Most people cannot understand how 48 year old Wang Pin-yi, former vice-chairman and secretary of the Yunnan Gymnastic Association, could cross over the many mountains and rivers that lay between him and Free China. In addition to the geographical barriers, there was also illness to contend with, for on the way he contracted malaria and nearly died. After such a long and arduous trek to freedom he should have taken a rest. Instead, Wang immediately went to work training gymnasts, after the Ministry of Education had given its approval to the plans he drew up.

The lights in the coach's office of the Taipei Gymnastic Center go on every morning at 5 a.m. Wang Pin-yi has already begun preparing the menu and training schedule and will continue working until 10 that evening. Day in and day out he works like this, never complaining of exhaustion, never even having to suppress a yawn. The athletes sometimes tease him, "Coach, have you got gymnastics fever?"

He replies; "Actually, it was much worse on the mainland. We were like beasts of burden. There was no avoiding the constant criticism and arguing. Physical suffering is not real suffering, but the suppression of the spirit is what breaks you down. Now that I have escaped from that life, I treasure every moment. Here I live like a human being.

Recently, the Communist Chinese ambassador to the U.S., Chai Tse-min, was lecturing at the University of Minnesota when he was asked about cellist Lee Tien-hui's flight to freedom (March 1982 issue of Sinorama). He answered, "Lee Tien-hui's life in Taiwan is terrible. She has no classes and no students. She really regrets her decision. . . ."

Lee Tien-hui could only laugh when she heard that. She opened up her appointment calendar and said, "I want to send a copy of this to Chai Tse-min, and teach him what regret is."

Her class scheldule is booked solid with students' names. Besides teaching a chamber music class every afternoon at the University of Chinese Culture, she teaches cello in her home Monday through Saturday. She almost has no time to practice herself.

Asked about her life being "terrible", Lee laughed again. "My current income is 17.8 times higher than what it was on the mainland." She has decorated her home with modern furniture and rugs, and has purchased a color television set, a video recorder, stereo, piano, telephone, air conditioner. . . She commented, "These are not really important. What is important is that I am free to control my time, free to do what I want."

Communist Chinese physics professor Hsu Chia-luan has only been in Taiwan four months. He told Sinorama, "30 years ago I had an opportunity to come to Taiwan to teach. I never thought it would take so long to get here, or that I would have to expend so much energy doing it." In 1946, when Hsu graduated from Kuanghsi University, he was offered the chance to come to the National Taiwan University by the dean of his college who was being transferred to Taiwan. Hsu Chia-luan could not decide whether to go or not and wound up in Anhwei University's physics department.

Hsu remarked: "To be honest, in my youth, I was a leftist. I even welcomed the Communists with open arms because I thought they would do what they said they would do." It did not take long for Hsu to become disillusioned. During the Cultural Revolution he was branded an enemy element and sentenced to labor reform. From 1968 until 1973 he was separated from his family and had to wash bathrooms, clean dormitories, and maintain campus grounds. Hsu was humiliated by having a placard hung around his neck reading "counter-revolutionary". Finally, in 1973 he was rehabilitated and allowed to resume his teaching position.

In 1980, he went to the U.S. for further studies and began reading periodicals from the Republic of China. "What influenced me most, and what planted the seeds of defection, was an interview in Sinorama with Finance Minister Chao. I was so surprised and excited I read it several times. Minister Chao said, 'I am ready to step down at any time. I do not want to remain in this post forever.' This told me here was a government with possibilities, a government with a future."

More fortunate than these three anti-Communist warriors who had to leave their families behind in order to escape to freedom are husband and wife, Li Ken-tao and Liu Man-ling. On the mainland they helped each other get through 30 years of hopelessness and humiliation, until finally they were sent to Germany for studies. Last March they defected together to Free China.

The Li's new home is in central Taiwan near Fengchia University where they now teach. Li Ken-tao is an assistant professor of mathematics, while Liu Man-ling is a lecturer in chemical engineering. Their new, beautifully decorated, well-lit home is an amazing contrast to their residence on the mainland. Liu reminisced, "On the mainland we lived in a 12 square meter room which faced north. In the winter we had no sunlight at all. With our two children there were four of us all in one little room. We only had one double bed, a writing desk, a table, a small closet, and three chairs. At night the children would do their homework and my husband would read. I had to use the bed for a desk. We lived like that for 10 years until my husband was promoted. We were then given a new apartment with four more square meters and for the first time the sun shone into our home.

"The quiet, peaceful, simple life we lead is like heaven to us! We are so happy. Except that we could not bring our children with us, there is nothing that we lack." Although they are satisfied with life in Taiwan, "the happier we are, the more worried and more anxious we become," Li Ken-tao explained. "It is not just that we worry about our two children still on the mainland, it is also that we think about all the other people there who do not know how to get by." Their greatest hope is that the Three Principles of the People will unify China. "That way all Chinese will be able to enjoy the peaceful, free life we have here." This is the fervent hope of all anticommunist warriors, and all Chinese as well.

[Picture Caption]

Left: Lee Tien-hui in her study. Right: Prof. Hsu Chia-luan said that because he hesitated 30 years ago, he has had to pay a high price to finally arrive in Taiwan.

1: Wang Pin-yi coaching a gymnast. 2: Wang said he wants to train first-rate gymnasts for his free homeland. 3: Dressed casually at home, Li Ken-tao asked if he should change clothes for the photo. 4: Liu Man-ling combing her hair. 5: Today Li and Liu live and work happily in their free homeland, still they often think of the children they left behind.

Left: Lee Tien-hui teaching cello at home. Right: Taiwan University students think Prof. Hsu Chia-luan is a very fine teacher.

Prof. Hsu Chia-luan said that because he hesitated 30 years ago, he has had to pay a high price to finally arrive in Taiwan.

Wang Pin-yi coaching a gymnast.

Wang said he wants to train first-rate gymnasts for his free homeland.

Dressed casually at home, Li Ken-tao asked if he should change clothes for the photo.

Liu Man-ling combing her hair.

Today Li and Liu live and work happily in their free homeland, still they often think of the children they left behind.

Lee Tien-hui teaching cello at home.

Taiwan University students think Prof. Hsu Chia-luan is a very fine teacher.