Many are now aware there are 56 different nationalities in China. There is another lesser known community, however, that sometimes refer to themselves as the 57th nationality. (Some in the community actually hate that term... but we'll get to that later.) These are the Minkaohan (民考汉), ethnic minorities raised in Han-language schools alongside Han classmates. The term … [Read more...] about Don't indulge our "race complex"
Yellow River in Beijing
Let's have a quick flashback to a happier time, when all of us thought 2008 would be a simple year full of celebration. Below is the Chinese piano prodigy Lang Lang, performing the Yellow River Piano Concerto on Tiananmen Square. The date is 08/08/07, one full year before the start of the Beijing Olympics. … [Read more...] about Yellow River in Beijing
Dalai Lama tries speaking to the Chinese
If there's one thing we've consistently criticized here, it's that the Dalai Lama (and "clique") has largely failed to reach out to the Chinese people directly. For every interview he provides to the Chinese-language press, it seems he's done fifty for foreign language press. And even when he makes an attempt to speak to the Chinese (as with an open letter released earlier this … [Read more...] about Dalai Lama tries speaking to the Chinese
"Pressure" for injured athletes
Today's New York Times is running an article titled China Presses Injured Athletes in Quest for Gold. The article starts by discussing diver Hu Jia, who suffered from a detached retina several years ago, putting him at risk for permanent injury. This paragraph about sums up the message behind the article: Pressured by the national athletic system and tempted by the commercial … [Read more...] about "Pressure" for injured athletes
"Down with the Dalai Lama" – Western criticism
Well, we are a little behind the curve here at Fool's Mountain. An article titled "Down with the Dalai Lama" was published* by the Guardian a few weeks ago, and I was completely ignorant of it until the Chinese translation began to be passed around. (*Was it actually published in print, or is it only available online?) Here are a few choice snippets from that article: The … [Read more...] about "Down with the Dalai Lama" – Western criticism