Tabula Rasa

China is always being an exotic nation for me. A nation-culture which lived on for more than 3500 years, and always  being a dominant power throughout history. Now, we see The Dragon slowly awaken from its long sleep, and eventually challenges United States in being global superpower. It’s what I see from newspaper, TV, and chitchat with friends. But what about Chine in the perspective of its own citizen?

Yesterday afternoon, as usual I went to Dipati Ukur PAV65 to meet my friends from ‘Komunitas Sahabat Kota’ in participating in their weekly event, ‘Rabu Belajar’. Surprisingly, this week is about China, Chinese, and Chinese culture, with the keynote speaker is Emma Xiu, an abroad student from Guangzhou, majoring in English whom currently visiting Indonesia as part of AIESEC delegate.

Well, to me it is a rare chance to meet a mainland Chinese and ask them much about China, Chinese, and Chinese culture which the world are watch very carefully about. And the event is begun. At first, she presented a short presentation which told us about People’s Republic of China and its general information, and also current issue there. The presentation was pretty short, and then the question session began.

This session brought us so many informations and interesting stories about China, and also inside stories what I don’t even thought about. China after all, is just a nation, like Indonesia. Its citizens still anxious about how high living cost in big cities. Having a house in the urban is a sign that you’re a millionaire. Newly-wed couple still don’t get idea where do they will live. Emma also amazed how we college students have a car on our own, while the price of car in China is very expensive.

In transportation, I must give the Chinese government salute. How they managing transportation in a nation with 1,3 billion souls is visionary: rise up the price of personal transportation and its supporting costs, build massive rapid transport (Subway, Monorail, Bus, etc.) that can reach even remotest areas possible, and force its citizen to use the MRT. The effect of this transportation is good, in my opinion. She once travelled from Guangzhou to Beijing (which roughly 3000 miles, I think) is only 20 hours ride, much faster than going to Bali with personal car.

The discussion then switch topic to the internet life. For me who always give time everyday to facebooking or tweeting, life must be hard to life in China. They can’t do facebook or twitter there! But that makes its local sites to flourishing. China has a lot of local contents, things that I’m very jealous with. The Internet too makes them a safe haven to control the government. Many Chinese sites allow its users to have an anonymous name (i.e. you won’t know who is an user in the real life). The anonymous nature allows them to critize the government freely without much risk of being accused by the government. But one thing I am very appreciate is, their freedom in the internet are being used to eradicate the corrupt officer. If you’re forced to bribe the officials in the public service, just post them on the net, and people will start to talk about it. As the time passes by, the government will start to notice it, and eventually banish the corrupt official. I wish Indonesia has a custom like this.

The people of China actually are shy in their nature. Emma told us that many foreign teachers confused when they asked “any question?” in the class and the class just keeps silent. Their shy nature makes them generally obedient to their government and support its policies. I think this is caused much by the Confucianism spirit that live in the souls of the Chinese. The concept of ‘Mandate of Heaven’ states that as long as the government is righteous and care its people well, then it will lasted without much chaos or havoc. But as the disaster, chaos, and ahavoc spread out in the country, it is a ’signal’ that the government is corrupt, The Heaven lift the mandate, and someone must rise up and claim the Mandate of Heaven. that is (I think) the causes that make the people obey their government.

Many Chinese customs which I saw in Indonesia actually a tradition, not religious ceremonial. For example, the Chinese New Year. In Indonesia, the Imlek is a religious holiday under the “Kong Hu Chu” religion. The funny thing is, Kong Hu Cu (Confucianism) is not a religion in the mainland. It is a tradition spreaded by the philosopher Confucius and his diciples about how we do our life. The original Chinese religion is Taoism, founded by Laozi. Chinese culture put forth Harmony to their life. Rather than crusades among its three major religion (Buddhism, Taoism, and ‘Confucianism’), They live in harmony for over 1000 years. It often said that the Three is pronounced as “Three way become one” n their act of shaping Chinese culture. In China, practise of religion is free, but much like in Japan, people are likely to practised whatever religion they like. In Christmas and New Year, people become Christian, and in Imlek they’re finally Chinese again.

Well, that is what I can tell you about China from perspective of a native student. After all, the Chinese citizens is not much different from us Indonesians. But I think, its government that makes China become powerful nation like what we see now. Maybe in some other time I can have a chance to meet a government official and talk about China much.