13 Cultural Inversions
I have always told people that my ultimate remit is introducing and explaining China and its diverse cultures to the world. On this year’s national day, I will be talking about the elements of this subject which might be slightly harder for people in the West to get their heads around – common cultural symbols that hold exactly the opposite meanings.
Posted in Articles and tagged china, Chinese, culture, customs, inversion, National Day, symbol
Yuefenpai: Chinese Calendar Poster Art
Tomorrow is China’s National Day, established on the 1st of October 1949, when the country gained its independence. Nowadays in the West, most people’s association with this occasion is Golden Week, one of the few times of the year when China takes a break. Another connection that Westerners have with the founding of the People’s Republic is Xuan Chuan Hua, Chinese Propaganda Art, which is now iconic around the world. This art style would never have existed without the decades of commercial artistic development that preceded it. This year I’m taking a look at 月份牌 Yue Fen Pai, Calendar Posters, an art form centred around early 20th century Shanghai.
Posted in Articles and tagged art, Calendar Posters, china, Chinese, culture, National Day, propagada art
On Being Chinese
I like to take quite positive things about China and Chinese culture as the starting points of my writing, or good things that have happened to me. This brief commentary though, is the result of some recent, very unpleasant, racially based encounters I’ve had around London. I have been told to “go back to Shanghai” (close kid, but no banana, I’m Cantonese), and had my platted hair grabbed because I “looked really Chinese”. Well, of course I Do. I am. And damned proud of it too.
Posted in Articles and tagged Canton, china, Chinese, culture, National Day, Navy, racism