I also had a book by the 19th-century novelist\u00a0Injinash<\/a>. Unfortunately this was in three volumes and publication details for all three were only in the first volume. If an illustrated book couldn\u2019t be posted, the novel didn\u2019t stand a chance.<\/p>\n Since time was short I decided to send only the Chinese books.<\/p>\n But this little episode brought home how abnormal the atmosphere is becoming in China. This was a book published in the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, in the language of that region. The post office was in an Inner Mongolian city. The book was obviously not about Mao or the Cultural Revolution. But I could not post it without special clearance.<\/p>\n This absurd situation was caused by an accumulation of factors:<\/p>\n Whatever the cause, it is inconceivable in most countries that books published in that country could not be sent by post without special clearance.<\/p>\n I entertain little hope that the Chinese security authorities could be shamed into modifying their methods. They are not afraid of being described as heavy-handed since that is their job. Nor are they likely to be shamed by ridicule if they sincerely believe that someone might go to the expense of printing information about the Cultural Revolution concealed inside a children\u2019s book.<\/p>\n Illustrations<\/strong><\/p>\n Pangu, the mythical first living being:<\/p>\n Publication data for the children's book about Pangu:<\/p>\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu\/~bgzimmer\/pangupage1a.png\" "\\"Click")
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