We wrote back in July about some of the major themes we are asking people about that we encounter on our travels (i.e., religion, culture, perceptions of the US and thoughts about the future). In addition to the blog on our impressions of China, we wanted to share with you some of the answers we got to these questions...
Religion
As you might know, China has historically been a Buddhist nation and still today the majority of those who are religious are Buddhist. However, Christian faith has also been growing in popularity. There are also some small Islamic communities. During the stricter communist days, religion was not permitted, so a large majority of Chinese grew up in a secular society. Now that the country is opening up and are able to more freely practice religion, some people are turning back to their faith.
From the perspectives of one of our guides, most people that she knows don't believe in anything and are largely secular. In general, she thinks many people don't see the need for or value of religion in this day and age. She imagines, however, that as more and more Western ways are adopted, Christianity will become more prominent since it is the primary religion of the West.
Another of our guides felt a bit more positive about the benefits of religion to society in terms of teaching core values. She said that she has some friends who have converted to Christianity and are now trying to get others to convert as well.
For now, I think it is safe to say that the majority of Chinese are pretty secular and are more focused on improving their lives and wealth than on their spiritual beliefs. But you will still find a strong Buddhist following here - even if it's more cultural than truly spiritual (e.g., the equivalent of Christians who only go to church at Christmas and Easter).
As you might know, China has historically been a Buddhist nation and still today the majority of those who are religious are Buddhist. However, Christian faith has also been growing in popularity. There are also some small Islamic communities. During the stricter communist days, religion was not permitted, so a large majority of Chinese grew up in a secular society. Now that the country is opening up and are able to more freely practice religion, some people are turning back to their faith.
From the perspectives of one of our guides, most people that she knows don't believe in anything and are largely secular. In general, she thinks many people don't see the need for or value of religion in this day and age. She imagines, however, that as more and more Western ways are adopted, Christianity will become more prominent since it is the primary religion of the West.
Another of our guides felt a bit more positive about the benefits of religion to society in terms of teaching core values. She said that she has some friends who have converted to Christianity and are now trying to get others to convert as well.
For now, I think it is safe to say that the majority of Chinese are pretty secular and are more focused on improving their lives and wealth than on their spiritual beliefs. But you will still find a strong Buddhist following here - even if it's more cultural than truly spiritual (e.g., the equivalent of Christians who only go to church at Christmas and Easter).
Culture
There is SO much we've learned about China it would be hard to summarize. Topics we've covered with people have included China's recent communist history from WW II to present day, ancient history, political policies, traditional holidays, foods, and arts, marriage, weddings, divorce, children, education, job opportunities, lifestyles, wealth and poverty...and much more. If you are interested to learn more about any of the above please send us an email and we'd love to chat!
Perceptions of the USA
We've asked a few Chinese about this and the general response is always very positive. Most Chinese - especially young people - love everything Western and are quite taken with our movies, music, fashion, culture and what they find on the Internet. One of our tour guides summed it up well in four main points. She said, when people think of the USA, they think...
1) it is a very rich place with many opportunities;
2) it is a very open place - the government, the press, the people, everything;
3) we have great movies and entertainment - which they sometimes believe is our reality; and
4) we think we are the world police and they can't quite understand why we are always butting into everyone's business.
On this last point, our other tour guide mentioned that China views itself as a peaceful nation and she believes it will not get involved in conflict unless it's defending itself. She says China sees itself as a mediator - and balancing power - between the USA, Russia and other major powers.
The Future
What is forefront in the minds of most Chinese is creating a better life, which generally means having more opportunities and acquiring wealth ("I want to be rich") and everything that goes with it. There has been such major change in the last 10 years with China opening up and loosening up, that many Chinese in our generation and below are very excited to take advantage of the opportunities. People are very eager to get involved internationally and many young people want to learn English and one day have the chance to travel globally.
When we asked people what they thought about the future on a more global scale, many had not necessarily thought specifically about it. They are aware that China is growing economically and becoming more powerful, but most are more concerned with their immediate environment and taking advantage of the new opportunities for the sake of their own futures.
Note: Bear in mind that with all of these answers, our "sample size" is very small. However, the responses do provide some insight into the thoughts and perceptions of this country. Most people we spoke with were young people age 17-30 who spoke decent English (tour guides, friends we made on trains, etc.), with the exception of the family we stayed with in Beijing who we also had good conversations with.
What is forefront in the minds of most Chinese is creating a better life, which generally means having more opportunities and acquiring wealth ("I want to be rich") and everything that goes with it. There has been such major change in the last 10 years with China opening up and loosening up, that many Chinese in our generation and below are very excited to take advantage of the opportunities. People are very eager to get involved internationally and many young people want to learn English and one day have the chance to travel globally.
When we asked people what they thought about the future on a more global scale, many had not necessarily thought specifically about it. They are aware that China is growing economically and becoming more powerful, but most are more concerned with their immediate environment and taking advantage of the new opportunities for the sake of their own futures.
Note: Bear in mind that with all of these answers, our "sample size" is very small. However, the responses do provide some insight into the thoughts and perceptions of this country. Most people we spoke with were young people age 17-30 who spoke decent English (tour guides, friends we made on trains, etc.), with the exception of the family we stayed with in Beijing who we also had good conversations with.
No comments:
Post a Comment