Regional Variations in China

Many of us have heard excerpts of this before, but I supposed this is a fuller version.

到了北京，才知道自己官职太小；
到了东北，才知道自己胆量太小；
到了山东，才知道自己酒量太小；
到了山西，才知道自己觉悟不高；
到了上海，才知道自己穿的不好；
到了苏州，才知道自己结婚太早；
到了深圳，才知道自己钞票太少；
到了海口，才知道自己身体不好。

(民谣下的中国 - 当代顺口溜赏析，聂仁 著， 时代文艺出版社，2001）

Only when you've arrived in Beijing, would you discover that your official position is low.
Only when you've arrived in the Northeast, would you discover that you have too little courage.
Only when you've arrived in Shandong, would you discover that your capacity for drinking is limited.
Only when youve arrived in Shanxi, would you discover that your level of realization is low.
Only when you've arrived in Shanghai, would you discover that you do not dress well.
Only when you've arrived in Suzhou (pictured), would you discover that you have married too early.
Only when you've arrived in Shenzhen, would you discover that you have too little money.
Only when you've arrived in Haikou, would you discover that you're not as healthy as you think.

Adaptation of Historical Verses II

The following are excerpts from a well-known poem 《陋室铭》 originating from the Tang dynasty.

才不在高，有官则行，
学不在深，有权则灵。

And this is the (longer) modern day adaptation.

爱不在深，有钱就行；
人不在大，有权就灵；
分不在高，后门就行；
学不在精，有爹就灵；
饭不怕贵，公款就行；
酒不怕醉，请客就灵；
路不怕远，有车 (pictured) 就行；
钱不怕花，报销就灵；
调动不难，送礼就行；
奖状没用，发钱就灵；
厕所不净，收费就行；
宾馆不大，有星就灵；
厂不在大，合资就行；
货不怕假，回扣就灵；
钱不在多，美元就行；
品不怕贵，有牌就灵。

(民谣下的中国 - 当代顺口溜赏析，聂仁 著， 时代文艺出版社，2001）

Contributions of Ethnic Koreans to China's Development

Prof Kim Si Joong argued that ethnic Koreans in China are recognised for their contri-butions in the formation and development of the country.

In an article titled Ethnic Koreans in China, Kim noted that when the Japanese surrendered in 1945, ethnic Koreans in China had a choice to stay or leave for North or South Korea.

60 per cent or 1 million ethnic Koreans chose to stay. Most of them were landless or poor peasants who supported the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) over the Kuomintang (KMT).

"In particular the ethnic Koreans enthusiastically welcomed land reform, which was implemented in northeast China by the CCP even before 1949. Subsequently, during the 1949-52 period, most of them received Chinese citizenship without much difficulty," Kim wrote.

Kim added that most ethnic Koreans seemed to be sympathetic to the CCP's ideology and policies, since many were peasants and could relate to the colonization experience. Many also fought with the CCP against Japanese and KMT forces.

"Although some Korean revolutionaries returned to North Korea, many remained in China and went on to have successful careers in the military or government," Kim noted.

Another reason why ethnic Koreans were "welcomed" was because they had reclaimed the then barren land in northeast China during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

They succeeded in cultivating rice paddies for the first time in areas plagued by long and harsh winters. And once the lands were developed, many Han people - especially those from Shandong - migrated there.

More About Ethnic Koreans in China

Still on Prof Kim Si Joong's article about ethnic Koreans in China.

Kim noted that ethnic Koreans in China comprised of 40 percent of all Koreans overseas - or 2 million out of 5.7 million.

He added that the role of ethnic Koreans in China have "become more substantial either as foreign labor or an intermediary in South Korea's contacts with China and even North Korea. "

"Therefore, ethnic Koreans in China have taken on a certain importance from the perspective of the South Korean government - economically, politically and diplomatically," Kim wrote.

97 per cent of all ethnic Koreans in China live in 43 ethnic Korean townships in Jilin, Heilongjiang and Liaoning provinces.

But the population of ethnic Koreans in Yanbian (pictured) - which has the largest concentration of ethnic Koreans, and was designated an ethnic Korean autonomous prefecture since 1952 - decreased in the 1990s.

This was mainly due to migration out of rural areas into larger Chinese cities - and even to South Korea - to seek non-agricultural work.

It is also due to low birthrates, and the migration of "many females of reproductive age" to South Korea either for work or for marriage.

Ethnic Koreans in China

According to Prof Kim Si Joong from South Korea's Yeungnam University, ethnic Koreans ranked 13th among China's ethnic minorities, but "attract attention" mainly because:

1) their migration to China occurred only fairly recently, mainly from 1850-1945, particularly during 1910s to 30s when control of the Chinese government over the country's northeastern areas was weak.

Koreans moved to China for reasons ranging from escaping famine in their homeland, to staging an Independence movement against Japanese invasion and colonial rule, and the Japanese regime's policy of inducing migration in the late 30s.

In his article titled Ethnic Koreans in China, Kim wrote: "The fact that they have lived in China for a relatively short period implies that they may not have been fully assimilated by the Chinese or Han culture."

2) Koreans are one of the few ethnic minorities that also have nationals - apart from Mongol and Ugyurs - forming an independent country neighboring their clustered resident areas in China.

For a long time, South Korea was more prosperous than China, but overtime, interactions between ethnic Koreans and South Koreans had increased, especially after diplomatic ties were established in 1992.

As Kim noted, "it is conjectured that the Chinese government is watching closely over the potential link between ethnic Koreans in China and the South Korean government or nationalistic groups in South Korea."

Adaptation of Historical Verses

This is a historical verse from Dream of the Red Chamber (红楼梦).

世人都晓神仙好，唯有功名忘不了；
古今将相在何方，荒家一堆草没了。

世人都晓神仙好，只有金银忘不了；
终朝只恨聚无多，及到多时眼闭了。

世人都晓神仙好，只有娇妻忘不了；
君生日日说恩情，君死又随人去了。

世人都晓神仙好，只有儿孙忘不了；
痴心父母古来多，孝顺儿孙谁见了？

This is a modern-day adaptation.

世人都晓倒爷好，倒来倒去都发了；
只要能把大钱赚，道德良心不要了。

世人都晓后门好，这条路子没治了；
不管事情有多难，最后全都办成了。

世人都晓宴会好，公款吃喝比阔佬；
你请我来我请你，反正公家报销了。

世人都晓扯皮好，不费力气不费脑；
扯上三年又五载，问题自然不见了。

世人都晓经商好，全民下海不得了；
各行各业都经商，全民都是商家佬。

(民谣下的中国 - 当代顺口溜赏析，聂仁 著， 时代文艺出版社，2001）