The Martyrs Float (浴血奋斗) glides majestically past Tian'an men square commemorating the sacrifices of thousands along China's path to modernization. It is one of hundreds of caiche 彩车 (parade floats) that filled the streets of Beijing on October 1, 2009, to celebrate 60 years of Communist rule and national progress.
Nationalist fervor has been, unsurprisingly, on the rise since the beginning of the summer. October's celebrations further capitalize (pardon the word choice) on this increasing patriotism to consolidate nationalist sentiment (especially among the youth), to reinterpret Communist history and to bolster a host of profitable industries. Some social programs and businesses benefiting from this anniversary include: Cun guan 村官 (a modern-day perversion of the Cultural Revolution in which university grads head to the countryside to instruct country folk), Red Tourism (i.e. pilgrimmages to Yan'an, idyllic base of fledgling Communist forces), the film industry (e.g. Han Sanping's blockbuster "The Founding of a Republic" 建国大业),
and, strangely enough, Wedding Photography (this couple poses as Red Guard cadets).
These celebrations mark a new stage in the evolution of Chinese nationalism and national culture. For instance, the Grand Finale of the gala (shown below) features a song by Jackie Chan in which the words "囯" and "家," the modern bisyllabic composite for "country," are redefined and offered as a new communal ideal. Through our study of this and other cultural texts bound up in the anniversary, we will strive to define some of the characteristics of this 21st century Chinese socialist sentiment.
Readings:
*The Founding of a Republic (2009)
*Chinadaily interviews (29 September 2009)
Questions to consider:
(1) How would you explain the paradoxical craze for the Communist past of Chinese youth who are more cosmopolitan than ever?
(2) How would you describe the intersection of nationalism and commerce in China today?
(3) How might you anticipate the different generational reactions to this anniversary?
Supplementary references:
*Top 15 unofficial documentaries of the People's Republic (Fanhall)
* The 4 major anthems heard at the celebration (Xinhua News)
* Danwei article on Mao Impersonators
*Modern Society Website (Anti-Western)
*Red Songs Competition at HNU (2011)
