A project of the Furman University First Year Seminar taught by Dr. Tami Blumenfield
//Welcome to the China Myths blog. The Furman University First Year Seminar: Debunking Myths of China uses this space to share research and information about China, delving deeper into topics than standard news coverage and linking to further resources. We welcome your comments and contributions.
Assistant Professor of Asian Studies
Furman University
//By: Tony Zheng, Paul Geary, Alexis Kmak, and Betsy Rice
The Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year Festival, is celebrated in the early months of each year. It begins on the first day of the first month in the Chinese lunar calendar (Zhiyuan). The Chinese people have many customs and traditions in their celebration during this time of year. One of the most important aspects of their celebration is the food. Tangyuan, dumplings, Nian Gao, and spring rolls are among the most popular foods eaten during the Chinese Spring Festival each year.
//Hannah Tyson, Darcy Waskiewicz, Stephen Reynolds
Introduction and Health Concerns
Imagine walking outside and choking on the air you breath. Think of a world where you have to put a mask on your children to protect their lungs. Seeing the sun is a rare occurrence for you due to smog and pollution. This is not an imaginary world, this is China.
//By: Allison King, Grace Drummond, Timothy Cole, Weezy Ward
Introduction
When thinking about China, one of the first things that comes to mind is the food.
One of the myths that has been debunked throughout this course is the American perception of Chinese food. The first thing we associate with Chinese food are those take out boxes full of noodles, rice, maybe chicken or beef, and stir-fry dripping in sauce. Although that is our conception on Chinese food, it is the grossly Americanized fast food conception of the classic Chinese cuisine.
Photo by Weezy Ward
//By: Meredith Butenhoff, Allyn Wiggins, Hattie Grant, & Brandon Bank
History of Mooncakes
Mooncakes (yue bing) were first made by the people of the Tang Dynasty to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. This tradition passed on through dynasties, and became extremely popular during the Song Dynasty. Mooncakes were both sacrificed to the moon as offerings and eaten during worship of the celestial body. While the mooncake varies drastically by region, authors Carol Stepanchuk and Charles Wong tell us that “its perfectly round shape forming the ideal symbol of familial harmony and unity” is a constant throughout regions. Bigger mooncakes might have carvings of the Moon Palace and Moon Rabbit on them. The fillings typically changed by province ranging from sweet to salty, and from rich to bland. Today, it is not uncommon for mooncakes to be filled with bean paste, cocoanut paste, lotus seed paste or even an egg yolk.
Mooncakes were originally used as a way to pay tribute to the moon and Chang E, the “Moon Goddess” who allegedly lives in the Moon Palace and supervises the ritual. With their widespread consumption during the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is told that the cakes were conveniently used to organize a rebellion against the Mongol government during the Yaun Dynasty. This well known legend suggests that the time and location for the revolution against Kublai Khan’s descendants were sealed inside of mooncakes and sent to friends and family during the Mid-Autumn festival in 1353. Although many of the customary activities of the Mid-Autumn Festival are disappearing, mooncakes remain an important part of the Chinese culture. Families and friends still gather together during the Mid-Autumn Festival and share modern day mooncakes that represent completeness, and remind them of Chinese tradition and history.
//By: Audrey Rotman, Betsy Morris, Katie Lee Crockett, and Alex Darras
Chin Chin, we are not in China anymore…
Although we dined at an “authentic” Chinese restaurant called Chin Chin, the food in China is prepared very differently. At Chin Chin, along with research, we discovered the Americanization of Chinese foods, especially of the two common staples, rice and noodles. Regional differences have created variation within meal preparation and typical cuisine. By eating our own “authentic” Chinese dishes, we were able to debunk the stereotypes of a true Chinese meal.
History of Rice
Rice historically stands as a native dish to southern China. The rice bowl, a metaphor for food, symbolizes well-being in general, and remains the most important cereal grain (Leppman 30). The Chinese make the rice in southern China short-grained and sticky and thus allowing easy use of chopsticks with the meal (Leppman 32). Rice continues to be a staple in the Chinese diet. Therefore, the Chinese keep a secure supply of this grain for the survival of all, rich and poor. 75% of China’s population are farmers (China: Food for a Billion Plus). The farmers play a major role in the production of rice, and if they suddenly couldn’t provide rice for the Chinese population, then people would go hungry. People serve rice at almost every meal because it brings not only Chinese people but also foreigners together.
History of Noodles
Noodles typically form a part of northern China cuisine. Corn and wheat “dominate grain farming in northern China today” (Leppman pg. 33). China’s climate didn’t originally suit the growth of wheat, but during the Han dynasty, the development of the the production of noodles helped introduce wheat into Chinese agriculture (Leppman pg. 33). During the Song dynasty (960 – 1279), “noodles made from wheat became a common staple for both the rich and poor” (Leppman pg. 34). Therefore, noodles quickly developed into a popular dish due to the appealing taste and economic benefits. Rice and noodles both grew in popularity over the years, but notable regional differences ensued early on because of natural factors like the climate (Leppman pg 33). Such “regionalization of China into rice in the south and other grains in the north [were] in place by the Han dynasty (207 B.C. to A.D. 200); that same pattern endures today” (Leppman pg. 31).
//By Caroline Wolcott, Lena Dufresne, Anna Walters, and Graham Robbins
Contaminated baby formula, water contaminated by sewage, and unsafe swimming conditions are frightening realities in China. These issues span over numerous aspects of everyday life including people’s eating habits, health, and lifestyle. A large percentage of this contamination can be attributed to many years of uncontrolled industrial pollution, seeing as though industry is a large majority of the Chinese economy.
A woman overlooks the polluted Yangtze River. Courtesy: Getty Images
Continue reading “Water Pollution: It Affects More Than Just Your Tea”
//Students in the 2015 Debunking the Myths of China First Year Seminar have completed their work creating, editing, commenting on, and revising their blog posts.
Food was the most popular category for posts this year. Posts include Talk Noodle to Me, Sweet and Sour America, and a series of posts on American-influenced foods coming to China (Americanized Chinese Food Invades China, The Golden Arches March into China, and The Colonel Infiltrates China).
Three posts explore counterfeit products, environmental issues, and tourism. These include iPhony: Fake Products Produced in China Hurting World Economy, Is China Polluting Environmental Activism?, and Chinese Village Tourism.
Continue reading “Food, Fakes, Tourism, and Environment: New Posts, With Gratitude”
//By Natalie Curry and Jack Moran
Part III of Series on American Food In China
Americanized Chinese Food Part I, Part II
Is China turning into America? As tourists flood into China some locals are concerned that “China in the future would be turned into an America of the present” (Notar 20). As James Watson presents in his article on McDonalds in China, some have gone so far to say that the expansion of McDonalds is a “new form of imperialism” (Watson, 121). The documentary film Big Mac: Inside the McDonald’s Empire brings up the point that in a McDonalds restaurant in China it is nearly impossible to tell that one is actually in China, everything is the same as it would be in an American McDonalds with some minor signage/language differences. Continue reading “The Golden Arches March Into China”
//By Dan Guin and Sam Jones
Fast Food Chains such as KFC and Pizza Hut conjure up many images inside an American’s mind. Usually the latter reminds us of those strange red booths with cracked faux-leather, and a strange 80’s wood theme throughout the restaurant. It is not the most romantic place to go on a date. Dig about 8,000 miles through the Earth, and you would find a stark difference between the Pizza Huts of America, and the Pizza Huts of China.
Unlike its American cousin, usually known for its cheap and passable pizza, Pizza Hut in China is known for its unique and experimental pizzas, an upper-middle class clientele, and as a place that many teens take their dates on. Pizza Hut in China is obviously not the brand we know and (love?) here in America, so we were curious as to the motivation between the sharp shift in branding.
To understand this however, we need to take a glance at the beginning of the fast food revolution in China. American Fast Food chains, like a modern day manifest destiny with a greasy twist, entered the Chinese restaurant market in 1987, with KFC opening its first Chinese branch in Beijing. McDonalds followed soon after, and these two fast food chains became the number 1 and 2 top fast food restaurants in China, respectively (Big Mac: Inside the McDonald’s Empire). By 2002, 80% of Chinese citizens had eaten at one of these fast food restaurants. But why the rapid expansion? Researchers at the Oxford Club speculate that this may be due to the rapid expansion of the middle class, as well as grueling work hours, causing many to not be able to eat at home. Researchers also wonder that if marriages, now happening later in life, are having a meaningful impact on fast food sales.
This brings us back to our original question. Why does Pizza Hut look so different in China? What it comes down to is the demographic. When fast food first came out in China, it could only afford to cater to the upper middle class/upper class citizens. Now that the standard of living and general wealth have increased, a larger portion of citizens are now able to eat fast food without the fast food company having to drop quality or class.
Though growth is slowing, the future of fast food in China is bright, with millions of potential customers ready for a slice of pizza.
Citations
//By Chandler Smith, Morgan Falkenhagen, Meg Demaar, Yilan Luo & Matthew Terrell
You’re at your favorite Chinese restaurant. The air is full of the savory scent of delicious cuisine being specially prepared for your enjoyment. As you scan the menu your mouth begins to water in anticipation of the meal to come. Your eyes meet the noodle section of the menu and you are overcome with a wave of confusion. What are these noodles!?!? Broad rice noodle?! Stir fried rice noodles?! Fried egg noodle?! Lo mein noodle!?! Flat rice noodles!?!? What could this all mean!? Look no further… all your noodles questions will soon be answered!
