At the Opening Ceremony: Did China Rediscover Its Soul?

In my 2005 book, "Billions: Selling to the new Chinese Consumer," I asked whether the Middle Kingdom would summon enough courage to show the best side of itself. "Will the opening ceremony be a rousing release of national passion or an Orwellian propaganda spectacular? Will the awe-inspiring zip, zing and pizzazz of the Chinese people be overshadowed by an insecure government apparatus paranoid about lost face? Will an instinctively self-protective China open its doors to the unfamiliar, or stage a well-rehearsed Beijing opera sure to leave most of us cold? Time will tell."

Friday night, as I sat amongst 100,000 individuals, both Chinese and foreigners, at the country's "Bird's Nest" stadium, an architectural masterpiece of epic proportion and sublime transcendence, the question resolved itself with an emphatic exclamation point: China would reveal to the world - and itself -- its soul, shaped across thousands of years of triumph and tragedy.

Some Inauspicious Omens. As I waited for the show to begin, melting in Beijing's August "haze," not all signs were positive. Grade B local celebrities spent thirty minutes teaching spectators how to deploy cheaply-produced patriotic paraphernalia. Hyper-friendly supporting cheerleaders, college students who were also Party members, were deployed every ten rows. Security clearance, an hour-long marathon, took place in a ramshackle lot two kilometers away from the main venue. The gargantuan Olympic Park, seven square kilometers of solidly-constructed athletic infrastructure and commercial pavilions, lacked touches of humanity. And grim-faced, stiff-backed security personnel were everywhere, reminding everyone that the government's hyper-defensive "Safety First!" rallying cry was no laughing matter.

And yet, despite the security apparatus' defensive crouch, the masses were warm. They were curious, eager to ask where a foreigner was from, what he thought of Beijing, why he had come and what he expected of the opening ceremony. When different countries' athletes entered the stadium, applause was genuine - particularly for Brazilians, Argentineans, Australians and, yes, Americans. Proclamations of China's intention to promote "international friendship and mutual understanding" were greeted with thunderous -- and sincere -- ovation.

A Spectacular Production. No one doubted the production, helmed by impresario Zhang Yimou, famed director of operatic films such as Raise the Red Lantern and Hero, would be world class. It was. The Chinese people were, literally, the heroes of the show; within 70 minutes, 20,000 performers had graced the field. A huge screen on which the nation's artistic heritage was vividly brought to life enveloped the entire stadium. During a jaw-dropping fireworks display, mile-long "heavenly footprints" strode, Thor-like, from the Forbidden City to the Olympic park to welcome the world to Beijing. Larger-than-life scale, an obsession in a nation in which mobilization of resources is tantamount to survival, shocked and awed. Thousands of meticulously-choreographed drummers launched the show; multi-story, dragon-emblazoned pillars extended across the field. When more than 600 Chinese athletes appeared, the crowd charismatically erupted with the Maoist fervor. The lighting of the Olympic flame was nothing short of volcanic. When giant Olympic rings formed from stardust, many gasped, then cried.

The Essence of China. Grandeur was a foregone conclusion. In fact, many expected the extravaganza to be a chest-thumping, unadulterated totalitarian tribute to a nation committed only to generating industrial power and legions of gold-medalists. Happily, this was not to be.

I was struck by the combination of scale on one hand and depth and thoughtfulness, even intellectualism, on the other. The ceremony, surprisingly and touchingly, was about Chinese culture which Zhang and, yes, now the government believe to be the only force capable of resolving omnipresent conflicts percolating within the PRC: between growth and stability; progress and tradition; East and West; past, present and future. More ambitiously, the Olympic spirit was defined as synonymous with very idea of China. Zhang interpreted the Games' tagline, "One World, One Dream," as China's life force: harmony -- harmony between individuals (Confucian sociology) and with the universe (Daoist cosmology). Dancers became "brushes" to create a seventy-meter natural landscape scroll painting; life size printing blocks/Chinese characters morphed into a "human sea" of wisdom.

Who Was Watching?

The night had two audiences.

China First. Most importantly, the ceremony was targeted to the Chinese. Zhang, a victim of Cultural Revolution abuse, was pleading with the nation to, finally, stand up with pride. Today's China, he believes, springs from a rich cultural heritage and a timeless world view, one in which all elements of the universe are elegantly interconnected, always in motion. China's profound respect for intelligence has created a country that reveres the scholar, emphasizes knowledge over might, defense over offense, skill over brute force, concentration over impulse. These qualities, he insists, must be venerated.

Domestically, Mr. Zhang and BOCOG succeeded brilliantly. At the stadium, on the street and in hotel lobbies, many locals were moved - sometimes to tears. They described the show as "perfect," "eleven on a scale of ten" and "meaningful." (That said, a few expressed concerned that foreigners could never fully understand what they saw. And the singing seemed to fall flat.) People streamed out of the stadium beaming with pride. The organizers, they said, managed the hat trick of fusing scale with wisdom while reminding one and all that today's China is about more than status display and low-cost labor.

(The performance was also politically correct. The Communist government hopes to evolve from a guarantor of double-digital GDP growth into a protector of Chinese values and builder of a "harmonious society." But, once in a blue moon, political correctness and wisdom align. The party does encourage mainlanders to: a) define themselves as more than agents of economic productivity and b) balance materialism and civility for the sake of sustainable development -- as well as the CCP's hold on power.)

Then the World. China was also reassuring the rest of us its rise would not threaten geopolitical order as long as its olive branch is reciprocated with a respect for the Middle Kingdom's world view. In this respect, the show fell short of a grand slam. True, the staging was exquisite. And its message of geopolitical harmony was uninterrupted by political posturing, a rare coup in and of itself. However, many of the themes were probably too esoteric for Westerners to grasp, beyond the reach of even some of us "China hands." More important, everything was "one way." The entire night, while steeped in declarations of universal brotherhood, may have reinforced perceptions that China, so skilled in absorbing foreign influences and applying them in a Chinese context, is not yet capable of reaching out or understanding what makes other societies truly tick. The glories of the Middle Kingdom were not presented as part of a global tapestry. They were manifestations of absolute truth. Chinese culture was framed as the quintessence of human civilization and the Middle Kingdom, as always, its epicenter.

Yes, we heard African tom toms and Scottish bagpipes. We gazed upon costumes from every corner of the world. But Western civilization - from the Renaissance art and modern American technology to rock music and "free style" soccer - did not even score a courtesy mention. There was no celebration of "one plus one equals three," no yin-to-yang dynamism, no fusion of Chinese and the world's other centers of gravity. Foreigner remained, in the purest sense, spectators, on the outside looking in. That's why the parts of the show intended to represent the benefits of "mutual understanding" lapsed into propagandistic cliché. We ended up with limp, dime-store transcendence - e.g., astronauts drifting in space, doves in flight, and legions of smiling children.

Their Night. But let's not be small. The night belonged to the People's Republic. On 08/08/08, a nation articulated its spirit with brio. On 08/08/08, China proclaimed its strength, values and culture to be worthy of respect. After decades of trauma and self-doubt, China may finally be willing to, armed with confidence, embrace the world.

Let us hope that other nations, without forfeiting their own beliefs, also summon enough self-possession to help China try.

Comments

[PaPaPeng]

Once more with feeling. This show is for the people of China first and foremost. Then it is for the rest of the world. The world will forget much once the Games are over. The lessons for the Chinese people will remain much much longer. China is no stranger to poverty, adversity and suffering. We have lived it all our lives and have prevailed. We don't need reminders. Least of all do we need simplistic patronizing attitudes such as peterg76 's.

You have seen a very small part of China this part week. You will not see anything that will contradict this impression over the next two weeks. It is not a Potemkin Village. The street scenes you have seen in Beijing and the ordinary happenings tens of thousands visitors have experienced in China for the first time in their lives is not by any stretch of imagination an illusion. The same energy, developments, the demeanor of ordinary men and women, the awesome buildings and enviable infrastructures, everything you see is happening all over China. This reality the Chinese can already see for themselves everyday. And what we saw in the Olympics is that not only can we put on a world class show we can also put up one that the world will find hard to surpass. We don't seek to prove anything. We don't seek your approval nor your praise. The evidence is right before your eyes.

[Venise Alstergren]

To me the headline has more or less come to the point. As far as I was concerned it all reminded me of a sort of stone-faced Busby Berkeley musical. Technically superb. But mostly, I was reminded of the old adage, "money cannot buy soul, discretion or good-taste­."

[chinationreport]

God or nature gave us different colors so that we don't just see things in black and white. The world is colorful and beautiful, even in China, even in its current form, when we open our eyes and our mind before we judge.

Many question while the large crowd would move under that kind of control and discipline and whether that's a sign of dictatorship. It is not true. How about Cheerleading here? Chorus here? A parade here? People did it because of pride and joy, not because of fear and order.

A small detail for everyone to understand Chinese culture which has nothing to do with Communism: Chinese people put their family name first and then given name last. They are part of the family before they are an individual. The opposite is true here. But the Chinese way is an ancient culture which came from old days when people had to physically help each other to hunt for food, fight against nature, animals... It made sense that people always identified themselves not first as an individual but part as a part of something bigger. This is not communism, it is confuciunism.

http://www.chinationreport.com/ - your one stop for balanced China news

[llozano]

I think the writer, like a child goes for any shiney object. Fireworks and precision drill teams do not make one a great country. If that were the case North Korea and Hitler's Germany would lead the pack.
There is very serious repression going on in China at this time even if they are becoming the world's most powerful economy that sooner or later will come to boil no matter how much they try to stop it.

[PaPaPeng]

This show is above all a show for the Chinese peoples. Only then it is a show for the rest of the world. In this world view the US and the UK are just two members, albeit important ones, among the 205 countries at the Games. In the decades of barely disguised hostility from the West China has gone from strength to strength while the US, the UK and many of the West’s developed countries had seen theirs slip out of their fingers. China does not seek to impress nor offend these countries. They are already mature and predictable markets that neither continuing hostility nor a change to better relations will affect China’s geostrategic goals. The countries really wishes to impress and win over are the poor and developing countries, especially those with strategic resources China needs to feed her industries and her peoples. This geostrategic competition the West is not winning.

The extravaganza you just saw at the National Stadium is irrefutable proof to ourselves and to the world that China is fully capable of planning, organizing and executing highly complex projects that involve thousands acting in unison, using the latest technologies and drawn wholly from China’s own resources. The landmark buildings were indeed designed by Westerners. Nowhere else on this planet except in China could these dreams be built.

The time when US Western criticism of China can cause even a hiccup has passed. You have just seen for yourselves the level your competition with China is at.

[Lemeritus]

My dear PaPaPeng,

I cannot speak to China's "geostrategic goals" nor, as a chastened citizen of a country who has lost its moral standing, speak to China's human rights record. To the extent that all Olympics are "political", we must acknowledge that the Beijing Olympics are poltics writ large -- in this case, the best of politics with a yearning for, if not realization of "One World, One Dream".

I sense in your comments, however, not only well-deserved pride, but reproach and derision for the West. Since you are speaking as a surrogate for your country, this is unbecoming of a gracious host (as it would be equally unbecoming in the West). I look to the faces of the people in the stands to tell the real story of this great success for China and send my congratulations to them for their once and future greatness.

[Venise Alstergren]

Certainly the spectacle was awe-inspiring. However, the first wayward thought to cross my mind was, 'it's so Hollywood, but much better. Finally, as a deep admirer of China, and it's literature/history. I felt, 'This is a very extravagant way to teach people history'. Then came my real criticism. 'It goes to prove the old saw, that money can't buy restraint, subtlety, or good taste'. And I think I was right.

[MagisterLudi]

But Western civilization - from the Renaissance art and modern American technology to rock music and "free style" soccer - did not even score a courtesy mention

For those with music education Western civ. music was omnipresent during the ceremonies.
From commissioned music work by the dean of European avant-guard Penderecki ( he of "Threnody" fame) to Lang Langs European-trained pianist to Robert Wells' music. Tan Dun as usual created a bland fusion of Western orchestra and Chinese folk instruments using some pentatonic scales as well as post-tonal Western harmonic language.
Or by the way, thank you Tan Dun for skipping the tacky rock music cliches altogether. Shae shae.

[chinationreport]

I sat in Tom's class in Shanghai in March!! He was brilliant! I am Chinese but I learnt a few things about China from him!!
I wish you guys would listen to what a real expert has to say!! Tom has been living in Asia/China for 10 years or longer. He speaks Chinese, wrote the bestselling book. He explained this whole thing better than any Chinese would have!! For one thing, he has the command of the language, then he knows where the misunderstandings are.

A lot of you will not believe this. I don't blame you! IT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DAYS in China's modern history!!! If the Opium War marked the moment China and Chinese are forever enslaved by shame and humiliation, this opening night was the moment China and Chinese, including those living in America, feel lifted again! It has taken 168 years and a few generations. Don't tell Chinese people that spending $40 billion is too much to redeem a whole nation's pride! You will not understand because you don't want to give China a chance! Tom knows it too well, hence he closes the article with that wish: Let us hope that other nations, without forfeiting their own beliefs, also summon enough self-possession to help China try.

http://www.chinationreport.com/ for more balanced news and views about China

[LaoMichigander]

Hi chinationreport,

I've known Tom practically since he was a baby, and I know how well he speaks Chinese. I spend a lot of time in Sichuan, and I really don't think many people there see the Olympic opening ceremony as one of the most important days in China's modern history. The Wenchuan earthquake made a deeper impression on them. Shanghai and Beijing are bubbles on a vast Chinese sea.

[kfdan]

The opening ceremony was certainly less propagandistic than it could have been. It did smack a bit of the communists organizing vigor but I was pleased with the results.

[Crowhaul]

Actually, the author missed the subtle - and, from the perspective of one who has lived amongst the Chinese, significant - subtext of the Opening Ceremony: the precise, machine-like control of a large body of humans by a select group of directors as allegory for the steadfast control the Chinese government has over their 1.3 billion people and the willingness of those same people to cede such control.

[fairwitness]

It is a hopeful sign that China displayed its spiritual and wisdom traditions as the best it had to offer the world's eyes (within the prerequisitly Olympic, mind-boggling spectacle). It will remain to be seen if those qualities are merely veneer for totalitarian perversities (as they would necessarily be if our current administration were to put on a similiar show) or are really honored by their culture anymore or, more pertinently, its current leaders. If the latter, it could mean a lot to the spiritual develpoment of the world; there is great wisdom in Chineese Taoism and its spiritual descendant, Zen, wisdom our present culture desperately lacks. I hope for the best from this, China's re-emergence on the world stage.

[LaoMichigander]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the description and your thoughts on the pageantry. Gazing at it from the U.S., I wonder whether this Olympics will have any lasting impact on China's relations with the world. Someone on NBC was saying its the most important event in modern Chinese history. Really? I think this will fade quickly, particularly in the minds of foreigners.

K

[S1m0n]

NO ONE spends 40 billion dollars to put on a two-week track meet. The Beijing Olympics is colossal exercise in propaganda; call it "Orwellian" if you wish.

[MagisterLudi]

Except for those nations who are great hosts and are flash with cash.
This would exclude the Americans, obviously.

[peterg76]

"I asked whether the Middle Kingdom would summon enough courage to show the best side of itself." Showing your 'best side' is not what takes courage, and any decent "Orwellian propaganda spectacular" is obviously going to be a "rousing release of national passion". Not necessarily sincere passion, but the Chinese are hardly amateurs at totalitarianism the way Bush and Cheney are.

[Rule Of Law]

My thoughts exactly. When you can show your worst side--and more, allow your people to speak openly about it, then you can claim to be courageous.

[Jamchinadian]

Even if your last sentence is true, they (Shrub and Shooter) are surely fast learners!

[MagisterLudi]

China, under wise communist party leadership, has been lifting out of poverty about million Chinese PER MONTH and EACH AND EVERY MONTH.

you gentlemen who think you have a mission
to purge us of the seven deadly sins
should first sort out the basic food position
then start your preaching, that's where it begins

you lot, who preach restraint and watch your waist as well
should learn for all time how the world is run
however much you twist, whatever lies you tell
food is the first thing, morals follow on

so first make sure that those, who now are starving
get proper helpings, when we all start carving"

Kurt Weill

LEARN THIS SIMPLE FACT ABOUT THE WORLD, then start peaching, pal.