In the reeducation camp, Tang was chained hand and foot and forced to do heavy and demeaning work such as carting stones and spreading manure. Most of Tang's colleagues, undernourished, overworked and lacking his physical stamina and determination, eventually succumbed. Tang's will to live and to drive out China's enemies gave him the strength he needed.
但是，在勞改營中挑石子、擔大糞、鑿石壁時，都帶著手銬、腳鐐，每天付出超乎體力的勞動量，又都處在半饑餓狀態，那還有精力策畫逃亡的事？