One World, One Dream

In our first week in China we have been visiting some of the more popular tourist locations, The Great Wall, Houhai Lake, Sanlitun… and there have been grumbles within the ranks at the ‘disney-fication’ of these sites-- the Starbucks, the prominently displayed English names in flashy lights. I don’t know how to interpret this. Why are we disappointed that Beijing is so much like … well, LA? I can’t help but feel that these feelings are tied up in some romanticized idea of a pastoral, third-world China. The destruction and neglect of culture and heritage is one thing (for example the destruction of traditional courtyard houses, and their replacement with modern apartment building and shopping centers), but is it possible that China’s rise disturbs us as Americans on a deeper level? Last night we had a lecture about the cultural heritage of Beijing, and our professor mentioned Antonioni’s film “China” and how it depicted a negative image of China. I asked if China was still as concerned about its image in the west and why. At this moment we Americans seem to be more dependant on China than China is on us. Everything I brought with me in my suitcase originated in China. The Chinese are suspicious that I might contaminate their country. Our economy is tanking, and China kind of owns us. These points are not at all lost on the Chinese, but they seem to be very careful (and gracious) not to let us know that they know. They continue to humor us and our superiority complex.

The sign reading “One World, One Dream” with the Olympic logo on the hillside by the great wall, sums it up. Most of the Chinese tourists taking pictures in front of it see it as a source of pride, and that sentiment seems to echo throughout the country. Some of my classmates complained about the crowds at the Great Wall, but crowds are an inherent part of life in China, and certainly in Beijing. I was really happy to see so many Chinese enjoying and taking pride in their national treasure. I’d estimate only 5-10% of the visitors to the Great Wall today were foreigners, and the rest Chinese.

Places like Sanlitun and Houhai may seem like simulacra to us, and lacking in authenticity, but these are places where people in Beijing live, work, and play. They’re as much a part of the city as the Temple of Heaven or Tian’anmen Square. These entertainment districts might seem like cheap knock offs, but they learned this stuff from us.