Powerful Deity or National Geopark?: the Pilgrimage to A-myes-rma-chen in 2014/2015, Transformations of Modernisation and State Secularism, and Environmental Change

Inner Asia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 216-282
Author(s):  
Anna Sehnalova
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Change ◽  
Interest Groups ◽  
Cultural Revolution ◽  
Present Form ◽  
The State ◽  
First Century ◽  
The West ◽  
Qinghai Province ◽  
Republic Of China ◽  
Great Development

Abstract The paper focuses on one of the most sacred mountains of Tibet, A-myes-rma-chen, located in east Tibet (contemporary mGo-log Prefecture, Qinghai Province, People’s Republic of China). It deals mainly with two topics: the ongoing vivid revitalisation of the cult of the mountain and its deity since the Cultural Revolution, and how this interacts with the current changes at the site due to state-planned modernisation and development within the ‘Great Development of the West’ (Xibu da kaifa) strategy extensively implemented since the beginning of the twenty-first century. Particular attention is paid to the recent great circumambulation pilgrimage to A-myes-rma-chen, performed once every 12 years in a Horse Year, which took place in 2014/15, in the Horse Year 2143 of the Tibetan calendar. The article shows the present form of the pilgrimage, its reflection of and accustomisation to these changes, and the resulting quick transformation of the institution of pilgrimage. Pilgrims’ and local people’s understandings and views, alterations and modifications of their behaviour and pilgrimage practice, as well as actual reactions, are discussed. The article argues that the site of A-myes-rma-chen is currently being reinterpreted by the state in a secularised, commodifying and territorialising discourse in order to incorporate the area more closely, both politically and culturally. A-myes-rma-chen thus represents a space contested by different cultural and interest groups.

scholarly journals Transforming Society for the Better?

MaRBLe ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadja Aldendorff
Keyword(s):  
Moral Virtue ◽  
The State ◽  
Chinese Society ◽  
State Council ◽  
Credit System ◽  
The West ◽  
Republic Of China ◽  
Social Credit ◽  
The Government ◽  
Social Sorting

In 2014, the State Council of the People’s Republic of China released a document that called for the construction of a nationwide Social Credit System (SCS) with the goal to encourage sincerity and punish insincerity. The system uses blacklists that citizens land on for various cases of misbehavior, ranging from failing to pay a fine to being caught Jaywalking. This research explains the design process behind the SCS and in particular why many Chinese citizens are embracing this form of surveillance. It focuses on three topics to answer this question: the historical roots underlying the system, the perceived lack of trust in Chinese society and the comparison with concepts from surveillance theories developed in the West. From the analysis, following conclusions could be drawn: Historically, the state has often acted as a promoter and enforcer of moral virtue. The SCS fits perfectly into this tradition. The most prominent reason for the positive Chinese reaction is the lack of institutions in China that promote trust between citizens and businesses. There is a severe trust deficit which the government had to find a solution for. Regarding surveillance theory, Foucault’s concept of ‘panopticism’ shows similarities with the SCS and underlines its effectiveness in changing and steering people’s behavior while Lyon’s notion of ‘social sorting’ is used to demonstrate the potential dangers of the Chinese system.

Curb that Enticing Tone

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hon-Lun Yang
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Revolution ◽  
The State ◽  
People’S Republic Of China ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Rock And Roll ◽  
People's Republic Of China ◽  
Republic Of China ◽  
Open Policy ◽  
Musical Genres ◽  
The Cultural Revolution

This chapter examines music censorship in the People’s Republic of China and its relationship to socialist ideology. After assessing the ideology of socialist music in the PRC, the chapter provides some examples of music censorship during the country’s history. It then highlights some of the intricacies and complexities in present-day music censorship in the PRC, including censorship on the Internet. It considers the musical genres that were taken out of the PRC’s soundscape, including Shanghai pop, and the return of pop-style songs after the Cultural Revolution following the adoption of the Reform and Open Policy. It analyzes the factors that explain why rock and roll never quite overcame its marginalized status in the PRC and has always been treated with caution by the state. The chapter concludes by focusing on music censors and censored music in the PRC.

scholarly journals Yang Yuelin and Modern Sizing Technology in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Wen Zhang ◽  
Xiaoming Yang
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Basis ◽  
The State ◽  
Textile Workers ◽  
People's Republic Of China ◽  
The West ◽  
Republic Of China ◽  
Modern Times ◽  
The Road ◽  
On The Road ◽  
Working Method

Since modern times, China has been forced into the huge wave of world industrialization. Yang Yuelin, a famous textile engineering expert and educator, is one of the countless people with lofty ideals who want to serve the country and embark on the road of "saving the country through industry". Yang Yuelin wrote a book "theoretical and practical sizing theory" after he learned the sizing technology of China and the West. The sizing principles summarized in the book constitute the theoretical basis of "sizing working method" of Qingdao Textile administration, which has a great driving role for sizing work in China. In the early days of the founding of the people's Republic of China, Yang Yuelin also actively responded to the call of the state and actively participated in the summary and promotion of the "Hao Jianxiu spinning method", which greatly encouraged the enthusiasm of the textile workers and their enthusiasm for production.

scholarly journals Transforming Society for the Better?

MaRBLe ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadja Aldendorff
Keyword(s):  
Moral Virtue ◽  
The State ◽  
Chinese Society ◽  
State Council ◽  
Credit System ◽  
The West ◽  
Republic Of China ◽  
Social Credit ◽  
The Government ◽  
Social Sorting

In 2014, the State Council of the People’s Republic of China released a document that called for the construction of a nationwide Social Credit System (SCS) with the goal to encourage sincerity and punish insincerity. The system uses blacklists that citizens land on for various cases of misbehavior, ranging from failing to pay a fine to being caught Jaywalking. This research explains the design process behind the SCS and in particular why many Chinese citizens are embracing this form of surveillance. It focuses on three topics to answer this question: the historical roots underlying the system, the perceived lack of trust in Chinese society and the comparison with concepts from surveillance theories developed in the West. From the analysis, following conclusions could be drawn: Historically, the state has often acted as a promoter and enforcer of moral virtue. The SCS fits perfectly into this tradition. The most prominent reason for the positive Chinese reaction is the lack of institutions in China that promote trust between citizens and businesses. There is a severe trust deficit which the government had to find a solution for. Regarding surveillance theory, Foucault’s concept of ‘panopticism’ shows similarities with the SCS and underlines its effectiveness in changing and steering people’s behavior while Lyon’s notion of ‘social sorting’ is used to demonstrate the potential dangers of the Chinese system.

Recent Developments in Chinese Publishing

1973 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 134-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene Wu
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Revolution ◽  
The West ◽  
Republic Of China ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Future ◽  
Chinese Publishing ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Main Factors ◽  
Printed Materials

This note discusses the current state of publishing in the People's Republic of China and the acquisition of Chinese-language materials by American libraries, with special reference to the factors which are likely to influence the future flow of materials from China. The subject is one about which no one can be very certain in his assessment, given the rather uncertain state of Chinese publishing during the last few years. Nevertheless, some speculations are possible on the basis of Peking's official announcements, a sampling of recent publications from China, and the way in which such publications have been made available to the West. What the future will hold, I believe, depends on two main factors. One, the extent to which publishing activities return to a pre-Cultural Revolution level, and second, the Chinese Government's policy with regard to library exchanges, the export of printed materials and to the purchase and export of such materials by visitors to China.

Us and them: East–West relations reconsidered

2021 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 315-331
Author(s):  
Leigh Sarty
Keyword(s):  
Cold War ◽  
Historical Perspective ◽  
Conventional Wisdom ◽  
First Century ◽  
The West ◽  
Republic Of China ◽  
End Of History ◽  
The Past ◽  
Cold War History ◽  
East West

This paper frames the contemporary challenge of the People’s Republic of China in the context of Cold War history. It shows how apparent echoes of the past—Beijing's continued embrace of “socialism;” a partnership with Russia that recalls the Sino–Soviet alliance—help illuminate the sources and nature of present-day East–West conflict, and suggests that Francis Fukuyama's much-pilloried “End of History?” has been misunderstood. Viewing the twenty-first-century standoff with Chinese (and Russian) authoritarianism in historical perspective, the paper concludes, casts prospects for the West more positively than recent conventional wisdom would suggest.

scholarly journals Zheng Manqing: el Salón Conmemorativo y el legado del Maestro de las Cinco Excelencias en Taiwán

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
Russ Mason
Keyword(s):  
Civil War ◽  
Cultural Revolution ◽  
Chinese Culture ◽  
Font Size ◽  
The West ◽  
Republic Of China ◽  
International Reputation ◽  
Cultural Renaissance ◽  
History Of ◽  
Senior Students

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Professor Zheng Manqing (1902-1975), a fine artist and a notable taijiquan disciple of Yang Chengfu, emigrated to Taiwan in 1949 following the Chinese civil war between the Guomindang and Maoist factions. Under Republic of China President Chiang Kai-shek’s Cultural Renaissance Movement, Zheng played an important role in preserving the cultural treasures of traditional China. During the period of Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution when the Mainland was veiled to foreign eyes behind the Bamboo Curtain, Zheng was instrumental in introducing taijiquan and other elements of Chinese culture to the West. Zheng passed away at his home in Yonghe, Taiwan in 1975 but not before establishing an international reputation for his mastery in taijiquan and other arts. Recently, a portion of his former residence was converted into a memorial hall (the Zheng Manqing Jinian Guan) by senior students interested in preserving his martial tradition, paintings, calligraphy, and other artifacts. This article provides a brief history of Zheng’s life and his legacy in Taiwan, as well as a photographic tour of the Zheng Manqing Memorial Hall.</span></span></span></p>

Chinese Mathematics Revision in Accordance with the Teachings of Mao Tse-Tung

1971 ◽  
Vol 64 (7) ◽  
pp. 615-619
Author(s):  
Frank Swetz
Keyword(s):  
Educational System ◽  
Cultural Revolution ◽  
People’S Republic Of China ◽  
Table Tennis ◽  
People's Republic Of China ◽  
The West ◽  
Republic Of China ◽  
Confucian Teachings ◽  
The Cultural Revolution

From 1962 until the present, the Great Cultural Revolution has been transforming the thoughts and lives of the citizens of the People's Republic of China. Confucian wisdom has been replaced by the philosophy of Chairman Mao. Reports reaching the West indicate how diligent study of the “Little Red Book” has assisted its readers in “increasing the speed of rotation of my cotton spinning machine from 9,000 r.p.m. to 13,000 r.p.m.” or “becoming world table tennis champion” or even “curing the children at our school of short-sightedness.”1 As Confucian teachings formerly did, so now the doctrines of Maoism form the foundations of the Chinese educational system. The most vociferant attacks of the Cultural Revolution have been directed at education, with the result, that every subject taught, even mathematics, is considered in the framework of Mao's teachings.

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