the older generation. I often wonder to myself whether or not they were caught up in the fervor of the Cultural Revolution, and if so, what side of the persecution were they on. And living in a neighborhood close to the Forbidden City and Zhongnanhai, I will occasionally take strolls around the area, and make note of places that have conspicuous, plain-clothes guards standing out front non-government looking buildings (though I'm almost 100 percent they have some connection to the government). And another thing I've also taken note of is the surprisingly large number of air-raid shelters I've found in my wanderings. These, of course, date back to the beginning of the Sino-Soviet split, when the central government feared (and some say rightfully so) a Soviet nuclear attack. But, unfortunately, these throwbacks to the cold war-era are virtually inaccessible to us today, unless you're willing to face arrest by breaking into them. However, at least one intrepid laowai has managed to worm his way into the underbelly of Beijing. I direct you to a wonderful blog being compiled by Eric Abrahamsen for a new book coming out, which I will definitely be picking up when it's finally finished.