A Geek in China: Discovering the Land of Alibaba, Bullet Trains and Dim Sum

149 Pages·2016·43.54 MB·English

by  Matthew B. Christensen

A

Geek

in
CHINA

Discovering THe LAnD
oF BuLLeT TrAins,
ALiBABA AnD Dim sum
MATTHEW CHRISTENSEN
Content Advisor: MICHAEl A. PAul
TuT Tle Publishing
Tokyo Rutland, Vermont Singapore
2 introduction
CCoonntteenntsts
004 The China Few People See
CHAPTER 1
China Past and Present 036 Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
040 China’s Martial Arts Traditions
010 Historical and Mythological Figures
Who Still Matter Today 044 Chinese Literature and Legends
012 Highlights of Chinese History 046 To the Chinese, Food is Heaven
014 Here Comes the West: The Opium Wars 048 Regional Chinese Cuisines
016 Civil War and the Rise of the Communists 054 What is Real Chinese Food?
018 The Chinese Language
CHAPTER 3
020 Mandarin or Cantonese?
Chinese Character and Society
022 China’s Many Religious and
Philosophical Traditions 058 Building a Harmonious Society
024 Chinese Buddhism and Other Beliefs 060 Communicating Chinese Style
026 Famous Historical and Cultural Sites in China 062 A Sea of Humanity
064 The Communist Party of China
C HAPTER 2
066 Confucian Values and Family Life
Chinese Culture and Food
068 Women and Children in China
032 Traditional Chinese Arts 070 China’s Millennial Generation
035 A Long Tradition of Chinese Silk 072 Internet and Cell Phone Culture
The China Few PeoPle See 3
CHAPTER 4
108 Chinese Cinema in China
The Face of Urban China
110 Famous Actors and Actresses
076 Rise of the Chinese Middle Class
112 Chinese Films You Should Watch
078 Doing Business in China
114 Television in China
080 Working in a Chinese Office
082 China’s Education Boom C HAPTER 6
084 Architecture and Infrastructure Visiting China
086 Being a Foreigner in China
118 What to See in Beijing
090 Studying and Living in China
120 What to See in Shanghai
122 What to See Outside Beijing and Shanghai
CHAPTER 5
124 Main Sites in Other Parts of China
The Chinese at Play
126 Off the Beaten Track in China
094 Sports and Leisure Activities
130 My Favorite Places in China
096 Celebrating Chinese Style
132 Getting Around in China
098 China’s Newfound Love of Travel
134 Visiting Taiwan
100 The Evolution of Chinese Music
138 Visiting Hong Kong
104 Modern Chinese Art and Artists
106 Chinese Books, Magazines and Comics 142 Photo Credits
4 introduction
THE CHINA FEW PEOPLE SEE
In a single generation, China has evolved from an ancient civilization
into a modern nation. Reminders of the past are everywhere, from the
Great Wall to the deference and respect with which people treat their
elders. China has now stepped onto the world stage as a great power,
but for a long time we knew next to nothing about it. And practically
everything that we now touch in our daily lives comes from China, from
the clothes we wear to the iPhones we carry.
China formally introduced itself to the world in 2008 when I have been traveling to China for almost 30 years now,
Beijing hosted the Summer Olympic Games. For many people, and have spent many of these years training students to
this was their first close look at China. Before this, their vision travel, work and study in China. Although China today
of the country centered around ping-pong, panda bears, kung- looks superficially like a modern, Westernized country,
fu and tea. In the past two decades, the West has witnessed an under the surface it is very different. This includes things
emerging world power that in some ways looks like any other like humor, television and movies, cultural values, how the
modern nation but in others looks awfully foreign. Chinese perceive and interact with the media, their history
Since I first visited China in the early 1980s, things have and daily practices, the kind of literature they value, social
changed dramatically. At that time, China was emerging from rules of conduct, what, how and where they eat, and so
a xenophobic period when it cut itself off from the rest of the on. This book attempts to expose you, the reader, to the
world and was deeply entrenched in Communist ideology. various things in China that make it quintessentially China.
With Mao Zedong’s death and Deng Xiaoping’s economic These are the things that all Chinese know and have grown
reforms of the early 1980s, China began a slow transforma- up with. Understanding them will help to make your own
tion from a society where the central government owned and experience of China much richer because you will under-
operated literally everything to a new hybrid society, the likes stand why people do the things they do and think the way
of which the world has never seen. they think.
5
Opposite top A PLA soldier at the
entrance to the Forbidden City. Opposite
below Old and new. Left Nanjing Road,
Shanghai, during the May 1st holiday.
Below Chen Tianshu painting and
calligraphy exhibition, Liuzhou.
WHY IS CHINA DIFFERENT?
For much of China’s long history, it was largely cut off from
the outside world and developed independently of the West.
This was partly due to geography. High mountains and harsh
deserts formed a natural barrier to the west and a large ocean
to the east made it difficult to go in that direction. As a result,
WHY CHINA IS SPECIAL TO ME
China has developed its own internal set of values and social
structures: I’m fascinated by antiquity and China is the ideal
1. Society in China is based on a set of Confucian principles
place to experience it. To walk a cobbled pathway
that emphasize the importance of relationships and
along a stone city wall constructed a thousand years
hierarchy.
ago fills me with wonder. Who else has walked this
2. In Chinese society, the group is the most important unit
same path? Reading poetry written 2,500 years
whereas in the West we emphasize the importance of the
ago gives me a glimpse into the lives of an ancient
individual. In China, being part of a group or organiza-
people, how they lived, their emotions and what they
tion and maintaining harmony within the group, even
cared about.
being dependent on that group, is valued highly. In the
Modern China is a wonderful mix of old and new
West, we teach young people to think independently, to
where you find ancient Buddhist monasteries along-
stand out and make a name for themselves. In China,
side gleaming high-rise buildings, glitzy multistoried
parents teach their children to fit in and to avoid any-
restaurants next to dingy noodle shops right out of the
thing that might isolate them.
3. The Chinese written language is based on a set of char- Qing Dynasty, and high-fashion shoppers passing old
acters or symbols that are not alphabetic and must be men doing taichi in the park.
painstakingly memorized, which is a difficult task for One of the things that continually draws me to China
every Chinese student. This presents a significant barrier is its vast and varied cuisine. A fantastic meal is just
for many individuals from other parts of the world. around the corner no matter where you are in China.
4. China is one of the world’s oldest nations and has always
placed great value on its history. Change comes very
slowly here. Political and social structures developed
3,000 years ago still remain intact today. A change from
autocratic rule to democracy is unlikely in the near
future.
5. China has always been inward-looking. It has rarely been
a conqueror or colonizing power. The Chinese name for
China, Zhong-guo, means ‘central kingdom’. Outsiders
were considered barbarians and the Chinese never had
much desire to leave their borders or to learn from any-
one else. There was very little contact with the West until
the mid-1800s, and thus China stayed unique.
6 introduction
you go back to China, the transition is smoother until you get
to the point that when you step off the plane a ‘China’ switch
is thrown and you are ‘back home’ again.
LOOKS CAN BE DECEPTIVE
China’s big cities don’t look much different from any other
big modern city in the world. Towering steel and glass sky-
scrapers, upscale shopping centers, young people dressed in
designer fashions, modern subway systems and countless
restaurants and clubs are all part of the new China. But you
MY FIRST EXPERIENCE IN CHINA
I first went to China in 1985 as a college student
to study Chinese. Before that, I had lived in Hong
Kong, which whetted my appetite to see the real
China. After a long flight from San Francisco, full
A couple and their child on a scooter. Until recently, urban
couples could officially have only one child. of Chinese men smoking hand-rolled cigarettes,
we landed in Shanghai, spent the night there, then
boarded the train the next morning for Nanjing
MY INITIAL CULTURE SHOCK
where I would be studying at Nanjing University.
My first exposure to Chinese culture was in Hong Kong
It was immediately apparent that this was not the
where I lived for a year and a half. Being a British colony,
Westernized Hong Kong I knew. Back then, China
Hong Kong is much more Westernized than the rest of China.
had a raw, rough quality about it. At the same time,
But when I first boarded a plane to Shanghai, I could see
immediately that things were going to be very different. The it had an aura of deep history and cultural richness
plane was full of Chinese men all wearing similar dark blue or that immediately attracted me. The streets were
green trousers and jackets and all smoking hand-rolled ciga- teeming with bicycles and people but very few
rettes. They all wore white shirts. Every single one of them. cars, and everyone was dressed in dark blue or
The first thing you notice when you leave the airport in green Mao outfits. Although I was expecting a
China in summer is the intense heat, the ear-splitting noise dour, downtrodden people who had just a few
and the strange smells. These sensations can be overwhelm- years earlier survived the Cultural Revolution,
ing for a first-timer to China, like a hard slap in the face. the Chinese were happy, open and generous. I
The air and noise pollution are certainly more than you ever felt at home.
expected. In large cities, you seldom see the sun and the sky
is usually gray or yellow.
You may also feel overwhelmed by the crowds. People are
always ‘in your face’ in China, and you rarely find yourself
alone. Streets are packed with people jostling one another,
which can be irritating. They often stare at foreigners, making
you feel awkward. But many Chinese are friendly and will go
out of their way to help you. Traffic is completely chaotic. Be
very cautious when crossing the street as cars will very rarely
stop for you.
Everything feels different and foreign. This is normal. Even
if you expect it, it can still be a bit overwhelming the first few
days. Initially, the food may make your stomach churn. And
you may feel unnerved to see people spitting in the streets,
or so many people smoking, including young women.
But don’t despair. Keep an open mind and a willingness
to learn, and you will adapt quickly and enjoy your new
environment. Many things that seem totally foreign at first
Relaxing in a traditional garden in Suzhou, spring 1985.
quickly become part of the everyday reality of life. Each time
The China Few PeoPle See 7
Above A cheerful taxi driver
plying his trade.
Right The glass and steel
skyscraper-studded
Shanghai skyline.
may be surprised by the astonishing bling factor seen in big Chinese men dressed in traditional padded jackets and black
cities. Urban Chinese are obsessed with Western fashion and cotton-soled shoes with pet birds in bamboo cages in the
luxury goods. Jack Ma, the chairman of the Alibaba Group, same park where young men dressed like NBA stars are
is the richest person in China with an estimated worth of playing basketball, a back alley in Beijing where people still
US$30 billion. His group of companies has transformed burn coal bricks to stay warm in the winter just around the
Internet shopping in China. corner from a high-rise luxury hotel. Although eating Western
But get off the main thoroughfares, into the side streets and fast food is a status statement in China, the vast majority of
the back alleys, and you’ll see a very different China. Behind Chinese still prefer traditional Chinese food prepared the
the glitzy façade, most Chinese remain a conservative people same way it has been for centuries. While many Chinese have
governed by Confucian values and thousands of years of embraced Western culture, young people still bow to the
history. You’ll see peasants carrying shoulder poles with wishes of their parents, pay their respects to their ancestors
baskets of fruit alongside businesswomen with iPhones, old and are fiercely proud of their long history and culture.
Above Jack Ma, CEO of Alibaba
Group, a giant Internet company,
giving a speech in Hangzhou.
Right Young people enjoying
themselves at the international
outdoor Yoga Midi Music Festival,
Huaxi Park, Guiyang Province.