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Author Archives: Matt On China
The Parent-Child Relationship According to Confucian and Communist Ideologies
Last year I discussed Confucius with my Chinese teacher, who I knew simply as Wu Laoshi (“Teacher Wu”). In response to my question, “What would Modern China be like if Confucius had never lived?”, Wu Laoshi said “It’s impossible to … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged china, chinese, communist, confucian, confucius, ethics, family, han feizi, history, ideology, mao, mencius, philosophy
2 Comments
Quote of the Week: 13th August
“分久必合，合久必分” (After a long split comes a union, after a long union comes a split) Used to describe the cyclical nature of Chinese history, this proverb reminds me of a comment made by University of Oregon professor Yong Zhao. A … Continue reading
Posted in Quote of the Week
Tagged china, chinese, communist, corruption, culture, cycle, deng xiaoping, dynasties, dynasty, economics, economy, history, mandarin, mandate of heaven, party, politics, proverb, quotation, quote, reform, republic, society, travel, university of oregon, warring states, yong zhao
2 Comments
Things You Might Miss About China
Everyone knows the downsides, or “challenges” if you’re feeling charitable, of living in China. However, as my students were so fond of saying, “Every coin has two sides”. This particular coin must be weighted, however, as we very rarely see … Continue reading
Quote of the Week: 6th August
“One should not refuse to eat just because there is a chance of choking.” My interpretation of this proverb is that nothing in life comes without risk, and that we should not let our decisions be governed by the fear … Continue reading
The U.S. Attacks Religious Freedom in China in a Textbook Example of Pot, Kettle, Black
“Be it enacted by the General Assembly, that no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise … Continue reading
Posted in Comment
Tagged 2011, buddhism, china, chinese, christianity, confucianism, contraception, creationism, culture, department of state, eritrea, extremism, homosexuals, human-rights, international relations, iran, muslims, news, north korea, politics, power, religion, religious freedom, report, saudi arabia, society, taoism, tibet, travel, U.S., xinhua
9 Comments
Quote of the Week: 30th July
不管黑猫白猫，捉到老鼠就是好猫 “It doesn’t matter if the cat is black or white; as long as it catches mice, it’s a good cat.” This statement was made by Deng Xiaoping in 1962, in response to his critics arguing that his proposals for … Continue reading
Posted in Quote of the Week
Tagged African American, capitalist, china, chinese, chinese proverb, communist, culture, deng xiaoping, mandarin, Mitt Romney, proverb, quotation, quote, race and ethnicity, society, travel
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My Top 5 China Smells
My mother in law recently lent me a collection of articles by Oregonian columnist and author Bob Welch. One article that particularly caught my attention was ‘The sweet smells of home’ (2001), in which Mr Welch celebrates the transcendental power … Continue reading
Posted in Lists
Tagged bob welch, china, chinese, cigarettes, culture, firecrackers, five spice, food, habits, smells, smoke, society, soybean, sweet potato, terra cotta warriors, top 5, travel
4 Comments
Finally Some Common Sense
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you’ll know that I have pretty major beef with a lot of reporting on China. It seems that every time China hits the headlines it is for some scandalous, dishonest, or … Continue reading
Posted in Comment
Tagged africa, britain, china, chinese, colonialism, economics, economy, europe, exploitation, indstrialization, industrialistion, investment, media, news, peking university, politics, report, trade, travel, yao yang
2 Comments
Quote of the Week: 23rd July
前人栽树，后人乘凉 “Earlier generations plant trees so that later generations can enjoy the shade” I think we’re all sometimes guilty of forgetting that the world didn’t begin on the day we were born, and that it won’t end on the day … Continue reading
Posted in Quote of the Week
Tagged britain, china, chinese, generations, imperialism, john oliver, mandarin, nature, proverb, quotation, quote, society, travel, U.S., 前人栽树，后人乘凉
3 Comments
Panda Conservation: Are We Wasting Our Time?
Before we begin I need to confess something: I love pandas. There, I said it. I’m a 25 year-old man and I bloody love pandas. Just looking at a panda is enough to make your heart melt, and if you … Continue reading →