Black Cat vs. White Cat

"No matter if it is a white cat or a black cat, as long as it can catch mice, it is a good cat", cited the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, who embarked on the modern reform of China thirty years ago.

It has been the motto of the get-rich-quickly generation in China since then. It doesn't matter if it is called socialism or capitalism, as long as it brings prosperity, it is good.

For the Chinese have learnt long long time ago that the only thing that doesn't change is change itself, as said in "Yi Jing", nothing holds constant overtime.

Now we learnt that free market doesn't have the monopoly of economic development. The historical steps taken by the US and European governments these days are likely to set off a new era of capitalism.

Another popular saying by Deng Xiaoping is " to cross the river by touching the stones". When there is no road map, you should take incremental steps and make sure each step is steady and firm on the ground and toward your goal.

Those principles turned out to be very beneficial to the recent Chinese economic development. Is there any inspiration to us in the US as we tread into the uncharted water?

American Capitalism vs. Chinese Capitalism

My 3rd grader Evelyn got a pair of glasses finally. She usually reads about an hour every day at home. We had imposed limit on her reading of no more than 30 minutes at a time, however, she often protests and cries that we are "bossing around", even though she can tell why having the limit helps her eyes.

I got my first pair of glasses when I was in the 5th grade. My parents did similar things as we do to Evelyn. I was glad that they took care of me. "Why didn't I have the idea of "bossing"?

That has to do with the culture, I concluded, so is the different styles of capitalism.

American capitalism is characterized as free market. Chinese capitalism is characterized as government controlled development. After all, having parents at control is usually safe.

When my father passed away ten years ago, I suddenly realized that I was shouldering the burden of life on my own from then on. I suddendly realized how nice it had been to have a place that I could always call home and that my parents would always be ready to accept me no matter what happens.

Knowing that my parents always keep eyes on me made me always careful not to inflict any troubles. I learnt to make my own decisions and I didn't want my parents to worry about me at all.

Why Does the Chinese Love Chrysanthemum?

The chrysanthemum is one of the four "honourable plants" in China. The others are plum, orchid and bamboo, they are symbols of special beauty, vitality, and nobility.

Most Chinese do not have fervent religious attachment, instead, they often draw wisdom and inspiration from nature. Many flowers and plants have been so much praised and painted that they enjoy special honorable status. Chrysanthemum is the choice for the autumn.

In autumn, when all other flowers are fading away, the chrysanthemum is able to flourish in the cold winds. The combination of beauty with strong character made an ideal personality in the eyes of romantic Chinese scholars. In traditional China, many parents put "ju" (the Chinese word for chrysanthemum) into their daughter's name, hoping the girl will grow up strong and beautiful.

There are more than 3,000 varieties of chrysanthemum in China today. However, originally it was just a small yellow flower, probably not much different from the ones we see at our local grocery stores at this time every year. After generations of cultivation, the number of varieties multiplied rapidly. In the Chrysanthemum Book of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), 35 varieties were noted. By the time of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the number had risen to 136. By the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), more than 900 varieties of chrysanthemum were listed in the classic Chinese herb book "Ben Cao Gang Mu" by Li Shizhen.

One of the Chinese 1 yuan coin has chrysanthemum on its face, with beautiful curling petals and an aura of elegance.

Chrysanthemums are also favored as a healthy herb. One popular variety of chrysanthemum, known as "Hang Bai Ju" (Hangzhou White Chrysanthemum), is believed to have special health care properties. The visual beauty of a blooming chrysanthemum in the teapot or drinking glass is another attraction. Many Chinese women drink chrysanthemum tea or simply put the flower into green tea for extra health benefit and beauty.

Because chrysanthemum is able to thrive in the cold weather, ancient Chinese people believed that it must have attracted "the soul of the sky and earth", therefore there must be some health benefit. A book from Han Dynasty (206-220 BC) said there used to be a village named Gangu in Central China's Henan Province where all the villagers lived to a great age, some as long as 130 years. The Village's drinking water was from a nearby stream that contained the petals of chrysanthemums, which had fallen into the stream up in the mountains.

Chongyang Festival or Double Ninth Festival

More than one hundred couples celebrate their 50 years

of marriage in Shanghai during the Double Ninth Festival

That is today! On the ninth day of the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, Chinese people would like to drink chrysanthemum wine, have chrysanthemum cakes, go hiking, and pay special respect to seniors.

The chrysanthemum is often used as a Chinese herbal medicine. People in ancient times believed that, in addition to detoxification, chrysanthemum could drive away evil spirits and prevent one from getting a chill in late autumn.

Since "nine" is the highest odd digit, people take two of them together to signify longevity. Therefore, the ninth day of the ninth month has become a special day for people to pay their respects to the elderly and a day for the elderly to enjoy themselves. It has also been declared China's Day for the Elderly.

The Chongyang Festival is based on the theory of Yin and Yang, the two opposing principles in nature. The ninth day of the ninth lunar month is a day when the two Yang numbers meet. So it is called Chong Yang. Chong means double in Chinese. Chong Yang has been an important festival since ancient times.

There are many stories which are closely related. As recorded in a historical book of the sixth century, in ancient times, there lived a man named Huan Jing. He was learning the magic arts from Fei Changfang, who had become an immortal after many years of practicing Taoism. One day, the two were climbing a mountain. Fei Changfang suddenly stopped and looked very upset. He told Huan Jing, "On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, disaster will come to your hometown. You must go home immediately. Remember to make a red bag for each one of your family members and put a spray of dogwood on every one. Then you must all tie your bags to your arms, leave home quickly and climb to the top of a mountain. Most importantly, you must all drink some chrysanthemum wine. Only by doing so can your family members avoid this disaster."

On hearing this, Huan Jing rushed home and asked his family to do exactly as his teacher said. The whole family climbed a nearby mountain and did not return until the evening. When they got back home, they found all their animals dead, including chickens, sheep, dogs and even the ox. Later Huan Jing told Fei Changfang about this. Fei said the poultry and livestock died in place of Huan Jing's family, who escaped disaster by following his instructions.

Since then, climbing a mountain, carrying a spray of dogwood and drinking chrysanthemum wine became the traditional activities of the Double Ninth Festival, to avoid evil spirits and misfortunes.

It is also a day for Outing. The Chongyang Festival falls in the golden season of autumn, it is usually perfect for outdoor activities. Many people go hiking and climbing in the countryside, enjoying Mother Nature's final burst of color before she puts on her dull winter cloak. Some will carry a spray of dogwood to pray for health and longevity.


Content and image source: Chinadaily.com.cn
Edited by Ping Sun