The Myth of the West: Part 3 – Qiangda
An ancient civilization, rich in culture and steeped in corruption. Elaborate etiquette surrounds the gold panoply of cruel rulers hidden safely behind rings of high walls, while gangs of laborers work outside under the blazing hot sun. Perfumed maidens with elaborate coiffures secured with jade sway gently as they dance to the tune of plucked instruments. Spry old men perform fabulous feats of strength and defeat enemies with lightning speed. If you look at the way popular culture views ancient China (and to a certain extent, modern China), you’ll see these images alive and well. They are part of the myth of Orientalism. But the West is not the only group with preconceptions that may be far from reality. In China, there exists a corresponding myth of the West—the idea of xifang.
The Widening Gap
I recently hosted six foreign friends during the Olympic Games, who spent half their time in Beijing and half their time traveling to smaller cities in the interior. They were benignly shocked by the appearance of Beijing: clean, sleek, modern, and above all, green. It’s not a surprise considering how much the Chinese government spent on cleaning up the city before the Olympics, both in terms of money (planting trees, new subway lines, etc.) and politics (deporting beggars, migrant workers, etc.). When we got off the plane near Xi’an, they remarked, “this is more of what I was expecting when I came to China.”
The Myth of the West: Part 2 – Xianjin
In a smoke-filled room, a diminutive old man selects medicinal herbs with swift assurance from a tall cabinet of drawers, piling them together on a sheet of paper. In another room, an equally old man sticks thin needles into the body of a sickly young woman. Elaborate water clocks keep time while sages carefully track the movement of the stars in their eternal march across the sky. Monks in deep trances meditate on the mysteries for decades before emerging from their caves, enlightened. Orientalism is profoundly associated with harmony with nature and spiritual well-being. In China, however, xifang—Western—has equally profound connotations.
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