In 1982, Simon Nowicki went to China on a guided tour of China organized by the Australia-China Friendship Society since it was the only way to see the country at that time. Six years had passed since the death of Chairman Mao and the end of the Cultural Revolution. Chinese relations with the West were beginning to improve. Nowicki and his fellow travelers visited rural villages, schools, nursing homes, hospitals, and families in their homes and iconic cultural sites such as the Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, and the Great Wall of China.
“Everywhere we went, local people were keen to engage with us, some wanting to practice their English and many curious to see what we were purchasing in shops and stores.”
