Ann Li China's Debriefing

Ann Li is a student counselor on board the ship. She is from Shanghai and despite the fact that she looks like a teenager, she has a master’s degree and is highly intelligent. She gave us an important briefing before disembarking in China:
· The Chinese flag is read with four stars. The center big star stands for communism while the other four represent the 4 classes of people
· 3rd biggest country in size in the world (same as US)
· Most population in the Eastern part of country that is also more cosmopolitan
· Western part of mostly agricultural
· Yangtze and Yellow river crossing the country are called “the cradle of civilization”
· There are 23 provinces as well as autonomous regions (like Tibet and Mongolia)
· 5 key municipalities (like Beijing and Shanghai)
· The Han Chinese are the biggest ethnic group and therefore follow the “one child policy”
· There are 56 different ethnic groups
· 2 provinces – Hong Kong and Macau – are rules by a capitalistic system. You need a permit to travel between them and the mainland
· China has 3000 years of written history with 2 key dynasties – Xia and Qing.
· The dynasties created a pattern of change that influences the way Chinese thing about provinces splitting and re-uniting and that is why the Chinese believe the Taiwan will be some day theirs again, for example
· The Chinese people were responsible for 4 great inventions: paper, printing, the compass, and gunpowder
· One of the most important events in Chinese history is the Opium War from 1684 to 1840 which marks the beginning of semi-colonialization
· 1911 is the year of the Revolution that marks the end of the feudal system in China
· The “Anti Japanese War” took place from 1937 to 1945 (not WWII)
· The Civil War took place from 1945 to 1949 (marked by the creation of Taiwan)
· The PRC was founded on October 1, 1949
· The Cultural Revolution, led by Mao, took place from 1966 to 1976
· In 1976 a period of reform and opening up began when the Central Government declared that “Getting Rich is Glorious!”; a Chinese saying developed “It does not matter if a cat if black or white as long as it can catch mice”…
· A core value is the Chinese society is harmony between humans and nature and in interpersonal relationships. It is supported by Confucianism that preaches being kind and hospitable to others
· The social order in China is divided into 5 cardinal relationships:
1. Father-son
2. Emperor-subjects
3. Husband-wife
4. Older-younger
5. Friends
· The society is hierarchical in nature with respect for elders being emphasized
· The culture is based on particularism (the concept of self), formality (rituals and tradition), and Guanxi (the bigger your social network and the more long term, the more powerful you are).
· A key cultural concept is the concept of “face”; “giving face” means agreeing to do a favor for you, “losing face” means being refused, and “gaining face” means having many support you publicly
· China is a “high context society” which means “yes” does not really mean agreement unless in the right context. There is always a hidden meaning and one should try to read between the lines
· The religious cornet stones are:
1. Confucianism which promotes inner reflection
2. Taoism which promotes exultation; no need for verbalization
3. Buddhism which promotes inner peace
· Key cultural guidelines: speak only when you have something of value to say!
· During an academic lecture, the students do not interrupt the professor with questions; you need to allocate time after class for that
We were also reminded of the saying that while we visit China we should “take only memories and leave only footprints”…

We were also informed by her later in the “Cultural Café” about the importance f the upcoming Olympics to China. The 2008 Beijing Olympics them is “One World. One Dream.” The games are going to open on 8/8/08, eight being a lucky number in China symbolizing luck and prosperity. The Olympics mascot come in different figures representing China’s national animals (like the Panda) and key nature elements (like fire, ocean and air).

Later on, Pat, our academic dean, who is a Buddhist and was once a Buddhist nun told us more about the pillars of China’s spirituals belief.

Confucianism is based on the belief that the heart and mind are one and human nature is essentially good. Its values are sincerity, righteous behavior, humanness and similar others.

Daoism (or Taoism) belief is in the Dao = The Way which is based on the principles of Wu Wei (action through inaction), Chi (the universal life force), Ying/Yang (the male/female balance), and Hsien (immortality). Buddhism came to China from India in the 1st century CE and emphasizes that everything has a potential to be good and that we can get out from under a life of pain and dissatisfaction and achieve nirvana (the balance between passion and wisdom). Harmony is a critical element of all those three and a word we heard repeated over and over again during our stay in China.