Cai Hesen

Continuing our series on historical quirks, how about this from Montargis in central France. This undistingished town -- once known as the birthplace of ther praline but now a classic French mix of mediaeval buildings, hip-hop graffiti and bored youth -- once played a vital role in the Chinese revolution. Come again????? Okay let me explain. In the late 1910s and 20s hundreds of Chinese intellectuals came on work-study programme to France. Many were on the left, and looking at new ideas for reorganising Chinese society. Montargis -- about 70 miles south of Paris -- was a favoured destination because a decade earlier a Chinese expat had set up links there. There was a convenient rubber factory (Hutchinson of the US) as well as lodgings in a former school. Among the earliest to arive in Montargis was a group from Hunan province, numbering several friends of Mao Zedong. He had considered coming but decided not to. The group's leader was Cai Hesen (see above) who led study groups in the gardens behind the Montargis town hall, and in August 1920 sent a letter back to Mao urging the establishment of the Communist party. Apparently it is known as the August 13 letter, and Montargis is in all the Chinese history books. Anyway a year later the Communist party was set up (though if you read the fantastic bio of Mao by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday you can see how from the earliest days Mao was a Moscow entry-ist). Several other famous names from the Chinese Communist party lived in Montargis, including Deng Xiaoping - who many years later recalled being stopped by a French policeman for cycling without a light. Cai Hesen incidentally was later topped by the nationalists. It is all fascinating stuff, and Montargis is trying to capitalise on it by enticing in Chinese tourists. Trouble is there is not much to see. Just the park and a couple of buildings where they stayed. I met a group of visitors the other week. They were there in a semi-official capacity from some city or another. I asked if they had previously ever heard of Montargis. Universal shaking of the head. France yes - they had heard of France. But never Montargis. I fear the town fathers will have a tough job persuading Chinese visitors to forsake the shopping emporia of the Champs Elyees for a couple of dog-eared signposts about a letter no-one has ever heard of. Oh well. Ca vaut le détour dans la tete au moins.