Economic strength rising, but we are strangers
- Source: Global Times
- [07:07 September 16 2009]
- Comments
By Wu Meng
On a big signboard on a lamp-post in Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan, Central China's biggest city, a striking sign has caught public attention. It says, "Police Warning: Please do not answer any questions that a stranger asks you. Please beware of frauds!"
A newcomer from Northeast China, surnamed Gu, found the sign irritating and offensive after being rejected by four strangers when he just wanted to know how to get to a specific place. The four people he approached all pointed at the signboard without speaking to him.
An official with the Wuhan Public Security Bureau said there had been several cases of fraud in that area and the signboard was just a well-intentioned reminder to the public.
Ironically, pupils are taught in school that offering a hand to others when asked for help is a virtue. So what is it that turns innocent, warmhearted pupils into cold bystanders?
A few months ago, I went to an art exhibition in the National Art Museum of China to see a special calligraphy exhibition. Right next to me was an 8-year-old girl staring at one of the calligraphies that I found most stunning. Out of curiosity, I asked her what style of calligraphy she liked the most and who was her favorite calligrapher. She proudly told me that she had been a fan of the style of Liu Gongquan of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) since she was 6.
As we were talking, a young lady rushed over to her and shouted at her for talking to me – a stranger to them, and probably, a potential threat. As I awkwardly smiled at them, it suddenly occurred to me that this is a norm among most doting parents in China. They fear that their children might be taken away or hurt by other people and this worry makes them paranoid. It is understandable that they care so much for their children, but what kind of impression will such behavior leave on the children?
Sadly, a recent survey conduct by Xinwen Wubao – a Shanghaibased newspaper – confirmed my concern. According to the report, only 1.8 percent of the people interviewed said they would let a stranger in to check their gas pipes. Compared with five years ago, people were much less trusting, and over 90 percent of the interviewees believed that being honest and trusting others would result in a bad situation in most cases.
Thirty years ago, my father was a poor college student who couldn't afford the bus fare from home to university. He would always wait by the side of the narrow road in the countryside for a stranger's truck to take him to school. Now, we feel scared when a stranger approaches us to ask for directions on the street. Undeniably, the economic conditions of most Chinese people have improved over the last few decades.
However, a better welfare system and a more advanced society in terms of economic strength did not bring us a sense of security. On the contrary, people have become cold and even indifferent toward strangers. I couldn't help wondering: Shall we tell the strangers how to get where they're going?
