In the throes of the Cultural Revolution, the renowned Chinese musician Ma Sicong and his family fled to the United States. This story became a worldwide sensation. We explore how he escaped, why he needed to run, why he and his family stayed in a cave, and the outcome of his perilous journey — extracts from The Biography of Ma Sicong written by Ye Yonglie.
Night flight of Ma Sicong and his family
In the late evening of January 15, 1967, Ma Sicong fled with his wife Wang Muli, son Rulong, and second daughter Ruixue and boarded the tugboat “002” in Xinzhou, Guangdong, and departed the Chinese mainland in the dark. The tugboat journey cost him HK$50,000 (US$6,394), a substantial sum at the time.
On January 16, the tugboat docked at Lantau Island, Hong Kong. After going ashore, Ma Sicong took off his Mao Zedong badge and threw it into the sea. The family hid out in a cave during the daytime, and that night, they stayed at a relative’s house in Kowloon.
Headline news
Hong Kong newspapers published photos of the tugboat “002” abandoned at Lantau Island. Ma Sicong felt that Hong Kong was no longer safe for his family. Fearing that he would be deported back to the mainland, he decided to try and escape to the United States. There, he hoped to join his ninth brother, Ma Sihong.
China and the United States had not established diplomatic relations then and were in political hostility. Ma Sicong had no verification documents, so he needed to contact the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong through a friend. After the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong confirmed his identity, they immediately negotiated with the British Hong Kong government, hoping to expedite his departure to the United States as soon as possible.
His escape was leaked to the press, placing his life in jeopardy
While the United States and Britain secretly held discussions and made plans for the family’s safety, someone leaked the news to the press. On January 19, 1967, the front pages of dozens of Chinese and English newspapers in Hong Kong carried the headline “Famous Chinese Musician Ma Sicong Escaped to Hong Kong.”
Almost every newspaper listed Ma Sicong’s title: “Vice Chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Musicians Association, Deputy to the National People’s Congress, and President of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing.”
The news immediately became a hot leading topic. The U.S. consul in Hong Kong called the Governor of Hong Kong and asked if he had read the day’s newspaper. He said that if Ma Sicong remained in Kowloon, his safety could not be guaranteed and that Mr. Ma must leave Hong Kong immediately for the United States. The Governor of Hong Kong agreed.
Life became too dangerous in Hong Kong
Immediately after the call, the U.S. Consul in Hong Kong sent someone to take Ma Sicong and his family to Windsor House. Upon meeting his family, the consul said enthusiastically: “Mr. Ma, Mrs. Ma, we have prepared a table of food and wine to welcome you and to suppress your shock. After luncheon, we will go to the airport together.”
Ma Sicong hurriedly asked: “Going to the airport? Fly to where?” The American consul slowed down the pace of his speech and sent every word clearly into Ma Sicong’s ears: “Fly to Washington!”
On the afternoon of January 19, 1967, accompanied by the U.S. consul in Hong Kong, Ma Sicong and his family all boarded a plane bound for Washington.
Forced by the destructive Cultural Revolution to become a fugitive
On April 12, 1967, the U.S. Department of State announced that Ma Sicong, president of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, fled China and took refuge in the United States. Mr. Ma, his wife, and two children were granted asylum. Later, Ma Sicong held a press conference in New York and delivered a speech titled Why I fled China.
Ma Sicong said: “I am a musician. I cherish a quiet and peaceful life and need a suitable working environment. As a Chinese, I greatly love and respect my country and people. All the misfortunes I have suffered are insignificant compared to the current tragedy in China. The Cultural Revolution is destroying China’s intellectuals. The events that have occurred since last summer and autumn have plunged me into complete despair and forced me and my family to become fugitives.”
Ma Sicong described the various tribulations he suffered during the Cultural Revolution.
On May 16, 1966, the Cultural Revolution broke out. Central Conservatory of Music students put up posters for their Dean, Ma Sicong, at the end of May. Overnight, he became a “bourgeois reactionary” and the regime’s prime target.
See Part 2 here.
