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“Page 121:
We left Xi'an through a fine gateway in the massive walls and plunged at once into a ghastly industrial suburb. I found my mood, my whole attitude towards China often changed as swiftly, so that I sometimes alternated between awestruck admiration and outright disgust. Their past and present attainments are outstanding. The level of culture reached repeatedly during succssive dynasties was so superior and produced so many exquisite objects. Life at court must have represented at many times civilization of a very high order during eras when most of the rest of the world was producing nothing remotely comparable. But we are told, and unquestionably it was true much of the time, that, like many empires, it was based on great cruelty, slavery and the oppression of the vast majority of the people.”