A Perfect World
With the outbreak of SARS, there was a lot of talk about how China has been trying to cover up the real severity of the situation. Even the mayor of Beijing lost his job for supposedly trying to soften the blow. Could he have been in denial? Now we can easily say that Beijing is attempting to make a statement that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated. In Chinese the expression - Sha Ji Gei Hou Zi Kan, meaning “Kill a chicken in front of a monkey” - expresses this type of action right to the point. The proverbial monkey having witnessed the gory display is of course, clear that he or she could be next if caught out of line!
The vast and extensive culture that defines China also dictates, through values and language, what is acceptable and what is not. The expression - Jia Chou Bu Ke Wai Yang, paraphrased as “Family trash should be kept within the family”, can help us better understand the deep-rooted ideals expressed by a culture desirous of revealing its better side and keep the “baggage” out of sight. This is a culture that for centuries has presented everything it could as without blemish. During the ruling days of the omnipotent Chinese emperors, there was no room for blemishes and everything was presented as perfect. Otherwise one may end up a chicken starring in the next show for the monkeys!
The suggestion of perfection can also be seen in the usage of the number “one-hundred”, where one-hundred is the representative number of perfection. The number one-hundred has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese culture to express the idea of the realization of perfection, thus the many expressions of one-hundred in Chinese culture. In paintings - Bai Zi, “One-hundred Sons” Bai Shou, “One-hundred Longevities” and literature - Bai Ke Quan Shu, “One-hundred Studies” or Encyclopedia just to point out a few.
Today, China is still struggling to come to terms with the reality that has been thrust at it on our globe dominated strongly by Western ideals. The culture they claim as their own appeals to them to let others see the traditional “Mei De” beautiful morals - that were transferred to them as children. The charm of a tradition offering a sense of cultural pride and endorsement in return. But today, the encroaching world is getting smaller and realities clashing. The expectations from those outside Chinese culture may demand different behaviors and different ways of looking at things they may require more candid responses and less “beating around the bush”. With this it will take to achieve a happy balance or as better stated in Chinese ideals - “harmony”. Applying this understanding to areas beyond SARS may be beneficial towards building stronger perceptions of the many differences at hand. However, given the severity of the situation the mayor s face was not saved at the cost of saving that of the New China.
Todd Cornell
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