DavidTang（鄧永鏘）
Anextraordinarypubliclavatory,becauseit'stheworld'sbiggestpubliclavatory,wasfoundinPeking-oppositethePekingHotelonWangfujing-theOxfordStreetorFifthAvenueofChina.Itwasasymbolicmonumentofsocialism.Butinl990,thatlandmarkpubliclavatorywasclosed-tomakewayforPeking'sfirstMacdonald's.Forme,itwasashiningsymboloftheinfiltrationoftheWestinChina.
Indeed,therehasbeennolookingback.EverywhereyoulookandgoinPekingandShanghai,thereareconstantandblatantremindersofWesterncommercialism:fromKentuckyFriedChicken,toDior,Gucci,ChanelandLouisVuitton-allthefamousbrandsarethere-fawningthemselvesinfrontoftheemergingmiddleclassofChina.Forthat'swhatfuelingtheWesterncommercialisminChina-atleastincitieslikePekingandShanghai.
ItriedtofindoutrecentlywhattheChineseurbaniteswanted.WhereverIwent,IaskedlocalChinesewhattheyconsideredtobethechicestthinginChina.Everyone,withoutexception,mentionedwesternmaterialthings,brandedclothes,awatchoracar-butlastweekend,Iwasgiventhedefinitiveanswer:"WhatisthechicestthinginChina?"Iasked.Myclevercompatriotanswered"Money!"
SotheseChinesemainlandershavecomealongway.IrememberintheeightieswhenIoncewentbacktomyhotelroomandfoundtomydismaythattheroom-boywasbrushinghisteethwithmytoothbrush!ButnowifyoustayattheStRegisinPeking,oneringforthebutler,andhewillbringyouhalfadozenoftoothbrushes.
Onemightwellwonderwhattheseurbaniteswear?WhendidtheyshedthoseMaouniformsindarkblueorKhakicloth?RemembertheimageoftheredarmyandthoseobsequiousandubiquitousyouthsholdingintheirhandsMao'slittleredbooks?Then,inthe60'sand70's,everyonelookedthesame.Why?Therewas,liketheFrenchRevolution,areignofterror.Ifyoudidnotconform,youwouldstickout;andifyoustuckout,youwouldbecomeavictimoftheCulturalRevolution,whichhadzerotolerancetowardstheslightestamoebicevocationofthebourgeoisie,stilllesselitism.Butnowexactlytheoppositehashappened.Everyonenowwantstostandout.MrWongwantstoknowifMrChannextdoorhasa3seriesora5seriesBMW.AndMrTangwantstoknowifMrLeehasaFridgidaireorWestinghouserefrigerator.TheCulturalRevolutionhasbeenexposedandacceptedevenbytheAuthorityasalieandpeople'sinstinctivereactionisnolongertolistentoone'sownleaders.Thereis,therefore,awholegenerationinChinainreaction,wishingtoembracetheWest,orwhatalotofthemmightregardasthetruth.
Butitwilltakeanother10or20yearsbeforetheprevailinggenerationbecomesuntouchedbypersonalexperienceofthebadtimes.Meanwhile,theWesthassoughttoinfluenceandcorrupttheEast.Idonotusetheword"corrupt"flippantly,ifonlybecausewherethereisacorruptor,thereisthecorrupted.WhentheWesttemptsChinawithitsware,we,theChinese,canonlyblameourselvesforbeingtempted.AndIdonotblamemyChinesecompatriots.It'sunderstandableiftheywanttobelievetheoutsideworldwithitsostensiblefreedomandprofit.IkeepaskingwhymainlandersshouldeatAmericanprocessedfoodandwearWesternclothesandimitatewhattheybelievetobetheWesternlifestyle,whenweourselvesshouldbeevolvingourowndistinctiveChinesestyle,bybeinginspiredbyourrichhistoryandheritage,whichwasrudelydisruptedbyMao.ButtheChinesetodaydonottendtolisten.ThepresentgenerationwantstheWest.TheywantWesternjeans,whichwouldbeparadoxicalasdenimoriginatedfromChina-weusedtouseitassailsonshipsandofcoursetheindigodyealsooriginatedfromChina.
It'sasadtalethatIamtelling,fortheChinesesensibilitiestodayarechannelledandsuckedintoWesternacceptance,whenChina'semergingprideandpowerintheworldstageshouldmakeusconsiderablymoreindividualisticandmuchmoreculturallyconscious-notoftheculturalpastintheturmoilofMao'sera,butoftheculturalpastofChinawhenShepaidattentiontorefinement,whenShevaluedtruecraftsmanship,whenShewasconfidentandproudaboutherheritage.
But,asIsaid,thisChinesefervourwillcome-thatnewfuturelifestylerevolution,notthepresentlifestyleevolution,willcome.IwashavinglunchinPekinglastSundaywithMadamZhangXin,whowasthecreatorof"CommunebytheGreatWall",andVivienneTam,oneofourmosttalenteddesigners.WeallbemoanedthefactthathowobsessedChinaiswiththeWest-andmentionedhowaChineseparvenuhasbuiltareplicaofChateauLafiteandFontainbleauandtheGardenofVersailles,allinone!Why,weasked,couldn'thehavereproducedthesplendourofthecourtyardsandhousesoftheForbiddenCity?Indeed,thearchitectureofthewholeofPekinglooksdreadful-soisPudonginShanghai.Butsoon,thiswillchange.
Itwillchangeinthenextgenerationthat,Ihope,willconsistofagreatnumberofpeoplewhohavealreadyhadaWesternupbringing,andtheywillcomebacktoChina,andtheywillfeelthesecurityandconfidenceofpushingforChinesepreceptsandfashions.Ipredictin10-15years'time,thependulumwillswingbacktoChineserootsandtheyoungergenerationinChinawillcometofeeltheinadequacyofjustfollowingtheWestandinsteadbegintoleadwithChineseimagination.ButitwilltakeawholegenerationtoexorcisetheghostofMao,andfortheChinesetoregainthatsenseofconfidence.Whateverhappensinbetweenwillbecomeaminutepartofhistory,neitherworthmentioning,stilllessremembering,whenChinesehistoryiswritteninacoupleofhundredyears'time.ItakeheartandlooktomychildrenandtheirgenerationtoresurrecttheprideofChina.Thankgodthereisprocreation!
(ThisisanexcerptfromaspeechdeliveredattheInternationalHeraldTribuneConferenceon"Luxury2004.")
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作者為中國會創辦人，文章隔星期一刊出