Love this post. Nostalgia economy is so real in China at the moment. There are deeper societal reasons behind the rise, and it's a throwback on a grand style.
In the West it is much worse. As usual, perspective is king. If China truly wants to open itself up and build a community of shared future for humanity, what better time than now to look abroad for more perspectives?
Currently the odds quite strongly favor that you will become the leading world nation. Why not hold on to that vision as needed fuel to face the hard times at hand? (Or perhaps it is more relevant for me to ask: what is keeping more people from embracing this idea?)
Perhaps the rising individualism Fred mentioned has been gaining traction with Gen Z? Or still too marked iniquities in your socio-economic system, that might have kept people from embracing more collectivist thinking?
Great article Fred, very enjoyable read. It brings back all sorts of memories, both from my own childhood and nostalgia in the west, as well as reflections on my early days in China. I can certainly see the boom days or beauty of an economic upswing, but then again, I also have very vivid memories of being stuck in traffic congestions on a heavy smogg day, wanting to throw up, while the taxi driver says that had he known it would be this bad today, he would have stayed in bed. I choose to be optimistic for China, while life is hard, things have certainly changed for the better.
Thank you very much for a writing about the trend in China. As a result, whatever trend is floating in China will end up being replicated in Vietnam. I am seeing the same pictures, videos, school textbook notes at the early years after the reformation, that made materials possible in our society ( a Japanese motorbike, bell bottom trousers, a gameboy, and the computer, a 61 cub..). Your article made me realized that those materials and glamour were only available among the richest kids in the Capital and the south, where they got money from their parents' political privileges if they were from the North or from the sacrifice of their relatives in the US if they were from the south. Those materialistic glamour didn't represent my past, with worker parents who were designed to anywhere that the party wanted, never got rich and got fired at the party/company's will. Your article also pointed out that by being persuaded to participate in the false nostalgia, i am buying into the future of the more materialistic to be the only solution that matters , as that is the only glamor lasted. Really eye-opening article.
Same nostalgia in Taiwan for the “economic takeoff” 80s and 90s. In a way rare of growth counts a lot more for ppl than the actual level of wealth. I hope China don’t fall into a multi decadal slump like Taiwan did with nothing growing strongly but property prices (and TSMC)
the bilibli is a good place to watch Chinese young people. Specially those age under 30 whom is the biggest group using this platform. We saw many things from young people in this platform.
I’m not Chinese (have visited a few times though), and I find Chinese films from the 90s-early 2000s generate a kind of longing nostalgia in me. There’s a sense of potential in those artefacts that we lack now, a sense of things building rather than decaying, and a sense of personal (if not political) freedom. Anything could happen.
But now we know what *did* happen, which was the smartphone, and universal surveillance, not just by others but by the self of the self, and there is no mystery anymore because if we want to know what anyplace looks like we can just ask our phones, and we can’t disappear into a new city, and the karaoke bars are empty because no one leaves the house anymore.
Nostalgia is universal if the truth be told. Things were always better, but the truth is that they were not. However, even if they were, we'd still be nostalgic about youth or something else.
Well written and wise. Good job, Fred. I not only agree with your viewpoints, but add that in the collective West the decay is much more significant. Young Chinese need to toughen up for the task of overtaking the US as the leading world nation.
*Edit: posts such as this, correctly reflecting on this crucial contemporary issue for educational/psychological purposes, are exactly what's necessary. I hope the spirit of this post prevails in your society.
The writing is superb. Thanks for including Zhang’s comment. “Because the reality cannot withstand the scrutiny that comes with nostalgia.”
Love this post. Nostalgia economy is so real in China at the moment. There are deeper societal reasons behind the rise, and it's a throwback on a grand style.
In the West it is much worse. As usual, perspective is king. If China truly wants to open itself up and build a community of shared future for humanity, what better time than now to look abroad for more perspectives?
Currently the odds quite strongly favor that you will become the leading world nation. Why not hold on to that vision as needed fuel to face the hard times at hand? (Or perhaps it is more relevant for me to ask: what is keeping more people from embracing this idea?)
Kind regards,
Rafael
Perhaps the rising individualism Fred mentioned has been gaining traction with Gen Z? Or still too marked iniquities in your socio-economic system, that might have kept people from embracing more collectivist thinking?
Great article Fred, very enjoyable read. It brings back all sorts of memories, both from my own childhood and nostalgia in the west, as well as reflections on my early days in China. I can certainly see the boom days or beauty of an economic upswing, but then again, I also have very vivid memories of being stuck in traffic congestions on a heavy smogg day, wanting to throw up, while the taxi driver says that had he known it would be this bad today, he would have stayed in bed. I choose to be optimistic for China, while life is hard, things have certainly changed for the better.
Thank you very much for a writing about the trend in China. As a result, whatever trend is floating in China will end up being replicated in Vietnam. I am seeing the same pictures, videos, school textbook notes at the early years after the reformation, that made materials possible in our society ( a Japanese motorbike, bell bottom trousers, a gameboy, and the computer, a 61 cub..). Your article made me realized that those materials and glamour were only available among the richest kids in the Capital and the south, where they got money from their parents' political privileges if they were from the North or from the sacrifice of their relatives in the US if they were from the south. Those materialistic glamour didn't represent my past, with worker parents who were designed to anywhere that the party wanted, never got rich and got fired at the party/company's will. Your article also pointed out that by being persuaded to participate in the false nostalgia, i am buying into the future of the more materialistic to be the only solution that matters , as that is the only glamor lasted. Really eye-opening article.
Same nostalgia in Taiwan for the “economic takeoff” 80s and 90s. In a way rare of growth counts a lot more for ppl than the actual level of wealth. I hope China don’t fall into a multi decadal slump like Taiwan did with nothing growing strongly but property prices (and TSMC)
This was a really interesting piece. Thanks for sharing!
the bilibli is a good place to watch Chinese young people. Specially those age under 30 whom is the biggest group using this platform. We saw many things from young people in this platform.
I’m not Chinese (have visited a few times though), and I find Chinese films from the 90s-early 2000s generate a kind of longing nostalgia in me. There’s a sense of potential in those artefacts that we lack now, a sense of things building rather than decaying, and a sense of personal (if not political) freedom. Anything could happen.
But now we know what *did* happen, which was the smartphone, and universal surveillance, not just by others but by the self of the self, and there is no mystery anymore because if we want to know what anyplace looks like we can just ask our phones, and we can’t disappear into a new city, and the karaoke bars are empty because no one leaves the house anymore.
Nostalgia is universal if the truth be told. Things were always better, but the truth is that they were not. However, even if they were, we'd still be nostalgic about youth or something else.
Well written and wise. Good job, Fred. I not only agree with your viewpoints, but add that in the collective West the decay is much more significant. Young Chinese need to toughen up for the task of overtaking the US as the leading world nation.
*Edit: posts such as this, correctly reflecting on this crucial contemporary issue for educational/psychological purposes, are exactly what's necessary. I hope the spirit of this post prevails in your society.
Best regards,
Rafael
The ongoing tariff war is a perfect case of nostalgics manifesting in policy.