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Souvenirs of the Cultural Revolution

Mao Zedong may be long dead and preserved for posterity in the heart of Tiananmen Square, but Revolutionary chic is having a heyday here in China. Funky T-shirts and handbags illustrated with revolutionary soldiers and factory workers marching off towards socialism, along with knock-off Mao memorabilia hawked from countless souvenir shops and stalls, would have the Great helmsman rolling over in his grave. Ironically, few shop owners see the dichotomy in making a buck selling trinkets and baubles exalting the leader who is infamous for crushing private enterprise. The imagery is now somewhat of a fad; it's the new Communist Cool.

You can pick up a Mao badge these days for a few Renmenbi; a Mao lighter that plays the revolutionary anthem, The East is Red, will cost you about 50. RMB. Just be aware that all of these kitsch collectables are not the "real thing."

The earliest Mao badges were made from toothpaste tubes cut apart back in the 50's and early 60's; they now fetch a hefty thousand Renmenbi through a Chinese online site equivalent to ebay. Or if you're fortunate enough to search the antique markets with a Chinese friend knowledgeable on antiquities (like our friend, Wenyi), then there are still the rare finds to be had. One of my favorites are the wind-up clocks with the picture of Red Guards on the face. As the clocks tick, the arm of a zealous guard member waves her little red book back and forth.

The ceramic figurines cast in the 60's are another cool find. Most are benign enough, touting patriotism and revolutionary fervor, yet a few are actually a bit disturbing. I've seen one that depicts a man on his hands and knees with a Red Guard stepping on his back; there's another one of a group of Red Guards hovering over a kneeling man wearing a dunce cap and sporting a sign hung around his neck. These represent a part of Chinese history that most people here wish to forget.

And finally, if you look hard enough, you may just get lucky enough to find that rare photo or painting that captures the human spirit during a time when individuality was repressed. These, to me, are the real treasures from that era of not-so-long-ago.

The Beijing Olympics Emblem: What it Means

Every Olympics emblem conveys a unique message relevant to the host country's culture and aspirations, and China's Olympics seal is certainly no exception. Let's face it, throughout China's long and rich history, the Chinese have held an enduring affinity towards symbolic connotations; it's reflected in their spoken language, specifically Mandarin, within their written characters, their calligraphy, and even their food. Not surprisingly, their Olympics seal, "Dancing Beijing" is filled with symbolic significance, drawing upon shapes and colors that are now standard archetypes in every Chinese psyche.

The form of the running figure is a stylized modification of the Chinese character "Jing" (the latter part of the host city's name), and represents the beauty and significance of life. The curves of the body draw upon the image of the dragon, the ancient benefactor of China. The figure's open arms are an invitation and welcome to the rest of the world, signifying friendship and trust, the underlying role of every host country during this important event.

The artist who created the seal, Zhang Wu, has told world press, "In my designs, humanity is a must. Many foreign friends of mine were shocked when they saw the 'Dancing Beijing,' because they said they had never expected that China would place a single human being in such a high place. I hope the world learns more about China and its people through the emblems and symbols."

The figure is encased within an asymmetric, oval-like shape in the image of an ancient seal, the official stamp, or mark of ownership and identity throughout China. It's a stamp of authority and authenticity. And of course, the Olympics stamp is in red, the color prominently used from ancient days to present to represent the nation.

The color red is seeped within Chinese history and culture, it's considered life-giving and auspicious. It can be found covering the 999 rooms of the historic Imperial Palace and upon the national flag. It represents beauty and life, and was chosen during the Chinese Revolution to represent the proletariat cause of an oppressed people. During modern Spring Festival celebrations, the color red still dominates the scrolls and couplets pasted over doorways for good luck; even small red beans are given as tokens of love, and brides have traditionally worn red silk veils (gaitou) to cover their faces. Red is the essential color rooted within Chinese aesthetics.

"Dancing Beijing" is now engraved as the symbol of China's hopes and aspirations to a country that has over 56 ethnic groups and a population of over 1.3 billion. It is an image that reflects eastern thought and the pride of one the greatest nations on Earth. The emblem proclaims a new beginning that's securely tied to the Middle Kingdom's splendid past.

For a Schedule of the 2008 Olympic Games, click here.

Shopping

While in China, if you're not shopping at department stores - be sure to ask for a discount! (Dah juh mah? Any discount?) Also, be sure to have a copy of SPEAK E-Z CHINESE within reach - it will definitely make your shopping experience more enjoyable! Here are some handy words and phrases for that shopping spree you're heading for:

You can download our free audio files covering helpful words and phrases to assist you with shopping in Chapter IX of SPEAK E-Z CHINESE In Phonetic English. As always, they're available at our site: www.CathayCafe.com. And remember: We're on your way!

In The News ...

Driving Mrs. Mao's Car

Beijing's latest buzz is a blast from the past - Cultural Revolution Cruisin' in a big Red Flag limo. It's all the brainchild of an American entrepreneur who is the King of Commie Kitsch.

By Ron Gluckman/Beijing, China

AS WE NEAR TIANANMEN SQUARE, the guide points out several historic homes. One belonged to an old Imperial concubine. Two more to warlords, turn-of-the-century strongmen who carved out fiefdoms during China's worst anarchy. "And over there," she says, "is where the last Ming Emperor hung himself on a tree."

Unusual sights, to be sure, but equally remarkable are the reactions, from passing cars and people on the square. Heads turn, register surprise, then appreciation. That's because we're cruising the communist capital by stretch limousine.

And not just any limo, but a hand-tooled Red Flag, built here in the era of one-upmanship, when China chased Cold War rivals Russia and the USA. Only a few score of these extravagant autos were crafted, and perhaps just two 1970s-era icons are still rolling around Beijing, says the owner. Then he passes around wine and caviar.

The decadent touches only highlight what, in China's capital these days, is the utmost in Cultural Revolution kitsch: the car, first and foremost, but also our guide, in camp Red Detachment of Women gear, while copies of Chairman Mao's infamous "Little Red Book" lay atop each leather-upholstered armrest.
The newest, most outlandish way to see Beijing is no bargain - $225 for an hour tour, including caviar and wine or champagne. Yet among visiting executives looking for a buzz in Beijing, the Red Capital car tour constitutes the coolest thrill in ages.

There's titillation, too, to a tour that would have been unthinkable just a couple years ago, perhaps even a capital offense during the period it mockingly celebrates.

And Cultural Revolution cruising isn't the only lark for those in a Mao-stalgic mood. After the car is parked in Beijing's old Hutongs (old alleys), most follow the tour with a Mao-tai in a bar furnished like Zongnanhai, Mao's Beijing headquarters. You can also dine on Mao's favorite dishes, retire to the Chairman's Suite at the nearby Red Capital Guesthouse or puff Cuban cigars in an underground bar, once a bomb shelter, while classic Cultural Revolution propaganda films are projected on the brick walls.

Lest one think that Mao's stodgy stronghold has finally learned to chuckle over its past excesses, all these retro-revolutionary attractions are concocted by American Laurence Brahm. That's another surprise, since this lawyer and consultant is best known for self-published books praising business in China; his most recent, "China's Century, The Awakening of the Next Economic Powerhouse," has a forward by Premier Zhu Rongji.

Now, the unabashed Beijing booster who first came to China as a student in the 1980s, is an entrepreneur. His Red Capital brand makes him King of Commie Kitsch.

Red Capital Restaurant opened in 1999, followed by Mr. Brahm's boutique hotel last summer. Both are crammed with Mao-mentos - Cultural Revolution paintings and figurines, antique phones, radios and actual chairs from Zongnanhai - but the car is something else.

Simply obtaining such a treasure is astounding. Mr. Brahm claims it once chauffeured infamous Jiang Ching, wife of the Chairman and lynchpin of the Gang of Four, on her terrifying rounds of town. The claim is impossible to verify but - what the hey - think of it, we're driving Mrs. Mao's car!
Around the Forbidden City we roll, past Zhou Enlai's house and the last remnants of Kublai Kahn's Beijing palace. Past an early prime minister's courtyard, and the birthing grounds of the May 4th Movement. "You have five periods of architecture on exhibit here," says Mr. Brahm when we speed past the dowdy Beijing Hotel, butted up against the gaudy Oriental Plaza. Christmas lights line the main boulevard, and Vanessa Mae fiddles on the car stereo. Could it be more surreal?

Mr. Brahm flicks a switch, and up rises a glass screen, separating guide and driver from our privileged tour group. "So officials could discuss important state matters," explains Mr. Brahm, startled as I scream a quick test at the driver, who doesn't blink. The old rods in the engine tick loudly, but the Reds clearly understood the concept of the "Cone of Silence."

Mr. Brahm says the car was made by the Number One Auto Works in Chongqing in the mid-1970s, when the chief engineer was President Jiang. Whatever the outcome of his current battle to join Mao and Deng on the podium of patriarchs, the prez is heads above the pack in building cool cars. Huge, too. The limo stretches for half a block, with lovely white walls and distinctive Red Flag ornaments. The rear lights look like traditional Chinese lanterns.

A second limo is permanently parked at the entrance to Mr. Brahm's popular Red Capital Restaurant, inside a lovingly-restored Qing courtyard. It's stocked with items from Mr. Brahm's fledgling Red Capital collection. Some resemble chintzy lamps and statues sold at local junk markets, but with his Red Capital logo tacked on. Foreign wine and cigars are similarly re-branded.

Other items are more original, like the Chairman's Cologne, touted thusly: "Essence of Manchurian Pine, hints of Red Guard leather, mist of Mongolian wind." Sometimes over-the-top, such descriptions are a giggle, especially in the restaurant. The menu is required reading. You don't merely have Mao's favorite "brain food" - fatty pork - but sections like "Entering the Moon Gate" (basically soup) and the exquisitely described "Empress Dowager's Dream."

It's camp literature, the best writing yet by Mr. Brahm, who certainly isn't the first with a fetish for Cultural Revolution-chic. Last year, Sotheby's sold over $50,000 worth of Mao buttons and badges in a boisterous online auction.
Yet nobody ever had the audacity to brand the Cultural Revolution, which is kind of like Revenge of the Roadies. Mr Brahm plans to franchise not only the trinkets, but even the concept of his clubs. This naturally begs the question, is the world ready for Planet Mao?

But what I really want to know is who wants to smell like the Chairman?

Ron Gluckman is an American reporter and former entertainment writer who has been roaming around Asia since 1991, when he was based in Hong Kong. Since 2000, he has been based in Beijing, covering China for a wide variety of publications including the Wall Street Journal, which ran this piece.

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