Should Chinese People Resist Foreign Culture.docx

Should Chinese People Resist Foreign Culture.docx

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ShouldChinesePeopleResistForeignCulture

Nationalidentitydependsonculture,too

ByVictorPaulBorg（ChinaDaily）

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Myfavoritetimeoftheyearstartsthisweek,butIamnotexcitedfortheobviousreasons.ItisnotmyfavoritetimebecauseIcandrinkmore,gooutmore,eatmoreandworkless.Thosearewelcomediversionsfromthedailyhumdrum,butmyjoythroughoutlunarnewyearfestivitiesisintheoutpouringofChinesetraditionalrevelryandculturethat'snotpossibletoexperiencesofullyduringtherestoftheyear.

IliveinasmallobscurecityinSichuanprovince-wherepeoplearemoreconservativeandrootedintraditionthanincosmopolitancitiesintheeasterncoast.Butevenhere,manytimesitfeelsasifwe'reonanunstoppablemarchtowardakindofsoullessmodernity.Ifyoulookatthetownscapeorpeople'sclothes,youcouldbeanywhereintheworld.

Imaginemysurprisethen,duringmyfirstnewyearhere,whenIdiscoveredthatthereisalargeBuddhisttempleontheoutskirtsofthecity.Ihadneverimaginedthatthecity'sresidentshadevenaniotaofpiousness.ButthatdayIsawtheunimaginable:

Theentirecityhaddescendedonthetemple,itsmassivecourtyardsheavingwithpeople,everyonemakingofferingsofpapermoneyandjosssticksandthencircumambulatingalargestupa.Outsidethetemple,burstingfirecrackerschasedmelikedevils.

ItissuchmanifestationsoftraditionalcultureduringSpringFestivalseasonthatIadmire.Furthermeaningisaddedathomes,eatingfromanarrayofdishesthatincludepig'sheadandpig'sbuttocks-tosignifythebeginningandtheendoftheyear-aswellaswanderingthestreetsandjoiningpeopleburstingfireworksandpaperlanterns.

IsupposeIamluckytobelivinginasmallcity,becauseinChina'smoremoderncities,lunarnewyearaswellasothertraditionalcelebrationsaredimmingoutunderthecreepingimportedscrapsofforeignglobalizedculture.Incitiesthatclaimtobemoremodern,ChristmasandNewYear'sEvecelebrationshaveasmuchvisibilityasSpringFestival.

Mindyou,thereisnothingwrongwithculturalcross-pollinationorwithdifferentpeopleadoptingthefeastsofothers.Forexample,Chinesenewyearisnowcelebratedinmostcountriesintheworldandhasbecomeastandardfixtureintheireventscalendar.Likewise,WesternfestivalssuchasChristmas,NewYearandValentine'sDayarenowcelebratedinChina.Thisisallgood.ButChinashouldbecarefulthatitsownculturaltraditionsarenotlostinitstransitiontomodernityandtheadoptionofforeignfestivities.

MuchcultureisbeingerodedinChina.Asidefromnewyear,almostalltheotherculturaleventshavealmostlosttheirvisibility.Allthatremainsofmanytraditionalfestivalsissomespecialdishesthatafewpeoplestilleat.Evensomeofthemanifestationsoflunarnewyeararedyingout.Thisisapitifulloss.Forexample,despitespendingsomeyearsinChina,Ihaveneverseenalionordragondance.Thesedancesusedtohappenduringthenewyear.Youngmenusedtoorganizesuchdancesineveryvillage.Buttodayyouwouldhavetogotoremotevillagestoseeone.

NolionordragondanceisheldeveninthesmallcitywhereIlive.Myfamilyandfriendssayyoungpeoplearenolongerinterestedinperformingliondances,andthepocketmoneytheycanmakewouldbetoosmallbytoday'sstandards.Youthsnowprefertostaygluedtotheircomputers,andasaresult,thelion（anddragon）danceisbeinglostasafolkartformandculturalexpression.It'sapitythattheonlylionordragondancesIhaveseenhavebeenamongChinesecommunitiesinSoutheastAsianorEuropeancountries.

Culturalexpressionsarebeingerodedbecauseofavarietyofreasons.It'sasignofsocietybecomingmoreindividualistic,devoidofcommunitybondageorsenseofbelonging,andthenewgenerationsseekingflashierandimmediategratificationsinlife.

Yettraditionsandmanifestationsareimportantbecausetheygivemeaningtoasociety'sculturalhistoryandwayofseeing.Cultureisidentity,andretainingadistinctsenseofone'sidentitymeansthatindividualsretainasenseofcivicbelongingandresponsibility,asenseofprideinone'ssociety,andultimatelyasenseofconfidenceaboutthesocietyheorshebelongsto.

IamnotsayingthatChinaislosingitsidentity.Chinaretainsastrongsenseofidentityinitslanguage,food,andotherwaysofseeinganddoingthings.ButculturalmanifestationsareindeedoneaspectofhistorythatisdimminginChina,andthatmeansconsiderablelossofdramaandartforms.

Society'sprioritiesarechanging,andhencekeepingculturaleventsaliveindramaticgloryrequirestheeffortsofdedicatedgroupsofindividualsorgovernmentdepartments.Itrequiresfindinginnovativewaysofcontinuingtoexpresstraditionaleventsandfestivities-byinnovativeIalsomeantheabilityoforganizerstoattractanaudience,especiallythenewgenerationthatisdistractedbytheInternet.

Localtourismorgovernments'culturaldepartmentshavearoletoplayinthefestivitiesinmostofChina'scitiesduringSpringFestival.ManypeopleorganizepyrotechnicshowsduringtheLanternFestival.Othereventscanbeorganizedtocelebratefestivalsduringtheyear.Theycouldalsoworktoraiseawarenessofthebeautyandimportanceoftraditionalculturalmanifestationssothatpeoplecontinuetoexpressdifferentaspectsoftraditionalartformsinamannerthatfitsthechangingprioritiesandtastesbroughtonbymodernization.

Whatshouldwedoabouttheinfluenceofforeignculture?

　　　　Goodafternoon,mydearjudgesandaudience:

　　Iamverygladtohaveachancetogiveyouaspeechonmytopic.

　　Firstly,Ihavethreequestionstolist.

　　DOyoulikegoingtotheKFCorMcDonald'satthestreetcorner?

Doyoulikewearingtornjeansinordertobethepersonwiththecoolestlook?

Doyouliketocoloryourhair?

Mostyoungpeopledoliketo.Theythinkit'sthelatestfashion.

　　Abouttwentyyearsago,ourChinawasreformedandopenedtotheworld;theinfluenceofforeignculturebecameaseriousproblem.Well,thereisnodenyingthatourChinaisadevelopingcountry;thereisnodenyingthatourChinafellbehindthedevelopedcountries.Butit'snotthereasontosay"moonabroadisbiggerthanathome".Tomysurprise,toomanyyoungpeopletakeitastheirbelief.TheyarecrazyaboutAmericanfashions,KoreanfashionsandJapanesefashions.Theywouldliketowearringsandnecklacesnomatterwhethertheyareboysorgirls.Theylikethepeoplewecallthepunk.

　　Well,alsotomysurprise,TheyoungpeoplenowadaysknowquitealotaboutthedifferencebetweenFrenchdishesandItaliandishesbuttheydon'tknowhowlongtheGreatWallis,Ithinkit'sshocking.

　　Actually,thepeoplewhocopytheforeignculturewhollyneglecttheChineseculturefeatures.Asweknow,ourtraditionalcultureiswellknowntotheworld.DoyouknowhowmanyforeigntravelerscometoChinaperyearforhersplendidculture?

SincetheAPECmeetingwasheldinShanghaiPudongfinancialdistrictlastOctober,howpopularChinesetraditionalclothesarewithmanyforeignpeople?

AlsointheNationalGeographicchannelfromtheUnitedStatesourcultureisconsideredtobethebest.That'strue.

　　Toconstructarichandprosperouscountryhasbeenadreamofoursforseveralgenerations.Howcanwemakeitcometrue?

Bypayingspecialattentiontotheforeignfashions?

No,ofcoursenot.Now,ourChinahasbecomeamemberoftheWorldTradeOrganization.Wewillbeineverydaycommunicationwiththerestoftheworld.Iamnotsuggestingthatwerefuseforeignculturewholly,butIamsuggestingthatweshouldemphasizeourethnicculture.WeChineseyouthshouldbeprideofourlonghistoryandsplendidtraditionalculture.ThisissomethingIfeelstronglyabout.

　　LikemanyyoungpeopleofmyageinChina,Ihopetoseeourmotherlandbecomeprosperousandrespectedintheinternationalcommunity.

　　Let'sagree,ontheimportanceofourethiccultureandontheimportanceofmaintainingit.

　　Goodluck,China.

　　Thankyouforlistening.

ShouldChinesePeopleResistForeignCulture?

UIC’sSecondEnglishDebatingCompetitionFinal

OrganizedbytheEnglishLanguageCenter（ELC）,UIC'sSecondDebatingCompetitionwasheldApril22rdintheroomB302.Fourteamsmadeupof 2debaterseachwereseparatedintotwosidesandhadanintenseargumentonthetopic"ShouldChinesepeopleresistforeignculture?

",followingtheBritishParliamentarydebatingformat.Afterthedebate,Carol,Delilah,Micky,andSeavy（alphabeticalorder）werenamedtopfourdebaters,andwillrepresentUICinthenationalEnglishdebatingcompetitionwhichisgoingtobeheldinMayinXi'an,ShanxiProvince.

DR.ThomasKuster

ThewholeactivitybeganwithMr.NavidAminianandDr.TomasKuster'sopeningspeeches.Duringthecompetition,eachdebaterwasallowed7minutestopresenthis/herargument,andwasexpectedtoofferpointsofinformationtotheopponents,exceptinthefirstandthelastminute.Seavy,George,LeeYoandSherlockwereinthepropositionalside,and Deliah,Micky,CarolandShirleywereintheoppositionalside.Thedebatersmadegreateffortsonexhibitingtheirtalentsandabilities.Thepropositional sidemaintainedthatChinesepeopleshouldresistforeignculturemainlybecausetheincomingforeignculturecouldleadtolostofnationalidentityamongtheyouth,andaffectourdomesticeconomicandculturaldevelopment,ontheotherside,theoppositionalelaboratedonhowforeignculturehadenrichedChinesepeoplelifeexperiences.

PointofInformatio