Editor's Note: This article from the Chinese media was meant to show young Chinese what travel was like in China in the 1980s. The author writes that most young people do not know much about the generations before them. Traveling in 1985 in China was a vastly different world than today's tourism industry from food tickets, to letters of introductions, to sleeping on a giant common bed in a rickshaw hotel.

Young Chinese born in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, have no idea how the generation before them lived and traveled. They do not know that those before them needed a permission letter to travel, and needed special food tickets to purchase food. Those in the previous generation could stay in a hostel for 1 Yuan a night, take a 3 hour bus ride for 2 Yuan, and buy tickets to tourist attractions for only 1 Mao.

This period of time in China is known as “The Age of Innocence.” These photos, taken in 1985, were recorded on film, before the age of digital cameras. Let's take a look at how the previous generation lived and traveled.

1) Letters of Introduction as ID

30 years ago, there was no Internet, and no ID cards. If travelers wanted to travel on their own, they had to have a letter of introduction in order to stay at a hotel. Food was purchased with food stamps, not money. Without a letter of introduction, travelers risked being detained by local police as a drifter and being sent home.

2)  Food Stamps Necessary to Eat

When the previous generation went out to eat, they did not use money, but instead used food coupons or food stamps to purchase food. Food stamps were only valid for a certain province- when traveling, Chinese had to purchase coupons for a different region ahead of time. Travelers also could exchange local food tickets for national food stamps that could be used throughout China.

3) Film Cameras Were Popular

In the era of film shooting, domestic brand Seagull was number one. Chinese youth used the cameras with domestic brand Lucky 135 black and white film. Now, many photos shot with 135 film have become blurred over time. These photos are difficult to retain long-term. Today, Chinese youth only use SLR cameras, quite a difference from the generation before them.

 

4) Long-Distance Buses and Trains Cost A Few Yuan

30 years ago, long-distance bus tickets cost about 2 Yuan or more, and long-distance train tickets started at 3 Yuan. The ticket prices were kept low in order for the government to be able to “Serve the People.”

5) There was a 1 Yuan Rickshaw Hotel

A cheap rickshaw hotel was set up in Shashi, Hubei. Broken down rickshaws were lined up in a row to create an expensive and simple hotel. The hotel “beds” cost travelers 1 Yuan per night. The lined up rickshaws formed a large common bed which slept many, like a big apartment for a bunch of strangers. Men and women were separated into different sides, and gusts used public toilets. There were no showers. The rickshaw hotel could hold about 10 guests at a time, but at the height of its popularity the owners would pack in as many as they could.

6) Tent Hotels Existed

The Guangzhou Railway Bureau opened a tent hotel, called “Fairy House.” Travelers could rent tents for 5 Yuan a night, with a discounted price of 4 Yuan per night for teachers. The tent hotel was quickly booked up for days after opening. The tents were spread in an open field. The tents themselves were very small, with two blankets lain side by side, a bit of foam on the ground, and plastic sheeting. They zipped shut to prevent bugs from flying in at night.

7) Untouched Nature

Tianzai Mountain, Suoxi Valley Nature Reserve and other tourist attractions were still undeveloped virgin lands in 1985. Visitors were not allowed in. One man who traveled to the area 30 years ago said that he remembers eating the best chili frog cooked on the roadside by peasants in the area for 5 Yuan.

8) Prices for a Group Tour

In 1985, an 8 day tour cost 47.8 Yuan per person. The tour cost was broken down like this: 32.6 Yuan for tickets, 2.5 Yuan for attraction tickets, 8.7 Yuan for the hotel, and 0.5 Yuan per meal with 8 meals included. If travelers only wanted to eat noodles or steamed bread they could spend 2 food tickets plus 1 Mao. At the time, total monthly income for an entire household was about 100 Yuan. Taking four people on the trip meant spending about two months wages.

9) Airplane Trips Were Extravagant

To buy an airplane ticket in 1985, travelers had to first obtain a letter of permission. They also had to have enough money for a ticket, which were 40 or 50 Yuan. In the 1970s and 1980s, flights were mainly booked by government officials on business. Even for officials, who made 30 or 40 Yuan a month, taking an airplane was extravagant. The picture shows a cabin crew in 1980.

Source: Wenxue City

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Keywords: China travel 1985 Traveling in China 1985