IN 2000, when I first arrived in Paris, there were limited French products seen on the Chinese market and vice versa. Fourteen years later, when I started Bonjour Brand, French products had deeply penetrated the Chinese high-end market. As an organizer, volunteer or visitor, I’ve participated in many initiatives to promote Chinese culture in France.
These include activities involving calligraphy, painting, Chinese opera facial makeup, embroidery, and paper-cutting, all of which are excellent art forms from China. However, despite these cultural promotion attempts, when you ask a French person what comes to mind when they think of China, the answer is invariably the Great Wall, made-in-China products, kung fu and pandas.
However, this is not the case with Chinese urbanites. Several years ago, “coffee” was still an exotic word signifying a lifestyle out of reach of many, while today, words like espresso, macchiato, latte, and cappuccino roll offthe tongues of Chinese city dwellers and are firm favorite beverages found in numerous local coffee shops.
Similar things happen almost every day with other international brands in China. Even my four-year-old son, when standing in front of a Disney counter, can name every toy, their origins and their friends. In his eyes, they are not commodities, but cultural icons.
Culturally, products from Japan show the world how the Japanese make full use of their limited natural resources; products from Germany reveal the German’s rigorous work ethic; products from France embody the French’s pursuit of quality; while those from America show the American’s efficient way of life. As Chinese, we are eager to introduce the unique culture of China to other countries, and we should be aware that along with money transactions, something deeper about culture is also exchanged.
Bu hikaye China Today (English) dergisinin April 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye China Today (English) dergisinin April 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
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