Resilience
China’s history, unfortunately, has been one of many downfalls. However, the Chinese people have persevered despite hardships and natural disasters to survive, progress, and eventually emerge as one of the current world powers. Through a cultural exchange with Huang Xuanhong, or Maggie, an 18 year old girl from Beijing, it has become clear to me that the Chinese people were able to persevere and exceed in history because they are very hard-working people. Maggie’s proverb, “Do nothing by halves”, and her symbol, the Great Wall of China, show how the Chinese people are constantly reminded in their daily lives to push through the hard times, in hopes of a greater future.
China, in her 4-millenia history, has suffered some of the most tragic events in history. One of the first humiliating losses in China’s modern history was being defeated in the Opium Wars (1839-1841 and 1856-1860), and consequently having to sign the Unequal Treaties in which China had to open additional ports to foreign trade, agree to fixed tariffs, and hand over Hong Kong for annexation by Britain, among other things. Then came the devastating loss in the First Sino-Japanese War, which concluded by the Treaty of Shimonoseki, signed in April 1895. By agreeing to this treaty, China had to recognize Korea’s total independence, cede Taiwan and the Penghu Islands to Japan, and pay a large reparation sum. Yet another traumatic event of China’s past is the Nanking Massacre, or the Rape of Nanking (1937-1938), when the Japanese military committed a genocidal war crime that caused the death of between 200,000 and 300,000 Chinese civilians. While every country has experienced its share of disasters and catastrophes, China’s history has an exceptionally devastating past.
Where did the Chinese people gather the strength to persevere and overcome when they were surrounded by nothing but devastation and despair? Maggie’s proverb, “Do nothing by halves”, or don’t do anything halfway, gave me a clue. According to Maggie and most other Chinese people, the continued existence of China, despite her devastating past, is due to the fact that the people of China never quit “by halves”, in contrast to other ancient civilizations, such as ancient India and ancient Egypt. Maggie’s translation holds some ambiguity. Does she mean that Chinese people never quit halfway on their effort to re-build and re-strengthen their country? Or does Maggie mean that the Chinese people don’t cop out by only exerting half of their full-force on their road to success? The interesting part of the mistranslation is that perhaps both of these interpretations work, and at the very least, they are both beautiful ideas.
To me, Maggie’s proverb shows that the Chinese people are always strong in spirit, even when the circumstances they face are very bleak and miserable. As Americans, sometimes we may suffer in performance due to lack of self-confidence. For example, when the economy crashed recently, in September of 2008, the American people lost faith in their own economy and contributed to the problem by spending as little money as possible and stifling the economy even further. Once we, the American people realized that we had lost control of the world’s economy, we automatically lost confidence in ourselves, and many Americans remain anxious about whether or not we will ever be able to pull ourselves out of this financial crisis. However, if a similar event occurred in China, I believe that the Chinese people would have responded very differently. Just as they persevered after natural disaster and enemy attack, they would probably continue to try to boost the economy the very next day after it crashed. When shocking misfortunes occur to the Chinese, they never sit back and allow the shock to sink in. Instead, they appear to recover instinctively, and immediately put forth efforts to counterbalance and overcome the misfortunes that have come their way.
The proverb demonstrates a fierce determination in the Chinese people to be the best in everything and anything that they do. Some people may find this characteristic as very obnoxious and pretentious. However, I believe that the Chinese people try to do their best not for boasting rights or to be better than the rest of the world. Instead, I view the Chinese people as a culture of people who respect themselves very much and wouldn’t settle for anything less than the best.
Another essential aspect of success of the Chinese people is their optimism and their trust in fate. My Chinese teacher, Mrs. Feng Ye, once told me that the Chinese character for ‘tomorrow’ is composed of the Sun and the Moon. “This,” she explained, “is because even though times are hard for the Chinese people, they always think that tomorrow is going to be so bright, like the Sun and the Moon came together, and then they are not so sad.” Once I learned that Chinese people are so optimistic about their future, it became easy for me to see why Chinese people dedicated all of their efforts into making the most of their future.
Maggie’s symbol, the Great Wall of China, is a very accurate representation of the unrelenting spirit of the Chinese people and their long history of overcoming. For one thing, the Great Wall took almost1000 years to complete! That is the ultimate proof of one country’s unity in will, power, and dedication. The Great Wall is also significant because it is so dynamic – over 6000 km! – that it is the only manmade object to be visible from outer space. I imagine that when the Chinese nation finally completed this wall, there was a great sense of satisfaction in completing the ‘ultimate project’ that connects the people of modern China to their ancestors way back in the Han dynasty. Originally, the wall was built to defend the agricultural civilization from the nomadic peoples outside of the wall. Ironically, by the Qing Dynasty, the Great Wall had actually brought the different cultures to come together to form a new, convergent culture. Now, just as the Great Wall stands strongly and proudly across 6,700 kilometers of China, the 56 different ethnic groups that comprise the massive population of China stand together in strong unity to face the world. Maggie wrote to me, “The Great Wall is encouraging the Chinese nation to march on forever.” Upon reading these words, I began to respect the Great Wall of China in a whole new way. For to Chinese people, the Great Wall undoubtedly serves as a physical reminder of all of the blood, sweat, and tears that the their ancestors shed in completing this wall. But the symbolism of the Great Wall extends further to represent all the wars, economic strife, and political turmoil that China has overcome to face the world so proudly, confidently, and fiercely in the 21st century. The up-and-down and side-to-side curves of the Great Wall further emphasize the dramatic highs-and-lows of China’s long, eventful history.
My partner, Maggie, has put China’s history and fighting spirit into a whole new perspective for me. One day, I hope to stand upon the Great Wall of China and to absorb the enormity of the realization that millions of Chinese laborers diligently crafted the bridge stone by stone, all the while telling themselves to never do anything by halves. After putting all that China has overcome in her long history into perspective, and after learning just how resilient the Chinese people are, I am confident that the Chinese people will accomplish many great things in the near future.
Three Kingdoms
The epic novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms: China’s Epic Drama which was written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century and later translated by Moss Roberts, illustrates the tragic fall of the 400-year Han Dynasty (202 BCE – 220 CE) in elaborate complexity and detail. Liu Pei and his brothers of the Peach Garden Oath, Kuan Yü, and Chang Fei, represent the heroic loyalist party who tries to defend the throne from Ts’ao Ts’ao (the betraying Chancellor in the north) and Sun Chuan (in the Southland). To the reader’s dismay, Liu Pei is not able to regain control over the state for the Han Emperor, and the tale of the three kingdoms is succeeded in history by four centuries of division, instability, and mostly foreign control. However, readers gain great insight from this book by being able to observe the delicate and formal interactions between the ancient Chinese people, which reflect greatly on the values of the Chinese culture. I am glad that my partner, Maggie, chose this novel for our cultural exchange because I was able to find connections in the story to the two symbols and two proverbs that she shared with me.
Three Kingdoms appropriately fitted the Chinese proverb “Do nothing by halves”, because the fighters of the loyalist party were all extremely hard workers who devoted all of their energy into the war, particularly Liu Pei. As he lies dying, unsuccessful in his life’s quest to return the throne to the Emperor, he says, “Could I do otherwise than drain the strength of my limbs to fulfill the discipline of persevering loyalty whose sequel is but death?” This statement of strong commitment and devotion to the Han dynasty surely has left strong impressions on the Chinese people of their heroic ancestors, and helped them to exert their full strength during adverse moments of China's history.
The tale of the three kingdoms also resembles the symbol of the Great Wall of China, in that it is a war story that involves more than one generation of warriors. The struggle to prevent the fall of the Han dynasty took place over a decade, and consequently, sons replaced their aging fathers in leading the different alliances, creating a substitution of the older Chinese men with the younger Chinese men. As the translator, Moss Roberts, stated in his introduction, the scale of time for this piece is dynastic, rather than individual. K’ung-ming, Liu Pei’s strategic advisor, wrote a testament on the day before his death, after Liu Pei and his two brothers all had been killed in the war. His words reach out to the succeeding generation to sustain the morality and dignity of the Chinese people in order to ensure that the nation will continue to excel forever. He wrote, “I appeal to your majesty to remain pure in heart and free of wrongful desires. Discipline yourself; cherish the people. Fulfill your filial duty to the late king. Extend humane favor within your realm. Raise the obscure and unknowledged, promote the competent and the worthy. Reject the unscrupulous and depraved. Keep wholesome our mores and morale.” The Great Wall stands as physical proof of the great efforts that the people of China have put forth over the generations to instill pride in the nation and gain respect from the rest of the world.
The second proverb from my cultural exchange is, “A single flower does not make a spring.” Maggie told me about the 56 different ethnic groups that constitute the Chinese nation, and she told me that their country values the unique traditions and characteristics of each of them, no matter how small they may be in number compared to the main Han group. In Three Kingdoms, the Peach Garden Oath in which Liu Pei, Kuan Yü, and Chang Fei vowed to become brothers that fight together and die together honored this same concept. Liu Pei was a remote relation to the royal family, Kuan Yü was a fugitive who had killed a man, and Chang Fei was a butcher. None of them were truly fit for the role of loyalist warriors, which were positions for sons of families of high status. However, through their strong personalities and unwavering courage, the contributions of Liu Pei, Kuan Yü, and Chang Fei to the loyalist party were acknowledged, and they rose to become the legendary leaders of the loyalist party.
Lastly, the symbol of the eight horses painted by Xu Beihong is also very relevant to the Three Kingdoms. Liu Pei's gallant fighting, strength in morality, and ability to quickly flee from danger resemble none other than the eight galloping horses and the character they each represent. Even though Liu Pei did not have the birthright to inherit the throne, he became the Emperor of the loyalist party through his fighting spirit and courageous leadership. His example serves as a great reminder to all Chinese people to remember the eight horses in how they conduct themselves, for when they do, the nation can achieve even greater power and pride than they thought possible.
Three Kingdoms was a terrific match for the cultural exchange between Maggie and me, because the complex plot and magnificent life stories of the characters incorporated all of the Chinese proverbs and symbols that Maggie and I had discussed in one way or another. Furthermore, I would recommend this book for anyone interested in the history and the people of China, for this valuable translated version of the Chinese classic enables non-Chinese people to look at the Chinese culture through the same perspective that Chinese people have learned about their own past.
The Court Walls
Hundreds of men have passed by before my eyes
But to me, they are all simply villagers of China.
Yet, today, a special man entered the palace.
As his passing gaze found mine for a glimpse of a second,
My rigid throne melted away,
And I was walking sturdily on my own two feet,
Following his large, strong footsteps
Wherever they lead me.
Ow! My older sister, Silent Rain, flicked the back of my drooping head to keep me awake in the court of the Emperor of China, my father. Although my older sister is thin and maintains a peaceful air in front of the Emperor, she has unbelievable control of her chi, and her bony finger feels like a thunderbolt to my sleepy head. It hurts so much that my back straightens like the palace pillars, and my face cringes like a wrinkled prune. While the Emperor looks away, I turn around at my sister, sitting behind me, and give her a mean face. She only returns a meaner face, so I turn back around and stare blankly at the procession of ragged and hungry villagers that come in and beg my father foolishly for food, money, and land.
After the court is finally closed to the village people and sunset, Silent Rain’s daily scolding commences. “Are you not grateful to your father, the Great Emperor of China, who gives you food to eat, and clothes to wear, and a blanket to sleep under? Then, why can’t you stay awake and show your respect?!” I pretend to listen to her, but my mind wanders. First, I look at the pearls lined neatly in her smooth black hair, wrapped in a tight bun in the center of her head, with not a single wisp of hair out of place. Her face, too, is perfectly painted with high eyebrows, pink cheeks, and thin, red lips that open and close with fierce rage. Her clothes made of delicate golden fabric cling tightly to her thin body, that is very graceful, but very strong and powerful at the same time. The mesmerizing jade that hangs from a golden chain emphasizes her strong beauty. The only things about Silent Rain that don’t seem to match are her three-inch long feet, bound tightly in golden material. Sitting in her lavish chair and lecturing me fervently, her feet swing back and forth of the floor. I swing my feet too, as if I’m dashing out of this confining palace, but my little “golden lilies” paddle through the air in vain.
Every day, my life is the same thing. I have never been outside of this gray palace, where I have no freedom or any fun. I long to walk in an open street, breathe in some fresh air, and run and play with happy children. But instead, I must sit in my court chair all morning and afternoon, and my only play friends are the lion statues that line the palace walls and play the staring game with me. It is no use complaining to Silent Rain. She tells me I am foolish for not being happy that my father is the Emperor of China, for this fact ensures that I will never have to perform hard labor, and that I will never be without shelter, or food to eat. If my feet were normal like the feet of the commoner girls that I can sometimes see outside my window, I would sneakily climb out of my window at night, or maybe even run at full speed from the court room, in plain sight of the Emperor himself! But with these bound feet, I am hopeless.
It is morning once more, and I find myself staring at an old man on his knees, begging the Emperor for more food for his wife and five starving children. His feet are bare, and the coarse souls of his feet look very out of place in the Emperor’s refined hall. The Emperor, elevated in his golden throne and decorated in the finest clothes in all the world, denies him, just as he denies every single villager I have witnessed. I wonder what this old commoner sees as he looks at the Emperor one last time before he returns empty handed to his starving family. I wonder how he feels.
Look, here comes another villager now. This man is rather young, and his body is built very strong, as if he is a very helpful worker in his father’s field. I was trying to entertain myself by guessing what exactly he was going to ask the Emperor for. I looked directly into his eyes as he walked down the long carpet trail to the Emperor’s throne to see if he is happy, or angry, or sad. This young many looks very sad, for I see tears welling up in corners of his eyes, and his two black eyes are staring straight in my direction….
Straight in my direction? Is he looking at me?! His eyes are so beautiful and deep, not empty and distant as the other villagers who have walked here before him. When I look far enough into his black pupils, it is as if I see all of the suffering he has been through in his life as a commoner. My heart begins to beat rapidly, for I almost feel as if I am experiencing the outside world through his eyes. I crane my neck to keep looking into his eyes as he walks passed me, towards the front of the room. I nearly fall out of my chair, and I know that my sister will scold me today again, once court is dismissed. But all I can think about is this beautiful man who showed me the true world with his eyes. I know that he is my only hope of escaping the court life, my only chance at happiness. My whole body is getting warmer and my heart pounds harder and my mind races faster and faster. I hold onto the cushioned arms of my chair to keep from falling forward, as my body gets drawn in by his gravity.
Finally, the young man arrives at the end of the villagers’ carpet, and he falls humbly to his knees. As his broad, strong back hunches over his muscular legs, he calls out, “Dear Emperor, my father has fallen ill and has died this very morning. As his oldest son, I beg for your permission to become my father’s heir and inheritor of all his money and land. I will work hard, and raise a good, diligent family to serve your country.”
“Fine,” the Emperor said slowly and emphatically. “You may surely inherit your father’s money and land, if you are indeed his oldest son, as you say you are. Just remember, find yourself a good wife, who will make you lots of healthy, hardworking boys.”
“Thank you so very much, sir,” the young man said, his voice is still drowning in grief. He stood up, took another bow towards the Emperor, and turned around to leave the palace. As he turned to exit, his eyes met mine once more.
“Take me with you! Let me be your wife, and let me experience a real family of my own! Let me go outside to work hard in the fields and to try to understand what life is all about,” I shouted to him in my mind.
“Sorry. You are a court girl with bound feet, and we both know it. You will never be able to walk by yourself, much less take care of our children or harvest in the fields. You have no choice but to live here forever,” he gently and apologetically replied through the gentleness of his eyes.
As the golden doors closed behind him, I knew that I was never to see this young, handsome man ever again. I follow the sound of his footsteps as they step out of the Grand Palace, onto the firm soil of the real world. I close my eyes and see his big sturdy feet walk in the direction of his lonely and humble home in the countryside. I am left in my chair in my father’s court, paddling my golden lilies slowly in the cold air.
