by Chuck Sambar

Never in our wildest dreams would our family think to spend Christmas in China, a country whose people and culture neither celebrate nor believe in Christmas. In our culture, the Christmas season is a very special time of year when families gather to celebrate the joy, warmth, and blessings of the holiday season. And as with most people, our family tries to be together during the holidays and, sometimes, our efforts lead us to some unusual experiences. Traveling to China to celebrate Christmas was one such event.

One week before a recent Christmas, our family left the bright lights of Southern California and journeyed half way around the world to China to spend the holidays in an atmosphere devoid of any Christmas carols, colored lights, bright ornaments, tinseled trees, or cheer. But as luck would have it, our Christmas in China was a most unique, unusual, and a once in a lifetime experience which our family will not soon forget.

It all started when we learned that our son, Al, a naval aviator on active duty assignment in Southeast Asia, and his wife, Phyllis, would again not be able to come home for the holidays. My wife, Mary, and I, and our sons, Chris, and Tod and his wife, Stacia, decided to travel and celebrate Christmas with them. Thus we decided to meet in China to celebrate the joy of a warm Christmas in the privacy of a family gathering, and to explore the mystery and charm of the Silk Road with visits to the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Great Summer Palace, and Tianenmen Square, among others.

Beijing is a huge city with ancient history, friendly people, and remarkable contrast. Driving from the airport to the city, we saw wide boulevards, huge projects, a few tall buildings, and thousands of plain, low , modest homes. Our hotel was an impressive high rise overlooking a wide, new boulevard in the new section of Beijing. The hotel's lobby was huge, ornate, with massive stairs leading from the foyer to the second level. It had large, round, marble columns, and exquisite art comparable to any we saw in hotels in the free world.

We soon learned that the hotel was occupied by foreign tourists and business travelers only. The staff spoke impeccable English and the service, food, and beverage were all patterned after American luxury hotels.

The absence of any sign that Christmas was only a few days away was very evident. There was nothing in the hotel lobby to indicate that this was the time to celebrate peace on earth and goodwill to all men. No Christmas tree, decorations, or presents, and no hint that Santa was on his way.

Based on our study of what to expect in China during the holidays, we were aware that Christmas would not be a usual event. My wife, however, came prepared with a suitcase full of individually wrapped presents, a folder of traditional family favorite Christmas carols, and a tape recording of holiday songs by Bing Crosby. And to make sure that the family would be ready for our private Christmas celebration, Mary and I went to a nearby huge department store and purchased colorful ornaments, streamers, and other decorations which we used to decorate our hotel rooms.

On the day before Christmas, we went on a full day of touring and visiting the Great Wall of China and a visit to the Summer Palace, an ancient and revered historic, and impressive sight. We returned to our hotel at about six in the evening and what an incredible sight was waiting for us.

As we entered the hotel, we came face to face with the most lavish and colorfully decorated lobby we have ever seen. While we were gone touring, the hotel staff had transformed the lobby into an enchanting Christmas land with decorations, colorful displays, and wrapped presents. The most surprising sight, however, was the presence of hundreds of little children huddled in groups all over the huge lobby.

The children were between the ages of five and ten and all were dressed in the most elaborate and colorful costumes. Many carried streamers, colored umbrellas, and wrapped packages. On one side of the lobby, an orchestra of young musicians was playing Christmas music. And in the center of the lobby was a group of children singing and dancing. We recognized the music and we could hear the young children singing a Christmas carol in English.

The beautiful Chinese children were precious as they sang with a distinct Chinese flavor and we felt very fortunate and honored to be entertained by them. We could sense the pride of their parents and teachers who stood on the sides beaming with pride and pleasure.

We learned that the hotel management had planned this special evening earlier in the year when they contacted the schools and invited the teachers to teach the children the meaning and significance of Christmas. The lessons they learned included the history, culture, religion, music, art, and even Santa Claus. And as a reward for their study and preparation, the children were invited to present a special performance to the foreign guests at the new hotel.

One could not but feel the sense of pride, accomplishment, and success on the faces of the young children. They were so happy to sing the Christmas carols, play the music, dance, and narrate the story of Christmas, and we were so overwhelmed by the kindness and thoughtfulness that we forgot about dinner and our own Christmas decorations, presents, and carols.

For three hours, we were in the lobby of the hotel watching, singing, listening, dancing, and enjoying ourselves happily and peacefully. Peace on earth and goodwill to all men were on our minds and in our hearts. We thanked the teachers, children, parents, and the hotel staff for such a wonderful surprise, and cheerful Christmas Eve which we'll not soon forget.

P.S. Future columns will give my perspective on the human condition and the lack of political, economic, and intellectual freedoms of Chinese society.