In virtue of its location, Guangzhou has been used as a gateway for the Chinese Communist Government to establish a closer connection between Hong Kong and the inland country. It only takes two-hour train ride from Guangzhou to Hong Kong and people in both places speak Cantonese which is an unbreakable bond that relates the colonized island with the motherland. In late 70s, two cities near Guangzhou – Shenzhen and Zhuhai were among the first four cities open for foreign investment and further trading. Fourteen more cities were added into the opening list in 1984 and Guangzhou was one of them. Together with Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and other outskirt cities near Guangzhou, the Pearl River Delta economic zone began to form. Inevitably, Guangzhou and its neighbors were influenced by the western culture because of its business relationship with those countries and the close tie with Hong Kong. At the very early stage of the Opening Policy, Guangzhou relied heavily on the universal appealing that Hong Kong developed. Many foreign investments actually detoured to Hong Kong, and then flew into mainland China.
Not only did Guangzhou benefit economically from establishing links with Hong Kong and western countries, but was culturally affected by the multi-dimension links. The newspaper industry of Guangzhou is a leading icon in China. It has been known for its immediate resources, prompt responses, aggressive investigations and outspoken style of writing. It effectively enacted the Fourth Estate by supervising both the local and national governments.
In addition to its political influence, press in Guangzhou has been playing the role of reinforcing Canton culture among Cantonese people since its birth. Journalists are passionate about retelling local history and related stories to increase people’s sense of belonging and pride for their hometown. They are also smart enough to recognize the importance of “breaking”; breaking traditions, breaking standards and breaking authoritarianism. They uncover the outside world by introducing the idea of democracy, the practice of business, and the diverse cultures. Instead of fitting their ideology into certain mode, Cantonese reporters encourage their readers to think out of the box. Therefore, being open-minded and tolerant were the very distinct characters that Cantonese people embodied under the situation of extreme control from the government. They respect the central government, but also believe in something equivalent to the “state right” in America. Culture gives people identity. No one is willing to lose his identity because of the requirement for a standardized culture. As an important part of culture, language vitalizes people’s identity because it is spoken by unique residence every day.
In Guangzhou and many other cities in the Pearl River Delta, Cantonese is the bond for them to connect, share and progress. Although more and more people are picking up Mandarin because of both the immigration of Mandarin-speaking peers from northern China and the governmental policy of promoting Mandarin country wide, Cantonese still plays a vital role in local people’s lives.
It is true that translation is great because it makes it possible for people who speak different language to communicate. However, there is always a pain for the translators. So many subtle meanings couldn’t be fully delivered by direct translation. Words and phrase grow out of culture, but in turn, they keep the culture live.
That’s probably the reason why Cantonese people have such a strong objection against the proposal. They don’t want a standardized culture. Although they are proud of their history and language, they didn’t close themselves up. Instead, they open their arms to welcome the difference. As the factory of the world, Canton area now embraces millions of nonlocal people from all over the country. Different dialects collide here, but people get alone with each other. Cantonese speakers tailor their language because they realize the barrier of dialects. Without any administration force from the authority, they know what language they should speak in order to better communicate with a diversity of people.
Guangzhou will continue thriving in virtue of its openness, tolerance and diligence. However, I do hope that the authoritative power wouldn’t stifle the dynamic and vibrant culture of the city.
Hello, Candice....
ReplyDeleteI wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed reading this blog post. I came upon it while trying to get a sense of the city of Guangzhou and the surrounding area. You have written something which is very informative but also contains feeling and emotion. I feel that you strike a balance in your comments that is commendable, because you do manage to say what is in your heart at the same time you are careful not to criticize those who may feel differently than you do about Cantonese culture.
I hope your wishes in terms of keeping that culture and language alive are granted... diversity in biology and ecology is a strengthening and necessary element for general survival of species, and I believe that diversity of culture is strengthening, too: worlds of possibility and magic are lost when cultures cease to lose their vibrancy and are subsumed by some dominant, homogeneous force. As you point out, when a culture has an inner power and identity as Cantonese culture does, it can safely welcome the variety of the outside world with pleasure, without fear of being diluted and lost. I hope some day soon to visit China, and I look forward to experiencing what you write about here. Thank you!