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MDHIAN 4911.
POSSIBLE TO GET HALF WAY UP THE MOUNTAIN BY BUS, SO THOSE WHO GET TO THE TOP OF TAISHAN BY 1100 A M GO EITHER ALL THE WAY BY CABLE CAR OR A COMBINATION OF BUS, CAR, WALKING AND CABLE CAR. IT OUGHT TO BE POSSIBLE TO GET UP AND DOWN BY USING A SKILFUL COMBINATION OF THESE VARIOUS MEANS OF TRANSPORT, WHILE STILL INCLUDING A PART OF THE JOURNEY ON FOOT BY THE STONE STEPS.
7. THERE IS AN HOTEL AT THE TOP. ACCOMMODATION HAS IMPROVED SINCE THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND I CLIMBED TAISHAN TOGETHER IN 1956, BUT I AM AFRAID THAT IT WILL NOT BE PLUSH ACCOMMODATION. ONE HAS TO BOOK EARLY TO GET THE BEST OF THE BEDS.
8.
FOR THE TRAVELLER WHO SPENDS A NIGHT AT THE PEAK, THERE IS AN EARLY MORNING CALL TO WATCH THE SUN RISE AT APPROXIMATELY 0530 HOURS. ONE COULD GET DOWN THE MOUNTAIN AGAIN TO TAI'AN BETWEEN 0600 AND 1100 A M BY A COMBINATION OF CABLE CAR, BUS, WALKING, ETC. AFTER LUNCH AT THE FOOT OF THE MOUNTAIN, ONE COULD CATCH THE TRAIN FROM TAI'AN TO JINAN LEAVING AT 1230 HOURS ARRIVING AT JINAN AT 3.30 P M, OR DO THE JOURNEY BY ROAD. THERE IS TRAIN NUMBER 26 FROM JINAN TO PEKING DEPARTING 1607 ARRIVING AT 2250. THERE IS NO WAY TO GET TO HONG KONG DIRECTLY FROM JINAN.
9. IF THE SECRETARY OF STATE WERE TO ARRIVE IN PEKING ON TUESDAY,2 APRIL, HE COULD HAVE HIS WELCOMING BANQUET THAT NIGHT, HAVE
TALKS AND SOME SIGHTSEEING IN PEKING ON WEDNESDAY, 3 APRIL AND THURSDAY, 4 APRIL, PERHAPS TAKING ONE OF THE NIGHT TRAINS TO JINAN ON THE NIGHT OF THURSDAY, 4 APRIL. HE COULD ASCEND TAISHAN ON FRIDAY, 5 APRIL, SPENDING THE NIGHT THERE AND GET DOWN AND BACK TO PEKING BY 11 PM ON THE NIGHT OF SATURDAY, 6 APRIL. HE WOULD THEN BE FREE TO FLY FROM PEKING, TO HONG KONG ON SUNDAY, 7 APRIL.
10. IF THE SECRETARY OF STATE DID NOT HAVE TO BE IN HONG KONG UNTIL MONDAY, 8 APRIL THIS MIGHT ALLOW A LITTLE MORE COMFORT AND FLEXIBILITY BECAUSE THE PROGRAMME OUTLINED ABOVE WOULD BE VERY CROWDED AND QUITE ARDUOUS. BUT I WOULD EXPECT THAT ONCE I AM IN A POSITION TO TALK TO THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS I MIGHT BE ABLE TO CUT SOME OF THE CORNERS AND PROVIDE A DETAILED ITINERARY.
11. IF THIS KIND OF OUTLINE SCHEME DOES NOT APPEAL TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE, I WOULD SUGGEST AS AN ALTERNATIVE A VISIT TO CHENGDE (FORMERLY JEHOL), THE SITE OF THE QING SUMMER RESORT
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