Delegates and departures: Tong Xirong

"The first time I went abroad was to Australia as part of a delegation authorized by the Ministry of Justice in 1999," said Tong Xirong, former vice-president of East China University of Political Sciences and Law in Shanghai.
The 68-year-old spent about a month with the delegation, visiting Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

"I was curious about everything at the time, even though I had seen what the country looked like in television programs," he said, laughing. "The fruit in Australia was much more expensive than in Shanghai."

He said that in the 1980s and '90s, policy constraints meant overseas visits were mostly limited to people employed by the government or State-owned institutions, and they were usually for academic purposes or work rather than merely for travel or leisure.

"Back then few people traveled overseas in groups, partly because people didn't have much money and also because there was little awareness of the opportunity to do so," he said. "We did notice some Chinese travelers in Melbourne, but rather a small number."

In 2002, Tong visited Italy and France with a government delegation, and in 2006, he went to Canada and the United States.

"Things were different from 1999. I heard people speaking Chinese all around me when I visited Italy and France, especially in Chinese restaurants," he recalled.

"I felt that China seemed more open as I saw dozens of travel groups at the Palace of Versailles in France."

He noted that overseas travel is now a common experience for the average Chinese, not just a privilege enjoyed by government employees.

After retiring from the university, Tong traveled to Seoul, South Korea, and London, England, with his family.

"Compared with my peers, even younger colleagues, I have visited very few foreign destinations," he said.

"A neighboring couple has traveled to nearly 50 countries since 2000, and younger teachers at our university usually go abroad for vacations, which I never imagined doing when I was their age."

Tong is pleased to see the rapid development of China's economy and tourism.
"My friends who had the chance to go abroad in the early 1980s always talked about how beautiful and modern foreign countries were. That left me with a sense of loss because I believed our nation was backward," he said.

"But now traveling overseas is not a big deal－it's more like dropping by to see the neighbors－and foreign foods such as milk candies and steaks are common in Shanghai."