"Transitions"
It looked like something out of a
Cultural Revolution propaganda piece. Five farmers walked with rakes
and shovels in hand along the rural road about 50 kilometers outside
of Beijing. Each wore an olive-drab hat, adorned with a single red
star. Wheat was spread out in patches along the road, drying beneath
a sun hidden by layers of pollution.
Deep within the urban sprawl of
Beijing, The Monument to the People's Heroes lies in the center of
Tienanmen Square, flanked by Red Guards. Across the square, Chairman
Mao smiles benevolently down at his people from the northern gate of
the Forbidden City. Merchants hawk their wears, which include copies
of Mao's “Little Red Book” and t-shirts sporting an image of
“Obamao,” which features the President's face pasted into the
Chairman's famous military uniform.
China is a land of contradictions. In
some aspects it appears to be a frighteningly regimental society,
plagued by an overzealous government, while any amount of time on the
chaotic streets of Beijing would make you think otherwise. 1,000
year-old temples lie in the shadow of modern skyscrapers. Communist
Party buildings stand within blocks of international bank chains.
Wangfujing Avenue's many malls and highrise hotels show the world's
largest country's push towards Western modernization, while aspects
of the ancient hutong (narrow alleys of courtyard homes, restaurants,
and shops) culture remain intact.
In the Temple of Heaven park, an
elderly man and woman stood, worshipping the Tree of the 9 Dragons, a
500 year old Chinese Juniper. Meanwhile, thousands lined up in
Tienanmen Square, waiting for a chance to glance at Chairman Mao,
whose body is on display in a glass casket. A few kilometers from the
square, in an unfinished shopping mall, Western chain stores and
restaurants attracted an untold number of China's youth.
International tourists are still a novelty, as Americans are often
asked to have their picture taken.
There is a “Lost Generation” in
China, although it is nothing as romantic as the Parisian expats of
Hemingway. Many of the elderly Chinese still cling to the fading
religious customs of their ancestors, whether Taoist, Buddhist, or
some combination of the two. It is difficult even for the strongest
government to expel nearly 2,000 years of tradition. Tienanmen
Square, with it's devotion to the deceased Chairman and his Party, is
filled with many people of all ages, however, those of middle age
predominate. Growing up in a “Continual Revolution” shows it's
products in China's middle aged citizens. There is, however, one age
group that does not yet seem anchored. The young people of China live
in a continually changing nation, in it's own adolescent stages.
Western chain stores and banks have taken root in urban metropolises.
McDonald's stores look out on ancient streets near the centuries old
Forbidden City, which is bordered with Tienanmen Square. The contrast
provides young Chinese with an apparently uncomfortable choice:
forsake the rigid, militaristic comforts sought by their parents, as
well as the ancient ways of thought and life belonging to their
grandparents, for Western ideas and culture, or keep up with the
traditions of either one. Both Maoism and ancient thought require
China to withdraw within itself, while succumbing to American and
European ideology will ultimately destroy both of China's unique
thought systems.
The young people of China face a
serious choice, as their decision will change global politics and
economics- for better or for worse.
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