Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Culture and Commercialism
During my week back in the US and while trying to recover from jet lag, I spent a number of the wee hours of the morning ripping our Christmas CD collection onto my iPod so I could return to China with some holiday spirit. I figured that the non-religious culture of China and the fact that Chinese New Year is in February would make December in Beijing a very quiet affair.
Boy, did I make another wrong assumption! Christmas is everywhere in China, which is really funny when you consider that Christianity and religion is not openly supported here. Santa pictures abound, Christmas carols are blaring in elevators and we even came across Auld Lang Syne in Muzak in a Men’s room of a Chinese hotel.
Upon my return to Beijing, I got a opportunity: a concert at the Forbidden City Concert Hall on Saturday Evening --- Handel’s Messiah! There is no way that I was going to miss this. Four soloists were imported from the United Kingdom and the medium sized hall was filled with mostly expatriates for the great performance. It was very interesting to watch Chinese citizens sing about God in English, while sitting in the Forbidden City. What a cultural experience!
It appears that the power of the almighty dollar in the US for Christmas is even stronger in China. I have started a “Christmas in China” photo album for glimpse at Clark Griswold in Beijing. Enjoy!
Boy, did I make another wrong assumption! Christmas is everywhere in China, which is really funny when you consider that Christianity and religion is not openly supported here. Santa pictures abound, Christmas carols are blaring in elevators and we even came across Auld Lang Syne in Muzak in a Men’s room of a Chinese hotel.
Upon my return to Beijing, I got a opportunity: a concert at the Forbidden City Concert Hall on Saturday Evening --- Handel’s Messiah! There is no way that I was going to miss this. Four soloists were imported from the United Kingdom and the medium sized hall was filled with mostly expatriates for the great performance. It was very interesting to watch Chinese citizens sing about God in English, while sitting in the Forbidden City. What a cultural experience!
It appears that the power of the almighty dollar in the US for Christmas is even stronger in China. I have started a “Christmas in China” photo album for glimpse at Clark Griswold in Beijing. Enjoy!
