Video: 'The Ping Pong Diplomacy: A Brief Explanation'

(Saturday, April 10, 1971, 10:18 a.m. Hong Kong Time; during the Cold War) — Sixteen members of the U.S. national table tennis team became the first contingent of Americans in more than 20 years to penetrate the so-called Bamboo Curtain today as they walked across a railway bridge from British Hong Kong at the invitation of the Chinese communist government for an eight-day visit described as ping-pong diplomacy.

The team and accompanying reporters were flown from Guangzhou to Tokyo seven days later after their historic visit.