Do Chinese kneel down yet?
A foreign friend was a little puzzled after reading one of my blogs, she didn’t understand that few certain Chinese people might kneel down to somebody to pray or ask for something or express their emotion. Today, it is very rare for you to see that again in China. Of course, that does not mean the manners had disappeared totally. In fact, kneeling is something that won’t disappear forever even though its expressing ways that are visible had vanished from the earth. Because as a part of Chinese culture or a kind of ideology, it appears in the book even in your mind, no matter it is bad or good you think. You probably don’t kneel down for anything, but you know it.
Kneeling is not that culture that only China has, most countries in the world, more or less, all have a kind of culture about Kneeling. It’s all different. In this connection, the countries in Asia stand out clearly among these nations. Such as Korea, Japan, China, Thailand, etc. When you come to these countries, you may see Koreans and Japanese supporting themselves on their knees and having meal in home or restaurants. When they meet the venerable person or the particular solemn occasions, they may kneel down to pray or say Hello to show their politeness. Thais would kneel down with their ten fingers getting together as they see the Buddhist monks. People kneel down out of social manners, religious faith or politeness. But you almost cannot see this phenomenon in China.
When China had been a feudal society before the day October 10th,1911. Generally speaking, at the time, Kneeling down had five meanings in China. One, knelt down to God to pray for a better life. In the past, most of people were so poor; they could not get help from the Government, then turned the hopes to the God and expected God to save them from the poverty and wars. Two; the civilian people knelt down once they met officials as a result of slavish education. If they didn’t, they would get beaten up even to death. The common people were in the lowly shape, they almost had no any rights to do what they wanted. While the government officials could push their way by shoving and did what they needed whether right or wrong. Three, the people who made serious mistakes would kneel down to pray for forgiveness. As to the common mistakes, they would be scolded or beaten up and get forgiveness. But the mistakes that led to a big problem or a great loss were hard to forgive. Kneeling down to accept beating and torture was the fearful punishment. Four, some people who wanted to get some important things would kneel down. Here, kneeling down stands for a solemn sincere way to implore for something. Finally, few certain people might kneel down to express how he or she appreciated or worshiped a person.
The situation was changed after the last feudal Qing Dynasty was overthrown at the end of 1911. The new Capitalistic Government replaced the old feudal Government, emancipated the people from the slavery and offered a better living environment. The social system of China was becoming more and more democratic, and more and more people could get educated and their mind was emancipated too. People started to struggle for freedom and equality. They thought they had more choices, they could choose not to kneel down.
However, the Socialistic Government which was led by the Communist Party completely took the place of Capitalistic Government which was led by the Nationalist Party in 1949 and founded our own new socialistic country——the People’s Republic of China. While the Nationalist Party ran away and settled in a small Island called Tai Wang. China that is led by Socialist Party has made earthshaking changes. Especially in 1977, after the president f China, Deng Xiaoping was restored to his old post and made many economic reforms which were really working. Now the society is pretty more democratic, fairer, and more harmonious, the nation’s economy is growing rapidly, the educational level is getting rising. Compare with advanced countries, we still have some distance to go, but we have made great achievement in the public eye. We know, we can go the distance, and faster.
We are in a better life under a better Government. We advocate emancipating mind, seeking truth from the facts and advancing with times. We are reforming the traditional social abuses and learning from the advanced nations and creating new things, new ideas and new culture of our own.
Sorry, I think perhaps I’ve gotten carried away from my topic. But what I do this is in order to make you understand the topic easily. Today, in China, few certain Chinese people might thank a person who once helped you a lot, or taught you how to be a good person, by kneeling down voluntarily. And this is one of the noblest ways to say thank you, and we do it just in order to appreciate. So everyone needn’t fuss, these is no disgrace. In personality, yesterday, today and tomorrow, in our country, we don’t kneel down to anybody. We don’t kneel down to God for a better life, because we can do a better life; we don’t kneel down to the officials, because they are working for people; we don’t kneel down to ask for forgiveness, now the people are kind and tolerant.
Everything in the world is changing, but China’s dream never changes. People’s dream never changes. We are going through day and night, walking across the streets, swimming the rivers, climbing the mountains and flying over the ocean. All we do is to wait some day, we believe.
Do Chinese kneel down yet?
Never!
