Religion: The Missionaries Leave

History's chapters are apt to end while nobody is looking, but today in China, everybody can see a page turning. Every afternoon in the week, over the little railroad bridge that spans the river at Lowu, on the border of Hong Kong, the Christian missionaries come plodding out of Communist China. Sometimes only one or two at a time, sometimes in groups as large as 40 or more, fagged and haggard from their long trek out of the interior, women as well as men, Protestants and Catholics, French, Belgians, Germans, Italians and Americans.

For a while, the Christian churches were hopeful that...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!