Cultural Differences by Yang Liu

Yang Liu was born in China, but left aged 13 for Germany. Now, as an artist and visual designer, she has channeled her experience of both cultures into a series of infographic images, juxtaposing some of the core values and perspectives of each society. For me, having grown up in a Western culture but with roots in Chinese culture, I feel that Yang Liu has successfully captured some of the contrasts between the two without implying one side is immediately better than the other. In the red corner, we have China, in the blue corner, Germany. 

Lifestyle: Independent vs. dependent

Through from my psychology A-level to my translation test in Haiyang University, I've constantly had to read about the individualistic nature of Western society. This sentiment has normally been phrased in language such as 'people in the West are more independent, whereas in the East they have a collectivist society so will act in terms of the greater good for all'. I would say that in China the family unit is generally much stronger than a family in the UK, and a Chinese family tends to extend beyond the nuclear family. However I am hesitant in agreeing with 'the Chinese act for the greater good', because it runs the risk of implying Westerners are willing to cut the throats of their peers, friends and family to get what they want. I'm not saying these people do not exist, but that they are not exclusive to one culture.  

Connections and contacts 

One of my favourites. Connections and contacts (关系 guanxi) play a big part in not just job seeking, but in shopping or even going to the doctor.

Three meals a day

The Chinese, especially the older generations, believe hot food is better for you. For example, hot tea accompanies a meal, and it is easier to get a glass of 开水 (kaishui) boiled water than it is to get a glass of water with ice.

Size of the individual’s ego 

Elderly in day to day life 

This is perhaps one of the aspects I miss about China. The elderly are venerated there in a way that just doesn't happen in the UK. Only 4% of China's elderly live in care homes. They are also far more visible, they meet up to play cards, chat, do taichi, dance, and accompany their grandchildren.

Complexity of self-expression 

Moods and weather 

At a party 

Attitude towards punctuality 

How to stand in line 

SO MANY BAD MEMORIES. I'M LOOKING AT YOU, EVERY AIRPORT IN CHINA. This is so true it's stressing me out just looking at it. 

Noise level inside a restaurant 

Ideal of beauty 

Animals 

Traveling and recording memories 

Problem-solving approach  

The boss

The Artist 艺术家

The Artist 艺术家

一个红卫兵打死了
我的叔公
在四十二年
以前的
昨夜。

A Red Guard shot
my great-uncle
last night,
forty-years
ago. 

这发生在
太阳刚开始向
层层叠叠又
沙沙作响的春天的树丛
诉说纹理时。 

It happened as
the sun started to
speak veins into
the spring thicket
whistling through, layer by layer. 

红卫兵开枪了
两次射向他的病榻
一次在腿上
有一次
在他的腹部

The Red Guard opened fire
twice toward his sickbed,
once in the leg,
and again
in the stomach. 

他 开了腔的腹部
涌出挑衅
在地上
一巴掌煽出的
深红， 仅仅 

His opened stomach
poured forth defiance
onto the ground
slapping out
dark crimson, only 

凝结又被掩埋
在阴暗
泥泞的土地，
红卫兵抽了只烟，
扔了牌， 离开。 

To congeal and be covered
in the shade
on some muddy ground.
The guards smoked a few,
played cards, and left.  

妹妹用膝盖
将自己
搜出橱柜
她呆立了
许久  才能去拾捡 

His sister used her knees
to pull herself
out from the cupboard
she stood transfixed
for a long time
only then able to gather

他所写的诗句
被红卫兵撕碎的
小说稿本
和他
用偷来的一撮鬓毛 

The verses he had written,
ripped up by the guard
the outlines of stories
and his
stolen tufts of paint brushes 

绘成的四美人图，
红卫兵说这是大毒草
毒害人民群众
于是那在烈焰中燃着的诗文，笔墨，
字画，烧断了这民族
的脊梁。

He used to paint the Four Beauties of China
the Red Guard said they were poisonous weeds,
corrupting the people,
among the raging flames burned his poetry, brush, ink,
paintings, consuming the nation's
backbone.

This poem was from an anthology of modern Chinese poetry sitting in a Coffee shop in Qingdao. It just so happened to be the fourth of June, anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests. Reading the poem "The Artist", it reminded me of the healing powers of art.

I was well aware of the world's spotlight gazing on China over the anniversary date, most international news sites carried some historical summary and a report on the vigil held in Hong Kong. But the majority Chinese themselves didn't notice. The day passes like any other. It's almost as if the Tiananmen massacre has come to mean more to the outside world than it does to China, where there is only a vacuum of information about the event.

Words thrown into the vacuum this year included 'big yellow duck' (after the famous image of tankman was altered so he faced down three giant yellow ducks), 'black shirt' (as mainland Chinese marking the date surreptitiously wear black) and '6 4'(short for June 4th).

History, no matter how ugly, leaves an indelible mark upon the face of a nation. The CCP have put a plaster over the top of Tiananmen and hope that everyone will forget it was put there. I hope one day it will be possible to fill this void with poetry, film and art. Art can help people reconcile with the Tiananmen massacre on their own terms and begin the healing process as a nation. One day Tiananmen might be looked upon as a lesson never to be repeated, rather than an unsightly stain to be swept under the carpet.