▁Japanese . ▁ ▁Ber tr am ▁travel led ▁to ▁in ▁a ▁difficult ▁eleven - day ▁journey ▁including ▁crossing ▁the ▁fro zen ▁over ▁Y ellow ▁River ▁on ▁foot ▁to ▁report ▁on ▁what ▁later ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁X i ' an ▁Inc ident ▁/ S ian ▁Inc ident ▁or ▁the ▁X i ' an ▁( S ian ) ▁Mut iny . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁foreign ▁journalist ▁to ▁reach ▁the ▁city ▁which ▁was ▁under ▁block ade ▁by ▁the ▁Ku om int ang . ▁▁ ▁Mail ▁and ▁te legraph ▁communic ations ▁being ▁blocked , ▁Ber tr am ▁joined ▁Ag nes ▁S med ley ▁in ▁providing ▁radio ▁reports ▁on ▁the ▁situation ▁in ▁the ▁re bel ▁capital ▁during ▁his ▁month - long ▁stay . ▁ ▁The ▁X i ' an ▁Inc ident ▁is ▁seen ▁now ▁as ▁a ▁turning ▁point ▁in ▁modern ▁Chinese ▁history ▁as ▁it ▁marked ▁the ▁formal ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ten ▁year ▁civil ▁war ▁between ▁National ists ▁and ▁Commun ists ▁and ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁an ▁effective ▁United ▁Front ▁of ▁resistance ▁to ▁Japan . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁his ▁X i ' an ▁reports , ▁Ber tr am ' s ▁Rh odes ▁trav elling ▁fellow ship ▁was ▁renew ed ▁for ▁a ▁second ▁year . ▁ ▁Back ▁in ▁Be ij ing , ▁together ▁with ▁Ed gar ▁Snow ▁he ▁founded ▁an ▁English - language ▁journal ▁' D em ocracy ' ▁which ▁was ▁translated ▁into ▁Chinese ▁and ▁widely ▁circul ated . ▁The ▁material ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁journal ▁formed ▁the ▁core ▁of ▁his ▁book ▁Cris is ▁in ▁China ▁( 1