The Useless Tree

There Is No Chinese Culture Now

    OK, the title is a bit inflammatory, I admit.  But I can’t help but notice the glaring contradictions in these two stories:

    Beijing Uses Confucius to Lead Charm Offensive
    Disney Opens Its First Theme Park In China

   The first piece, which ran a few days ago in the Tornoto Globe and Mail (link via China Digital Times), discusses how the PRC government is opening "Confucius Institutes" all around the world in an effort to promote its image abroad.  These  are a public relations gambit.  They will be places where foreigners can learn Chinese language and, perhaps, get some introduction to a state-approved version of "Chinese culture."  Speculation among political analysts has suggested that the Communist Party, which not too long ago was urging Chinese to struggle against the "feudal-fascist" Confucius, has now embraced the venerable sage because he is a more positive public face for China than Mao Zedong.  It is all about branding, not at all about what Confucius really cared about: Humanity, Duty, and Ritual.  Indeed, the faster China rushes down the capitalist road, the further away from Confucian ideals it moves.

     And that brings us to the second story, from today’s China Daily.  The new Disney park opened in Hong Kong, but to underscore the fact that this is a vision of China’s future, the opening was attended by Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong.  And we know what Disney does to culture: it turns it into happy sound-bite "experiences," devoid of critical depth and challenging complexity and, ultimately, messy reality.  And as the simulacrum replaces the substance we will lose the bite of Mencius speaking truth to power (truths that the CCP would just as soon not hear), the laugh of Chuang Tzu confronting death (not a topic suitable for happy holiday-makers), and the admonitions of Confucius reminding us that our social duties must take precedence over our economic impulses (obviously bad for business).

    Chinese culture is no longer about either China or culture.  It is about the power of the state to project a pleasing image abroad and the power of money to reduce all social relations to material calculations.  Marx, who the CCP would probably not want us to read at this point, reminds us of this tumult: "All that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is
profaned…"

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7 responses to “There Is No Chinese Culture Now”

  1. China Digital Times Avatar
    China Digital Times

    There Is No Chinese Culture Now – Sam Crane

    From The Useless Tree blog: The new Disney park opened in Hong Kong, but to underscore the fact that this is a vision of China’s future, the opening was attended by Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong. And we know…

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  2. China Digital Times Avatar
    China Digital Times

    There Is No Chinese Culture Now – Sam Crane

    From The Useless Tree blog: The new Disney park opened in Hong Kong, but to underscore the fact that this is a vision of China’s future, the opening was attended by Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong. And we know…

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  3. Commenter from Drum's site Avatar
    Commenter from Drum’s site

    I disagree. These are rather categorical statements which deny the inevitable Chinese reality that all human beings exist in relationship to one other. To embrace moderity — aka Disney — is Chinese, just as it is to survive it. Apocalytic end-of-culture proclamations are naturally of Western origin, as no authentic (or shall we say Confucian) Chinese would be caught dead saying there will be an end to anything. You present a rather Daoist image, how much further from the truth could that be?

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  4. Simon World Avatar
    Simon World

    Daily linklets 13th September

    Cruel and unusual punishment Hong Kong style. Sun Bin on Taiwan’s defence options in the case of a war. There is no Chinese culture now. Beijing by the numbers. The PBoC’s forex steriliastions have slowed dramatically. Christy Chung isn’t a state secr…

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  5. Sam Avatar
    Sam

    Thanks for the comment. My post was a reflection of my frustration at the combination of the authoritarian state and the marketing imageers taking over the definition of Chinese culture. You are right, of course, there will always be a “Chinese” culture, as long as there are Chinese people doing things. But I would like to resist the production of “Chinese” culture for so overtly political or economic interests. As to whether my outburst is not in keeping with Daoism, I would beg to differ with you. Daoism would, I believe, shy away from any sort of nationalistic or commercially produced culture. “Let nations grow smaller and smaller and people few and fewer.” Concern with what a culture is or is not would be seen as just another diversion – a “twisty path” – taking people away from Way. So, on one level, yes, a Daoist would reject the idea of Chinese culture “ending;” but, at another level, I think he or she would also reject the idea that there was, or ought to be, any meaningful construction of “culture” to begin with. Maybe the Daoist position would be: “There is no Chinese culture now; and there was no Chinese culture then.” So, while my response was perhaps more of Confucian, I don’t think it is entirely contradictory with Daoism.

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  6. Allan Lian Avatar
    Allan Lian

    To progress is wrong and not to progress and remain isolated is also wrong (a bit of Hamlet, perhaps). Therefore what is actually right?
    The Chinese whether they live in China or form part of the Diaspora still falls back on their entire culture and ancient thoughts when dealing with family ties, friends, elders, government, and trade. Obviously it also depends on their upbringing by their parents and their parents’ parents and whether the Chinese youth of today (in China or overseas) will return in search of their roots.
    In returning to ancient thoughts, the Chinese government could have been influenced by Singapore which has provided a modern guide as to how to serve and rule her people based on Confucian thoughts, which has been in the main to first enrich the people then educate them. However successful the Singaporean Confucian model is or has been over the past few decades, there are still ongoing fine tuning problems with firm and/or flexible rule. If the rule is too firm the people rebels, and if the rule is too flexible, the people become lax and wanton. This goes to show that it is not easy to model a rule based on Confucian thoughts alone, for they have to apply Daoist thoughts (on firmness and flexibility) too to bring harmony to the country and the people.
    Perhaps, by combining these two thoughts it returns the rulers and the ruled to the entire Chinese culture?

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  7. eduardo capella Avatar
    eduardo capella

    A very important point: the one-child policy in China, with the side effect of forced sterilization and abortion is completely against the traditional Chinese culture. It is one more attack to raze the ancestor’s worship. Its brutality help to destroy all kind of empathy and love.Few days ago close where I live in China a nine month pregnant women was forced to abort by the birth control brigade

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