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Night cafe in Peking draws youths and foreigners
In a shabby Peace Hotel Cafe near Peking’s hostelry, hundreds of youths mingle with foreigners. A 35-year-old philosophy student discusses Western philosophy as a 14-year-old seeks English lessons. The venue, open daily 10 am to 10 pm under plainclothes police, serves hot dogs, ice cream, beer and champagne, while a growing foreign interest in tape recorders and cameras surfaces amid lively but tense interactions. The scene reflects a sanctioned, fragile experiment in social downtime after years of austerity.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Peking
Waterloo Bridge
China
Communist Party
Peace Hotel
Dour Plainclothes
Information Department
Foreign Ministry