[The Sabbaticus]

Chinese Hit Back Against a Foreign Intrusion: Christmas

By Andrew Jacobs
December 25, 2014 6:24 am

There may be no exact translation for “humbug” in Chinese, but in recent days, as popular fervor for the trappings of Western-style Christmas enveloped this officially atheist nation, the defenders of traditional Chinese culture have fought back with Scrooge-like zeal.

On Wednesday, university students in the central province of Hunan held an anti-Christmas pageant with banners declaring “Chinese should not celebrate foreign festivals.” Education officials in the coastal city of Wenzhou issued a decree banning the celebration of Christmas-themed events at schools.

Students at a university in northwestern China were forced to endure three hours of propaganda films, including one glorifying Confucius, the state news media said. Faculty members reportedly stood at the doors, making sure no one tried to sneak off to partake in illicit Christmas cheer.

“Be good Chinese boys and girls, and oppose adulation of foreign festivals,” read one banner strung across the campus of Modern College of Northwest University in Xi’an, home to the famed terra cotta warriors.

Although xenophobic rumblings against Christmas have emerged from time to time, the seasonal surge of anti-Santa activism this year suggests that the Communist Party’s continuing campaign against Western values, and what it sees as the culturally corrupting fare of Hollywood, is taking hold in unexpected ways.

Most alarming, Christian activists say, is the yearlong crackdown on church buildings in Wenzhou, a prosperous city in Zhejiang Province sometimes referred to as the Jerusalem of China for its large number of congregations. The government has targeted as many as 400 churches across the province, Christian rights advocates say, demolishing a number of churches and removing crosses on structures they say violate local zoning rules. A provincial policy statement that emerged this year, however, suggests the campaign is actually aimed at regulating “overly popular” religious activities.

According to Radio Free Asia, three people were wounded last week when more than 100 police officers and government workers forcibly removed a cross from a church in Hangzhou.

Christmas, nonetheless, has become big business in China, with retailers enjoying some of their highest sales in late December. Even if the holiday is largely devoid of its religious connotations, gift-giving among young Chinese is soaring. Nearly every office building, shopping mall and high-end apartment building in China features Christmas trees in the lobby and Yuletide décor on elevator doors.

At stores across the country, the familiar strains of “Jingle Bells” and “Feliz Navidad” have become unavoidable. On the popular Chinese social media app Wechat — where greetings of Merry Christmas have become fashionable among friends — typing the word “Christmas” yields a blizzard of tiny spruce trees.

The city of Yiwu, a wholesale commodity hub not far from Shanghai, manufactures about 60 percent of the world’s stuffed reindeer, elfish figurines and colored string lights, according to the Yiwu Christmas Products Industry Association, which counts 600 factories among its members.

Although China’s growing love affair with Christmas tends to be a largely faithless dalliance, the number of Christian adherents has been soaring in recent years. According to some estimates, there are more than 100 million believers here, a figure that stands in marked contrast to the 85 million members of the Communist Party.

For many young Chinese, however, Christmas is simply a lighthearted diversion that has little to do with religious faith.

“Though it might seem a little bit shallow or consumer-oriented in China, people get great satisfaction on Christmas,” said Liu Xingyao, 22, a student at the Communication University of China in Beijing who is a practicing Christian. “They just believe the day is just an excuse to have some fun.”

But hard-line traditionalists and Communist doctrinaires say the growing prevalence of Christmas is a tinsel-draped Trojan horse that aims to subvert traditional Chinese culture. At Modern College of Northwest University, the school that barred students from leaving campus on Christmas Eve, officials explained their opposition to the holiday in a microblog post run by the institution’s Communist Party Youth League.

‘‘In recent years, more and more Chinese have started to attach importance to Western festivals,” it said. “In their eyes, the West is more developed than China, and they think that their holidays are more elegant than ours, even that Western festivals are very fashionable and China’s traditional festivals are old-fashioned.”

On Thursday, as photographs of anti-Christmas events circulated on Chinese social media, there was resistance that at times swamped the voices of Christmas opponents.

“If one day, Europeans, Americans and other East Asians were to take to the street and demonstrate and boycott the Chinese Lunar New Year, I’d like to see how Chinese nationalistic advocates feel then,” wrote one blogger, Wu Zhongzhan.

Another popular commentator, Yao Bo, said that those attacking Christmas would do well to focus on cultivating traditional Chinese culture.

“Respect for tradition is not about boycotting others, but staying true to yourself,” he wrote. “Tradition will never be revived by boycotting others. Boycott only makes it buffoonery.”

Patrick Zuo contributed research.

NY Times (blog)

I suspect China is responsible for the production of a sizeable percentage of the world's Christmas gifts, decorations and assorted paraphernalia. It's somewhat ironic that they would seek to stamp it out within their own culturally decaying country. 'Traditional Chinese' culture is obviously no match for the insidious nature of Christmas.

Will the Communist Party of China be successful in its fight against Christmas? Does it even have an alternative to offer? With the rampant consumerism in China reaching ever greater heights, the Coca Cola Christmas seems to be a natural fit.

[Powerup]

It is in each culture's nature to spread its own while resisting alien ones.

[Bridgeburner]

It is in each culture's nature to spread its own while resisting alien ones.

Not necessarily, a lot of cultures have been insular even in conquest, throwing up a barrier between themselves and occupied people - take the Mongols for example, burnt, raped and pillaged their way across the world yet their cultural footprint was almost non-existent.(Other examples like early British colonialism and interaction with natives, Japanese post Meiji restoration,).

Then other cultures have completely abandoned their roots in order to mimic a more successful one (adoption of Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine empire for the Kievan Rus peoples, the Celtic and Germanic tribes that aped the Western Roman Empire first in form and then religion, the Roman empire itself which adopted most of its culture from Greece)

What you described is a feature of modern American culture, and it is its greatest weapon and strength. Chinese traditionalists are correct to be worried,but there is little that they can do as American culture is the most potent weapon on the planet. It doesn't even have to resist any alien culture, it will amalgamate it and use citizens of said culture to throw back a caricature which is doubly reinforced by the American-dominated(and I don't mean the American state, just controlled by entities that are the the main content-generators of American "culture)mediums of print, television, cinema, music and the internet.

But hard-line traditionalists and Communist doctrinaires say the growing prevalence of Christmas is a tinsel-draped Trojan horse that aims to subvert traditional Chinese culture. “Respect for tradition is not about boycotting others, but staying true to yourself,” he wrote. “Tradition will never be revived by boycotting others. Boycott only makes it buffoonery.”

They have to recognize that winning the cultural war means going on the offensive. If China has any real aspirations of challenging the United States, the cultural battlefield must be won first. And there is no way that it can be won using tired Maoist CPC "culture", the initiative has to be taken with something entirely new that repudiates American culture. The key problem being that the economic prosperity that China is undergoing will result in its middle-class voraciously consuming American cultural exports. Hell, the CPC may even win the South China Sea in some way in the future, but if Chinese men and women are consuming media, material, culture and food like Americans at home, they have lost the war before it even began.

What's happening now is a slow attempt to "Sino-fy" American culture (all anecdotal evidence I have observed - things like Chinese involvement in the latest Transformers movie, or the inclusion of Western actors in movies like this, but it reeks to me of defense, not offense), I donot feel like the Chinese are the ones with the initiative or momentum when it comes to culture.

[Drlee]

A very insightful post Bridgeburner.

I donot feel like the Chinese are the ones with the initiative or momentum when it comes to culture.

I agree with this also. They are doing a middling job of stemming the tide but in the end I believe they will come to embrace American cultural norms over their own. That is the thing about what is commonly accepted as the American cultural export. It truly is a veneer that can be laid over just about any background.


Christianity is growing like crazy in China and my opinion is that this will continue. China's actions to thwart this growth rather than (to use your term) Sinofy it will backfire on them. Nothing saws religion like a siege.

I get that most Marxist/communist movements are atheist but this really may be a mistake. Christian beliefs do not preclude socialist ideals. In fact they support them.

[The Sabbaticus]

What's happening now is a slow attempt to "Sino-fy" American culture (all anecdotal evidence I have observed - things like Chinese involvement in the latest Transformers movie, or the inclusion of Western actors in movies like this, but it reeks to me of defense, not offense), I donot feel like the Chinese are the ones with the initiative or momentum when it comes to culture.

They tend to demonize Westerners in Chinese productions though. Like a Fu Manchu in reverse, which is hilarious, were it not that it's the very definition of racism. For such a thing to be so openly celebrated in Chinese movies, would hint towards something very disturbing in Chinese culture. A similar trend can be seen in the Arab world, where anti-European racism is par for the course in Arab media.

Of course both have very ugly cultures, and as such, one wouldn't expect much from them, but the danger remains evident, as history has proven in the past.

[benpenguin]

Chill out guys, its just a small bunch of old idiots. The only place I saw this reported was on some "minor interest story" in a Chinese news site that's all.
Your news anchors seem to have a tendency to get every little thing happening in China wayyyyyy overblown...that really annoys me you know.

By the way, can you guys remind me in which recent Chinese movies has Westerners been demonized? Cause I couldn't recall any.

[Istanbuller]

Christmas is not considered to be a Christian tradition outside of Christian countries. People do not take Christianity seriously. It is more like a joking or gifts day.

It is a sad fact that Christianity has become a joke totally in recent decades.

[Drlee]

It is a sad fact that Christianity has become a joke totally in recent decades.

If you are going to troll.....


At least try to do a good job of it.

[blackjack21]

Will the Communist Party of China be successful in its fight against Christmas? Does it even have an alternative to offer?

Christianity got tweaked a bit to conform with the Roman cult of Sol Invictus, the invincible Sun. Christmas is formally on December 25th in the West, because it got aligned with the winter solstice and the Roman celebration of it and then shifted with changes to the Roman/Gregorian calendar. It's similar to Sunday becoming the observation of the sabbath in Christianity, rather than Saturday/Sabado. In that respect, Christianity has some pagan qualities. As a celebration of light at the darkest time of year, it makes a lot of sense in Northern cultures. The United States doesn't celebrate Chinese New Year, but Chinese communities in the US do. It's kind of a hit in San Francisco. I used to go down to watch the parade when I lived in San Francisco. It didn't turn me Chinese, and Christmas celebrations won't turn China Christian. Kids will just like the celebration of light aspect at the darkest and coldest time of year and gifts for kids.

[Frollein]

I'd say it's another instance of countries rejecting the cultural homogenisation/annihilation of globalisation. All around the globe, communities are clawing at the remnants of their culture, of what makes them distinct. Sometimes it's the people themselves who realize that they're about to lose themselves in the great soup of McDonaldism, somtimes it's just a "small bunch of old idiots"...

[Drlee]

All around the globe, communities are clawing at the remnants of their culture, of what makes them distinct.

Except for Europe where they deliberately sold their distinctiveness for a few more Euros and a country full of unwanted immigrants.

[Political Interest]

Christianity is not incompatible with Chinese culture. They can be Chinese and also be Christian without any problems, the two do not contradict each other.

[Istanbuller]

If you are going to troll.....


At least try to do a good job of it.

No, I am not trolling. I am telling what I have been seeing around so do not get me wrong. I have respect toward Christianity and Christian people.

I am a religious Muslim person and am fully aware of Christan traditions, lifestyle and many other things about it. However, most secular people in my country perceive Christmas as a secular foreign tradition, not a Christian one. They just do what they are seeing from American movies and foreign friends if they have.

Your religion and traditions are all about consumerism and are full of flaws. You have more pagan things in Christianity than Islam. You don't even have a proper worship. You have lots of symbols and a prophet who is considered to be half God. Worship isn't between person and the God in Christianity. Too easy and very into popular culture.

[Frollein]

Except for Europe where they deliberately sold their distinctiveness for...

fear of being called eeeevil Nazis. Yep.

[Drlee]

Your religion and traditions are all about consumerism and are full of flaws. You have more pagan things in Christianity than Islam. You don't even have a proper worship. You have lots of symbols and a prophet who is considered to be half God. Worship isn't between person and the God in Christianity. Too easy and very into popular culture

Garbage. Nonsense. Learn about Christianity. Then talk.

[Atlantis]

Christianity is not incompatible with Chinese culture. They can be Chinese and also be Christian without any problems, the two do not contradict each other.

You are simply negating (or ignoring?) 500 years of Christian mission in China. The Vatican's attitude towards the Chinese "rites" (i.e. ancestor worship) has not changed since the days of Matteo Ricci. For traditional Chinese to abandon ancestor worship is tantamount to spitting on their own culture, while to the Vatican ancestor worship is idolatry.

Chinese are not interested in metaphysics and don't give a shit about what god you worship. 2,000 years of Confucianism have turned the Chinese into a political animal. Everything is political, including a Bible reading group. In this respect, they are miles ahead of us.


PS: The fact that the Christian missions in China actively supported the Kuomintang didn't exactly improve their standing in the PRC. As I said, everything is political. To pretend otherwise is being completely otherworldly ;-)

[HoniSoit]

Chill out guys, its just a small bunch of old idiots.

Yes, from what I can see, these are fairly isolated cases. You can practically write any story, as contradictory as they often are, about China by picking up selected stories. You bet in a country of this size, some people are going to intensely dislike Christmas, and to then generalise it to Chinese culture is misleading, to say the very least. Contained in the same story is how middle-class Chinese youth are embracing Christmas, and its growing number of Christians. What does this say about Chinese culture?

[benpenguin]

Contained in the same story is how middle-class Chinese youth are embracing Christmas, and its growing number of Christians. What does this say about Chinese culture?

It isn't saying anything about "Chinese culture", it is basically saying: "Evil communists trying to stop the people from enjoying Christmas", which isn't true.
This is just another shameless propaganda piece in a sea of fake and misleading news, it's annoying, but nothing new.

[ThirdTerm]

The New York Times is supposedly the most trusted news outlet in the US but it often misreports on Asian issues perhaps because of some inherent American biases towards Asia. The Christmas ban is limited to one province in the coastal region where the local government is cracking down on Christians by demolishing churches, which do not meet construction standards, and the authorities have issued demolition notices to more than 100 churches in the area. Problematically, Zhejiang province has one of the largest Protestant populations of China and Beijing may be focusing on containing the further spread of Christianity in the province as freedom-loving Christians could easily turn into anti-government demonstrators.

Christmas has become increasingly popular in China in recent years. Christmas carols and Christmas decorations have become relatively common sights on the streets of large cities. The holiday was even celebrated in western China's Qinghai Province. A villager from the suburbs of Golmud, Qinghai Province said they prepared dance performance and mini-dramas this year, and bought Christmas hats, masks, and presents. The ban on Christmas events came on the heels of a series of conflicts between Zhejiang Christians and authorities this year, as the local government tried to demolish churches and crosses that violated construction standards. A church in Yongjia county, Wenzhou was nearly torn down earlier this year. The authority said the building was not built lawfully and was in violation of construction regulations. The church was eventually saved after a series of negotiations in April.
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/898554.shtml

[benpenguin]

Yeah, Thirdterm, keep dreaming about color revolutions in China. Have you ever even been here? Your democratic ideals hold very little sway here...probably lining up somewhere between Maosim and Nazism. (Must have been the propaganda!!)
But go ahead! Don't let me stop you post more passive aggressive articles while talking to yourself.