The Five Symbols That Best Exemplify China From a Laowai’s Perspective
Posted: 01/5/2015 10:30 am
China has a certain mystique to people around the world, even if that can be shattered to foreigners who’ve lived here for a while. But for those abroad, China might be symbolized by someone like Bruce Lee or kung fu movies, or maybe fortune cookies and Chinese food.
To help explain to a Chinese audience how foreigners see them, 21CN has compiled a list called “The Five Symbols that Best Exemplify China from a Laowai’s Perspective”.
The report refers to the top five symbols as “China’s best business cards”: “because of these things, laowai have never been at a loss at understanding and knowing China,” the story says.
Here’s the list:
1. Chinatown
Spread throughout the world, Chinese immigrants have banded together in communities where non-Chinese local residents can also dine and shop. Described by 21CN as the “most direct way of understanding Chinese culture”, some Chinatowns have grown so large that they have become insular communities full of Chinese residents that don’t actually speak the local language.
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Chinese Baby Boom in America
2. Yao Ming
Once viewed with suspicion by pundits like Charles Barkley, Yao Ming’s popularity in the NBA helped to establish, as 21CN writes, “an acceptance of the Chinese element.” “Chairman Yao”, known for his many endorsement deals, animal activism, and as the 31st tallest person alive, has effectively dispelled the stereotype that Chinese people are short.
READ: Yao Ming’s NBA All Star Charity Basketball Game Set For Dongguan
3. Confucius Institutes
China has vastly increased its international soft power with the establishment of a thousand Chinese language and cultural centers, known as “Confucius Institutes”. However, their presence has caused controversy in many countries, prompting accusations of censorship, interference of academic freedom, and espionage as their numbers continue to decline.
READ: Confucius Institutes Fall on Hard Times Amid Foreign Backlash
4. Pehchaolin Skin Cream
This Shanghai skin cream came to prominence in 2013 when First Lady Li Pengyuan gave the product as a gift during diplomatic exchanges on an African tour. The endorsement of the Chinese brand caught the attention of consumers interested in the tastes of China’s elite. Dubbed the “Peng Effect”, the endorsement has had a significant impact on Chinese consumers.
READ: Korean Store Sales Up 300% Due to the “Peng Liyuan Effect”
5. Haier
Haier is the world’s leading manufacturer of refrigerators. It took the top spot from its rival, Whirlpool, in 2008 when the company sold over 12 million refrigerators. Haier CEO Zhang Ruimin was mythologized in a story in which he instructed employees to destroy faulty refrigerators with hammers. The hammers are now proudly kept on display at the company’s headquarters.
