Dec 11th 2012, 4:11 by J.J. | BEIJING
CHINESE author Mo Yan travelled last week to Sweden to collect the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature. The decision to give the award to Mr Mo (whose real name is Guan Moye; his pen name means “Does not Speak”) has not been without controversy. After the announcement of his triumph, Mr Mo came in for a round of criticism from fellow writers and intellectuals, including many who feel that he is too cosy with the Chinese government.
In the recent past Mr Mo has spoken out in support of Liu Xiaobo, the winner of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize who has been jailed intermittently since 1989 and serving an 11-year sentence since 2009. But since arriving in Stockholm, Mr Mo has also made several statements attempting to justify Chinese censorship laws as being necessary security measures, along the lines of having X-ray scanners at airports. Such statements will hardly mollify Mr Mo's critics at home and abroad.
There has also been a kerfuffle over Mr Mo’s choice of wardrobe. Two weeks ago the author’s brother disclosed that Mr Mo was having a dinner jacket made for the award ceremony. “Netizens” called on Mr Mo to eschew Western garb in favour of something in keeping with traditional Chinese culture. Photoshopped images of Mr Mo in different styles of dress began popping up on the internet, as the netizens debated just which kind of sartorial statement Mr Mo should make at the ceremony itself on December 10th.
Ultimately—some might even say characteristically—Mr Mo has decided to try and please all parties. In addition to the now notorious dinner jacket (pictured, above, during the reception), the author also brought along that sartorial relic: the Mao suit.
It was Sun Yat-sen who popularised the iconic high-collared tunic with four external pockets which foreigners tend to associate with Chairman Mao: in China it is known as the “Sun Yat-sen Suit”. Originally it was a compromise between an idea of modernity, as represented by the Western suit, and yet in keeping with the pragmatic virtues and austere style that characterised the ideals of early Chinese revolutionaries. It became an emblem of Chinese Communist functionaries—and James Bond’s enemies—in the Cold War era. With the exception of the dapper outfits worn by Zhou Enlai on his trips abroad, most of China’s civilian leaders opted for the proletarian simplicity of the Mao suit. One of the few known instances in which Mao appeared in public wearing Western dress happened during his visits to the Soviet Union, in 1949 and 1957. On those occasions the Chairman looked distinctly uncomfortable, in a frumpy overcoat and fedora.
Not until the 1980s would China’s leaders start opening their closets and reforming their wardrobes. One of the first to adopt the bourgeois Western uniform of suit-and-tie was Hu Yaobang. A protégé of Deng Xiaoping and one of the most liberal members of his inner circle, Hu once suggested the elimination of chopsticks and the adoption of forks and knives. (Suffice it to say, the idea did not stick.)
In recent years, the Mao suit was relegated to use on special occasions, major events, or when top leaders appeared with their military counterparts. Hu Jintao donned a Mao suit for the parade and festivities that marked the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PRC. Earlier this month, Xi Jinping had to pose for photographs as the new head of the Central Military Commission, the Party’s top military post. Standing among officers in crisp service uniforms, he chose a simple black Mao suit in place of his standard navy blue (Western) suit.
If clothes make the man, we might also say that in China clothes make the modern. Officials from the Han ethnic majority dress in Western suits, while minority delegates are encouraged to wear traditional costumes, upon which they are praised for their “colourful” and “representative” attire. Little thought is given to why Han Chinese delegates tenders dress like they are heading to insurance-sales conventions in Omaha or Dusseldorf. Of course it is Western-style clothing and fashions that dominate the malls and high streets of Beijing. Asked why people prefer Western forms of dress, one young professional says that traditional Chinese outfits were outdated and unfashionable. When he wore a Mao suit to a choir competition in high school, he recalls, his teachers faulted him for looking like a farmer.
There are signs that tastes may be changing. A young woman working in Beijing says that at formal occasions she prefers Chinese-style dresses. But to dress that way day-to-day, nowadays, would be both expensive and difficult.
While the choice of attire may seem a trivial matter, the controversy over Mo Yan’s formal wear reflects a larger conundrum. In a country where the concept of what is foreign is so often conflated with what is modern, how to represent a modernity that is distinctly Chinese?
(Picture credit: AFP)
In this blog, our correspondents provide insights into news about China. News is to be construed broadly; politics, finance, geography, language, fine art—all are fair game, in no particular order. We chose the name, which means "things gathered up" or "literary fragments" (and alludes to the title of a Confucian classic), to that end.
Advertisement
Comments and tweets on popular topics
Advertisement
Advertisement
Readers' comments
The Economist welcomes your views. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers. Review our comments policy.
Sort:
First the geeky bit: that's not a dinner jacket. It is a tailcoat.
Also, apparel has become somewhat of a topic in China over the last few days. The new General Secretary, Xi Jinping, has indicated that the Party needs to become more austere, which means cutting down on banquets, motorcades, ceremony and - yes - clothing. Leading by example, Xi and his entire Standing Committee opened an exhibition in China's National Museum on Tiananmen Square while not wearing ties. However, negating the (Western) tie, does not a modern Chinese garment make. I, for one, would not mind the return of the scholarly robe.
Hmmm... What was worn by the 14th Dalai Lama for his Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies?
Neither Western white tie nor Chinese Mao suit for him, I'm sure.
Let the man wear what he want based on his free choice. He has won a Nobel prize - I'm sure he is able to pick his own dinner wear
What Mo Yan should have done is to get a Chinese designer to design suitable clothes for him, based on Chinese cultural tradition and then get Chinese haberdashers kit him out in authentic Chinese clothing. The beauty of humanity is its diversity and it would be a great loss to China and to the rest of the world if Chinese people now decide to ape the west. They would almost certainly get it wrong and appear at best caricatures of the west. This would be disgraceful for a people who have a civilisation stretching back to a time when most of the west could still justifiably be described as barbarians.
With respect, Chinese leaders could take a cue from Nigerian leaders who as a matter of policy only wear clothes which reflect Nigerian culture. Some of the clothes they wear are truly beautiful and reflect Nigerian culture. One of the benefits of this is that Nigerian leaders are comfortable and appear quite natural in their clothes and never need to make any awkward adjustments in the manner in which they comport themselves.
I appear to be alone in noting that the gentleman pictured would appear be wearing not a dinner jacket, but an evening tail coat of the 'cut away' variety, of the sort only worn on the rare occasions (unless you are a diplomat) when the invitation specifies that "white tie" is de rigueur. Can anyone cast any light on this?
Chinese Eagle:
Those who criticize Mo Yan's Noble Literature Prize for his (presumed) political positions are ridiculous. It is a Literature Prize and so literary talent should be the only thing judged.
Those who make a political question out of what the man wears on a party are ridiculous. He should wear what he wants and what makes him more comfortable and good looking. Or what suits the situation and is elegant.
Those who spend their days posting propaganda online are ridiculous.
What you criticize in the Western media is just the mirror image of yourself. In Europe, in the US and in China you are all the same. Lackeys of politicians and those with power.
Politics is not everything in life. It is often the ugliest part of it.
Politics is not everything in life. It is often the ugliest part of it.
**************************************
.
Which means that in general the system in China is better, because it keeps people away from this dirty pool of politics and focus on economy, though it is flawed.
To make some money, forget about politics.
To make a lot of money without much innovation or hard work, join a political party.
You know that is as true in China as it is anywhere else.
Chinese characteristics
There are temples and churches dotting cities as well as rural areas in China but differences do exist between the two except for variations in designs. In church, Jesus or Holy Trinity is revered while in temples of both Buddhism and Taoism, a number of gods and goddesses are worshiped. In churches, followers do more confess than pray for blessing while in temples, believers show more secular attitude towards the Holy Ghosts wishing their instant success in life, work and study, even in love in front of gods. Entering a church, one feels liquidated in front of God whereas going into a temple one feels stifled by cloaks of smoke from burning joss sticks. In churches, sacred wafers are passed around whereas in temples, articles of tributes are brought and presented by followers to gods and goddesses, which is proof that the history of bribery is as long as that of temples in China. Though both places are where believers redeem their vows to gods, it seems that Chinese are much more down to earth than western followers of God to aspire the sky.
And thus Chinese people tend to be more and more pragmatic in terms of decision making, let alone choosing what styled clothes to wear. There are the Han styled clothes dating back in time to 2000 years ago for men and women, the Qing styled dress for ladies, Sun Yat-sen styled for men in the early 1900 and Mao’s styled clothes for men in the late 1960. Like what they do in temples, Chinese choose whatever clothes to match the occasion to which they attend, especially when the reform in China has been implemented for more than 30 years. One typical example to show Chinese characters is the wedding ceremony. Usually, a mixed styled ceremony is in a young couple’s favor with both bride and bridegroom dressed in western styled clothes and reception being held on traditional Chinese dinner table. Rings exchange goes side by side with red envelopes swapping. The former is between husband and wife while the latter is between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. On some more significant events, traditional clothes are to be put to add up to festival atmosphere though it would be weird to wear traditional clothes on workdays.
Mr. Mo knows quite well how to show his respect for the country where he will be awarded his Nobel prize, and that explains why the same clothes of local style are dressed by leaders from all participating countries attending Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum poised for photographers. When in Rome, do as Romans do.
Contemporary chinese writer are always full of materials. In china's early periods, those writers have a high writing level no matter in moral perspectives or skills.
For those who don't know the meaning of Mr. Mo's name, Mo Yan in the two Chinese characters mean "Don't Talk".
So please don't critize him for not speaking on political matters.
If you have a bias, you will find everything related is not right.
Why do you have to so offensive, not to say you are not even a Chinese?
Or maybe you are just overly empathetic.
Frankly I don't know what is the hype about Nobel Prize among CCP.
When Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Prize, the Chinese government claimed it as a conspiracy of the western governments and even dug out all those past histories like Opium War and the Boxer Movement to stigmatize Norway.
But ironically Norway, which awarded the prize to Liu, had never belonged to thw western powers that had been harassing China in the past.
Now Sweden awarded the prize to Mo and the Chinese government became irrationally exuberant. But frankly speaking, how many Swedes can really read Mo's book or ever hear of Mo?
And isn't this Nobel Prize just another plot of the western conspiracy to destabilize China again?
When China is able to award a prize that many famous writers from other parts of the world feel honored to come to China to attend, I would say then China stands really tall in the world.
Right now China is light years behind Sweden on this aspect.
Oooop....I forget there is the Chinese equivalence of "Confucius Prize". How come nobody ever mentions who are the awardees this year?
During the months after Liu's award, the Chinese government gave a hard time to those Salmon exporters in Norway.
I guess Ikea and Volvo will get some perks from the Chinese government after Mo's award.
Well Volvo actually belongs to a Chinese firm,
So maybe it's the Swedish government giving perks to them as well..
The Confucian Peace Prize no longer exists.
It was just set up by Liu Zhiqin- a Chinese banker-, that foul-mouthed descendent of Kongzi who I understand has been outed, and some 'Global Times' type of people.
It never had any direct affiliation with the CCP or the government apart from the fact that the government briefly allowed it to exist.
Mo Yan is such an ugly dude. He looks ugly in whatever dress.
Do not judge a book from its cover..
Many Chinese will call the ugliest person on earth shabbily dressed "hao kan"...good looking.
Mr Mo Yan looks good and even better in the evening jacket with coat-tails and the Mao jacket earlier. Alex65 - obvious a sour grape since he was not invited to the Prize giving ceremony. Such foul mouthed troll.
A young woman working in Beijing says that at formal occasions she prefers Chinese-style dresses. But to dress that way day-to-day, nowadays, would be both expensive and difficult.
Eh, does she mean the Han style dress or the Qing Style one? Because my friends do dress traditional Chinese dress, the Qing style, as a day-to-day dress. They are not expensive than other dress, and they are fashionable. The only problem is that you should have really good shape to be dressed in that dress>_<
The present day 'QiPao' has been modernized and it is no longer the same Qing style dress anymore.
Image during the Qing dynasty, women wore QiPao with both side cut up to their hips?
This kind of trivia thing should be on a tabloid. Oh wait, isn't TE...?
It's not trivia. Wearing western clothes as opposed to a Mao suit communicates just as much as the details of Mo Yan's acceptance speech (more if you consider many more people will observe his attire than will hear this acceptance speech).
Mao suit(actually chinese never call it in that way),how to say,my grandpa is still wearing it but my father never does.Mao suit isn't "typical traditional" chinese suit nor morden suit.so when we want to introduce chinese culture to others,seldom will we think of mao suit.in our daily life,except for some historical play, we seldome wear the Mao suit either(even in serious meetings). so it is not so confused why mo yan didn't wear mao suit . if he did,that would totally surprise me.
No Chinese call it Mao suit and rarely anyone in China connect the suit with Mao. It's called Sun Yesun suit and was popularized by the founder of Kuoming Dang (current in power in Taiwan).
Our Economist writer failed to distinguish between Sun Yat Sen suit and Mao suit.
Until as late as the '80s, KMT bulwarks in Taiwan, i.e. Chiang Ching Kuo, still periodically wore Sun Yat Sen suit on some political occasions.
The main difference is the shape of the collar: Mao suit's collar is round while Sun Yat Sen suit's collar is right-angled.
Though the difference is subtle, no KMT leaders would mistakenly wear Mao suit and no CCP leaders would mistakenly wear Sun Yat Sen suit.
I am not sure there is a distinction, can you please cite your source? If there is such a distinction, someone should really have told Mao and Chiang, who are both wearing the same style in this picture! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mao_and_Chiang1945.jpg
Maybe it's time for an entirely new look. How about skin-tight silver spacesuits embroidered with phoenixes, plum-blossoms, and qilins? Traditional, modern, intimidating, laughable, and astonishing--like China.
At the conference for signing the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895, the Japanese envoys all wore western clothing while the Chinese still wore traditional clothing. See:
http://history.cultural-china.com/en/34History6634.html
The Chinese had attempted to retain their traditional culture while adopting Western technology. The Japanese had simply thrown overboard their entire traditional culture in a pell-mell rush for Westernization. The first Sino-Japanese war showed the great military superiority of the Japanese choice over the Chinese.
Now that the Western style and culture seems to have completely overpowered the entire Orient, what could a Western man wear at a Japanese or Chinese event to show appreciation for Oriental tradition?
In our global world, wear whatever suits you for the occasion. Western clothes are fine. It is you that we love not your attire.
A young woman working in Beijing says that at formal occasions she prefers Chinese-style dresses. But to dress that way day-to-day, nowadays, would be both expensive and difficult.
Of course, women's wear for formal occasions is far, far more flexible in the West than men's wear. An American woman at a formal affair who wears a Chinese-style dress would be unlikely to be faulted for that choice. More likely, she would be complemented for it. A man in a Sun-Yat-Sen style suit, however, would definitely be viewed askance.
How about dressing according to the norms of the host country? This would seem like ordinary good manners for men and women.
And yet the standard for good manners, as typified by Western diplomats at formal functions abroad, is actually to wear the formal attire of one's own country.
For the most part their hosts are also wearing western formal attire, which means that this is the standard formal attire of the host country.
With more than a billion people, none of them have become notable clothes designers?
All I can say is China better get cracking on that industry!