Ten Things About China

Here are ten particular things I've noticed so far about China.

(1) The elderly - Chinese culture focuses on multi-generational families where parents pour everything into supporting their children so that one day those children, as adults, will support both them in return, while also supporting grandchildren (children's children). Particularly because of the one-child laws which came into effect after the 1960s, this system leaves the elderly without children, or whose single child predeceased them, very vulnerable and there is no real social welfare net like U.S. social security to relieve them. It is very common to see extremely elderly people begging for recyclable bottles and rumaging through garbage.

(2) Culture of intelligence and low-profile - whereas U.S. culture idolizes the physique of athletes and actors/models, Chinese culture emphasizes intelligence and academic performance. China supports an endless stream of intellectual competitions by means of national exams for college and high school. Chinese culture is also much less flashy than U.S. culture and people, unlike the U.S., try to not draw attention to themselves. One Chinese student has gained national notariety simple by posing for semi-"sexy," fully-clothed photos on the Internet that would not be considered at all inappropriate in the U.S., simply because it is so unusual to attempt to draw attention to yourself in such a way.

(3) Traffic - the traffic here is unbelievable. Signs, lane stripes, stop lights - all just suggestions to drivers. People use the "honk and go" methods and the highways are an endless chorus of honking. I have yet to see a car use a turn signal, and I've been looking. Stop lights have countdowns alerting drivers how much time is left until it turns from green to yellow and from red to green - not unlike a race. To add to the insanity, throw in five hundred pedestrians and forty scooters at every major intersection while trucks, busses and cars are trying to make turns.

(4) Health and exercise - although juxtaposed with all the cigarette smoking, Chinese culture is very health-oriented. There is no desert unless you go to a Westernized restaurant and meals typically end with fruit. It is common to see people outside doing Tai Chi at any time of the day. There is also a daily exercise program played on the campus loudspeaker.

(5) Low-tech garbage and sewers - the contrast between the high-tech, rapid-pace of modern development and the antiquated infrastructure of the sewers and landfills. Garbage is essentially thrown in the curb to be collected later. Sewer backups - and I'm not talking about storm sewers - are handled with giant ladles operated by one unfortunate hand-cart operator. I'll leave it at that...

(6) Fast food - there is almost none, with one exception: KFCs are everywhere. I have seen a couple of McDonald's though.

(7) English names - the ECNU students all had taken on Anglonized names which they introduced themselves with, although they also have traditional Chinese names. I find this to be an amazing example of the cultural power of America. The idea of our group taking on Chinese names to facilitate communication while in China seems an impossibility.

(8) Crowded personal space - whereas U.S. culture idealizes large houses, large cars and large-acreage lots with lots of open country, big skies and personal space, no such notions exist here in China. Apartments are very small and house three to four generations.

(9) Few churches - in the U.S. you cannot drive five blocks without seeing a church, synagogue or temple. In China, I have only seen one church with a Christian cross atop it and a small handful of temples, most of which are historical landmarks more so than places of consistent religious worship. The rule of the Communist Party and their officially declared stance of aethism is the predominant reason for this.

(10) Newspapers and intellectual property - as has been well-documented, the U.S. is struggling to relate with China in terms of intellectual property rights. The intangible notions of copyright, trademark, and patents do not exist in Chinese culture. A great example of this is newspapers: newspapers are posted daily behind a series of glass-covered bulletin boards around the ECNU campus and the city itself so that anyone can read them without having to pay.