More Chinese believe the popularity of Western-style festivals has its reasons.
What happens when the forces of global capitalism and cultural imperialism come robed in red and wearing a white beard? Ten doctorate students from China’s elite universities came togethe last week to release a letter calling for a boycott of Christmas and all the rest of non-native cultural trends.
In a statement carried by many Chinese websites, the PhDs lamented the loss of Chinese traditions and morals, amid what they said was a widening invasion of Western popular culture.
The letter also offers a long list of complaints about the holiday: people don’t really know what it means, it’s an encroachment on traditionaChinese holidays by western ‘soft-power’, why should China roll over when even Europe is resisting ‘American-style’ commercialized ChristmaCiting the increasing popularity of the holiday among the younger generation, protest organizer Wang Dashan argues in the letter that Christmas is a form of “soft power” that if left unchecked will dilute traditional Chinese culture. The letter states outright “we uphold religiouolerance and freedom of religion, and we have no intent to exclude [Christianity].” Wang, on the other hand, believes that rejecting Christianity is essential for a renaissance of Confucianism.It’s not all complaints, owever – the PhD protesters put forth some suggestions, most of which echo recent calls for a revival of Confucianism and traditional learning. They also urged government departments to consider regulating Christmas actvities in public venues and in the media.
