Tourists Having Fine Time in Beijing

Perhaps only in China could near-anarchy become a tourist attraction rather than a traveler’s nightmare.

Despite the declaration of martial law in the Chinese capital and embassy warnings, rickshaw drivers were making small fortunes Saturday carrying tourists to and from Tian An Men Square in central Beijing to see hundreds of thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators.

Some tourists took after-dinner strolls along Changan Avenue--the Avenue of Eternal Peace--gaping at tens of thousands of students heading for the square in commandeered trucks, waving banners and vowing to fight to the end for freedom.

Some foreigners even joined in.

“I marched with the protesters yesterday,” said Illinois native Peggy Ozment, who is a vendor of popcorn machines. “I’m excited. I feel like I am part of history. I’m not afraid to go out. I think it’s just marvelous.”

Atmosphere Like Woodstock

The balmy 70-plus degree weather and the Woodstock-like festival atmosphere proved a major attraction. Thoughts of danger or possible bloodshed seemed far from foreigners’ minds.

“Me, I’m not at all afraid to go into the streets,” said New Yorker Howard Goldstein.

There were some minor irritations for tour groups. The Forbidden City, because of its location next to the sit-in area at Tian An Men Square, indeed became forbidden by squeamish tour operators.

Tours to the Great Wall were canceled and operators racked their brains to find ways to keep their charges indoors and entertained--but with little success, as tourists instead chose to check out the protests.

“We really haven’t had too many complaints,” said one Chinese-American tour operator. “People are enjoying the action.”

Posing Among Banners

In Tian An Men Square, tourists took happy snapshots and posed amid the banners and semi-squalor of the protest site, oblivious to government orders forbidding foreigners to mix with demonstrators.

The martial-law decree issued for vast areas of the capital also gave troops and police wide arrest powers and the right even to open fire on foreigners should they violate the law.

Tourists ignored warnings by the U.S. and other Western embassies advising their citizens to keep a low profile, remain indoors after dark, avoid mingling with protesters and to register with their respective embassies.

The U.S. Embassy put its Marine guard on standby and opened a 24-hour information center, while the British Embassy advised its nationals to simply “keep their heads down.”