This digital exhibit presents a selection of photos contributed by members of the Committee of Concerned Asian Scholars (CCAS) Friendship Delegations that traveled to China in 1971 and 1972. The CCAS was founded in March 1969 by faculty and graduate students opposed to the Vietnam War and later became a strong supporter of the reestablishment of U.S.-China relations in the 1970s. The 1971 CCAS delegation was the first group of Asian specialists to travel to mainland China after the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949. The 1972 delegation's visit came shortly after President Nixon's historic trip. Both groups traveled throughout the country to meet with and document the lives of workers, farmers, students, government officials, and soldiers.

This digital exhibit provides context and narrative via descriptive itineraries and narratives drawn from the writings of delegation members. It also provides first-hand insight into events that preceded the normalization of China-U.S. relations and also present a panoramic view of cultural and social conditions in China during the Cultural Revolution. The images are part of a digitized collection of more than 2000 photo slides and photos developed at the UC San Diego Library. Please visit lib.ucsd.edu/ccas to view the full collection.