Sea of Freedom

Sea of Freedom: One Man's Struggle to Leave Mao's China traces Li Kong's journey from innocent child to educated man. Forced to flee the threat of persecution, he decided on the United States, but the journey was both physically and spiritually harrowing. This incredible true story of one man's escape from China during the Cultural Revolution of 1966-1976, a story of miracles and persistence despite incredible odds, is a story that anyone who wants to see the world through the eyes of a political refugee should read.

Sea of Freedom: One Man's Struggle to Leave Mao's China traces Li Kong's journey from innocent child to educated man. Forced to flee the threat of persecution, he decided to escape to Hong Kong and eventually make his way to the United States. His journey was both physically and spiritually harrowing. This incredible true story of one man's escape from China during the Cultural Revolution of 1966-1976, a story of miracles and persistence despite incredible odds, is a story that anyone who wants to see the world through the eyes of a political refugee should read. In Chinese, the word for the United States means "land of beauty", offering freedom, refuge and something an oppressive regime could never take away - hope. In 1967, after any celebration of the Chinese New Year had been banned, Li Kong listened to Voice of America over short-wave radio and heard simple but sincere well wishes for Chinese New Year. He decided that within 10 years, he would become a citizen of the United States and seek freedom and refuge there. But there would be many obstacles, and Sea of Freedom: One Man's Struggle to Leave Mao's China describes in both gut-wrenching and inspiring detail how these obstacles were overcome. With a story arching over several decades, this epic and timely tale reveals why Li Kong decided to forsake his birth country and seek out a better life overseas. In today's political climate, where immigration policies are being questioned around the world, Sea of Freedom is especially relevant, and a must-read for anyone wanting a better understanding of other cultures and social politics.

Li Kong spent much of his early adult life searching for a way to escape communist China. An educated free thinker, the Cultural Revolution in China turned his life upside down. Persecuted both for his beliefs and for political reasons, Li Kong eventually left to find refuge in Hong Kong and then the United States. He settled in California in 1976 and has lived there ever since. He was able to start a successful business in California but has always remained interested in poetry, literature and history.