Foreigners: Is China learning from Japan?

In 2016, I traveled to 105 countries around the world with a white portable writing pad and fearless open-mindedness, asking the local people I met during the trip to write down some of their views on China or the Chinese people. . The rules are simple: 1. You can talk about anything. 2. Except for Chinese food (otherwise there won’t be enough paper for them to write on).

As you can see, things are changing. In addition to "China = rich", "everyone raises pandas" and "it will be up to you for the exam later", foreign people are not interested in this " The perception of "the mysterious power of the East" began to extend.

Chinese people always ask me: Are you married?

1

Te Wiare, New Zealand

Bar owner

Pros: Smart, creative, intelligent!

Cons: Noisy but not everyone will be like this

2

Jovana, Serbia

Professor of the Department of Mathematics and Physics

“China? Chinese people? In my opinion:

Oh my god, they eat dog meat;

Eat rice;

They all look the same;

Has the richest historical and cultural traditions in the world;

It is the most beautiful country in the world;

The world’s best gymnastics level;

The most exotic food;

There are Mulan, pandas, and fire-breathing dragons;

It has the most powerful military force in the world”

3

Farhad, Afghanistan

Hotel manager, German TV actor, Russian student

"I have three dreams that are closely related to China:

Meet Jackie Chan

Learn Chinese Kung Fu

Try Chinese acupuncture.

I love China!”

4

Basem, Palestine

Producer of Documentary Channel

All fakes are Made in China, but then again, almost all global goods are made in China.

Chinese people are always working, working, working...

The population is invincible!

The only language in the world that is more difficult than Arabic is Chinese!

Chinese people are all short, but China has the tallest basketball players in the world. . .

5

Daria, Switzerland

Student

“Do you know how to tell the difference between Chinese, Korean and Japanese? I have A little secret: the girl with straight bangs must be a Chinese girl!"

6

Matias, Finland

Travel industry practitioner

Matias has never been to China, and all his impressions of China come from a former Chinese roommate.

“He is very polite, but I really hate what he does every morning: smoking and spitting! Every morning, he will do a big cycle of this and create disgusting things. Noise. But he is very polite, so overall I think he is a good person.”

7

Kai, Germany

Road Engineer

I have traveled to China many times

“Chinese people always ask me: ‘Are you married?’

The next question must be: ‘What are you doing? Are you still married?'"

They love traveling and don’t want to miss any scenery during the trip

8

Axel, France

Fitness coach

“Chinese people always carry big cameras and take pictures of everything they see.”

9

Misaki, Japan

Telemarketer

“Chinese people are very rich. They always come to Japan for shopping sprees. For example, they buy rice cookers, toilet seats, and medicines made in Japan. They always go shopping in groups. Come in groups. Generally speaking, the Chinese are very strong.

”

10

Naridsara, Thailand

Gardener

“Chinese people talk really loudly, but they are friendly and kind. Many Chinese people like to go to Thailand for vacation. They always go with large tour groups and like to buy all kinds of food, especially durian. Overall, the Chinese people are very friendly. ”

11

Maria, Spain

Chinese people are generally short and thin, and are always taking pictures;

They don’t They like to get involved in any disputes and are always very quiet;

They love traveling and don’t want to miss any scenery during the journey;

Sometimes, you will be attracted by their appearance. Confused, because they all look the same;

Whenever I hear "China", my first reaction is "Jackie Chan";

By the way, I also I think they are very sensitive

12

Parth, India

Inventory Management Manager

“My recent trip to China made me feel inside. of peace. China has delicious food, friendly people, and a profound culture. When the tour guide mentioned China's dating culture, he suddenly asked me: 'If you had to choose between a rich Chinese girl and a hard-working Chinese girl, who would you choose? '

I said: 'Of course I want both!'"

13

Daniel, Belgium

TV cameraman

Travels a lot in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou times

"I love China, I love Beijing, I love Shanghai, I love Guangdong,

I love the Chinese people. The food in China is delicious. ”

They are like the Tin Man in "The Wizard of Oz"

14

Eskeiver, Venezuela

University lecturer

"Impression of China? Exactly, I just completed a research project online with Chinese people recently. From them, I felt the Chinese people’s passion for doing things: strong discipline, strong organization, and very punctual. These are very good values. I think we need to promote this efficient way of doing things by the Chinese to the whole world. ”

15

Deniz, Turkey

Engineer, chef

“I always felt that the Chinese people were very indifferent until I got to know the Chinese friend. Only then did I realize that Chinese people are so warm-hearted!"

16

Kelsey, United States

Head of international education institution

"Work Because of this, I came into contact with some Chinese youth. They are full of pursuit of academic goals and are very eager to make their professional scores and academic background look more perfect. But in my opinion, they should learn to relax. There are many things in life that are more important than career. ”

17

Andrew, Vietnam

IT Engineer

“The impression given to me by China’s younger generation is that they are a bit self-isolated. I think they can open up a little bit and try to reach out and accommodate different people. ”

18

Kanali, Tahiti

Civil aviation captain

“The first time I flew to China, I was really completely I can’t understand what the tower controller is saying! Their Chinese-English accent is so scary. Chinese people are friendly, but I feel like most Chinese only speak Mandarin and dialects, which makes them disconnected from the world. Language has become a social barrier for Chinese people, and they always only hang out with their compatriots. ”

19

Vadim, Russia

English teacher

“China has a huge population, but

There are very few people with real personality. "

20

Iss, Chile

Film and television producer

"China is like the Tin Man in the movie "The Wizard of Oz" , have been looking for a true heart.

”

Some Chinese culture seems really weird to me

21

Khamthah, Laos

Aircraft maintenance engineer

“On the first day of studying at Sichuan Guanghan Flight Academy, I encountered the Wenchuan Earthquake. For almost two months we were not allowed to stay in any building and slept on the playground at night. But the teachers at the school gave me meticulous care, and the optimism of the Chinese students also infected me. We drank beer and played poker together, and I almost forgot about the big earthquake I just experienced.

Another thing I have only seen in China is that couples on campus often kiss and hug in public. My home country is a Buddhist country, which is a bit too liberal for me, but maybe that's just the cultural difference. ”

22

Milda, Lithuania

Sales assistant, model

“Chinese people are very friendly, but part of the Chinese culture seems to me It's really weird. "

23

Warwick, Australia

A special actor who plays Santa Claus and a driving school instructor

"I particularly appreciate my Chinese friends. They work hard. In terms of family, they treat their parents with special care and respect. When their parents are old and in poor health, they will take good care of them. I learned a lot from the Chinese people. ”

24

Veronika, Italy, nurse

“Chinese people have a strong sense of family, especially during the Lunar New Year. I appreciate that they all dedicate New Year's Eve to their families. But during the Chinese New Year, elders always like to ask questions involving privacy, such as ‘Do you have a boyfriend?’ and ‘When will you get married?’ This may be Chinese people’s values. "

25

Floyd, Philippines, programmer

"Filial piety plays an extremely important role in Chinese culture - it is the bloodline of the entire family, The core building block of energy, wealth and harmony.

But I would like to ask, sometimes, does the filial piety advocated by Chinese culture also cause children to block the voices of the outside world? It even becomes a kind of resistance, preventing Chinese children from obeying their hearts and doing things. What do you really like?"

26

Samuel, Brazil

"If the Chinese people enjoy enough freedom to obtain information from the outside world, they will realize Yes, this small earth has endless stories. ”

27

Kameriya, Turkey

Junior high school student

“The one-child policy has finally been abolished in China. And the land we stand on is full of empty lies. Every time I think about it, I feel powerless. ”

Am I also Made in China

28

Sergio, Mexico, industrial engineer

“China is the world The largest country has the largest population and the largest manufacturing industry. Sometimes I ask myself, am I also 'made in China'?"

29

Davor, Croatia

Musician

“I only know that every piece of clothing in my wardrobe is made in China!”

30

Arnold, Vanuatu

Driver

“I think China is a very good country, and China has given Vanuatu a lot of help at all levels. China has many educational aid projects in Vanuatu and also helps us build roads. I feel that China is our mother country. ”

31

Ali, Pakistan

Italian restaurant owner

“As a Pakistani, I really love China. I have many Chinese friends, and they are all very kind to me and very loving. I have many wonderful memories of getting along with Chinese people.

By the way, everyone should know the close brotherhood between China and Pakistan, right? Let me express my love for China here, tweet. ”

32

Tereza, UK

Bar Waiter

“I believe that China’s economic development will bring benefits to other countries around the world.” A benign influence. However, I am also worried about China's environmental problems such as polluted rivers and soil erosion. "

33

Yumin, South Korea

Actor

"China is moving forward with great momentum. In South Korea, young people like One phrase to describe China: 'a land full of wonders'. China's technological level is no longer the same as in the past. I see their positive changes and progress. ”

34

Sharon, Norway, economist

“From the time when the United States stole a lot of China’s gold reserves to the present, China has gradually developed into a global Super economic power. Since then, Chinese people have begun to buy and save gold in large quantities, and the government has also begun to introduce gold bars and coins made of gold. This will have a huge impact on the world economy, especially increasing the current inflation rate of the US dollar. ”

35

Ricardo, Netherlands

Car mechanic

“China is a country with unlimited economic potential. But on the other hand, Chinese people work very hard, but can only get a meager salary, and the gap between rich and poor is still very large. ”

36

Shirley, Malaysia

Farm worker

“Chinese people are like Xiaoqiang, who live and work endlessly. ”

Shirley can’t write in English, and her Chinese writing is very limited, so she can’t fully express her feelings. She also told me that decades ago, Chinese people were not valued abroad, but now they are the global Customers who are all vying to serve. “Countries that know how to establish diplomatic relations with China are smart. As long as the Chinese like to travel, countries will develop; but countries that do not welcome the Chinese are asking for trouble. ”

37

Nica, Indonesia

Chef

“When the whole world looks down on China and thinks that the Chinese will fail in whatever they do. , China slapped them in the face with practical actions: What the Chinese people are capable of far exceeds the imagination of this world. ”

I really want to apply for Chinese citizenship

38

Ana, Colombia, company manager

Studying Chinese in China for 5 years

“When I talk about China, I think of: love, harmony, imagination, nation, and action.

China has completely stolen my heart. Without a doubt, she is like my second home. If the policy allows me to give up my Colombian citizenship, I really want to apply for Chinese citizenship. ”

39

Madhi, Morocco, fitness coach, national basketball team member

“Chinese products always surprise me:

They Cheap, good quality, and come in a variety of styles. "

40

Moe, Japanese, college student

"When I was 16 years old, I fell in love with a Shanghai boy who came to Japan as an exchange student. When he returned to China, we lost contact. I tried every means to find him again. In the next four years, I worked in a restaurant and finally used the saved wages to go to Shanghai to meet him.

We are in love. He invited me to his home. I said "hello" to his parents in the Chinese I learned, but I was completely ignored in return. When I was talking to him about marriage, he told me that his family didn't like Japanese people. So at the end of the story, we broke up. I think young people in both our countries should make greater efforts to make Sino-Japanese relations better. ”