Side-stepping the past at Oberlin: Memorials, Symbolism, and the Boxer Uprising

The Oberlin Memorial Arch, erected in 1903 to remember 13 missionaries  killed in the Boxer Uprising of 1900, has occasionally sparked controversy and debate at the picturesque and progressive Ohio school.  As part of the graduation processional route, stepping through or around the arch depends on one’s views on the complicated historical symbolism of the campus landmark.   This year however school administrators are side-stepping the issue — literally — by bypassing the arch during the graduation processional.

From Inside Higher Education:

The processional has traditionally run beneath Oberlin’s Memorial Arch, a controversial structure that either symbolizes the sacrifice of missionaries killed in China or the repression wrought by American imperialism, depending on one’s point of view. For those who take the latter position, bypassing the arch — and breaking with the established processional route — has become something of a tradition.

It appears, however, that Oberlin officials are ready to literally sidestep the controversy that the arch provokes on graduation day. Administrators recently decided to change the commencement processional route, bypassing the arch altogether, The Oberlin Review first reported.

The Memorial Arch was erected in 1903 to recognize Oberlin graduates who were killed during the Boxer Rebellion while serving

April 28th, 2009

“Looty” the purloined Pekingese

Animal statues weren’t the only things boosted from the Yuanmingyuan (Old Summer Palace) by the Anglo-French forces of 1860, an actual pooch was also snatched as part of the war booty.  This diminutive Pekingese, rumored to have been the possession of the Empress Dowager, fell into the hands of a British officer who then arranged for the dog to be presented as a “gift” to Queen Victoria.

The puppy’s new name: “Looty.”

Seriously, you can’t make this stuff up. Perfidious Albion, thy true nature is whimsy.

Harper’s Weekly via the New York Times Archive*, picks up the story:

“He was a very lonely little creature, the other dogs taking exception to his Oriental habits and appearance,** and when the Prince and Princess of Wales returned from the a Continental trip, the latter pleaded with her mother-in-law to be allowed to take Looty to Sandringham.  About six months later Looty’s mate arrived from China, and the breeding of this species of dog became a diversion in fashionable society.”

No word yet on whether a team of Beijing lawyers is going to sue to have all Pekingese dogs repatriated to Beijing, because goodness knows there aren’t enough of the yappy little

March 26th, 2009

Qing Dynasty for sale…buyers wanted.

More commentary on the attempt by a team of Beijing-based lawyers to block the sale of two bronze statues looted from the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan).  The group of 67 lawyers has filed suit in a French court in advance of the February 23rd auction of the items.  The bronzes are part of a collection formerly owned by the late Yves Saint Laurent. 

Some selected opinions from the participants in this drama:

Liu Yang, one of the lawyers on the case:

“We hope they stop the sale and order the owner of the stolen items to return them. These items belong to China and should return to us.  Prices of these items have soared beyond the reach of civilians and governments.”

Official statement from Christie’s Auction house:

“For each and every item in this collection there is a clear legal title,” Christie’s said in a statement…We strictly adhere to any and all local and international laws.”

Less inhibited Christie’s employee:

“If we had to give these two pieces free to China, we would have to hand back the [Ancient Egyptian] Obelisk on the Place de La Concorde and numerous paintings in the Louvre.”

Christian Deydier, an Asian art specialist from France who

January 25th, 2009

The perils of studying the Qing

Via Danwei:

The Beijing News October 7, 2008

Yan Chongnian (阎崇年), a scholar specializing in Qing history and Manchu culture, was attacked on October 5 when he was in Wuxi to promote his new book, The Kangxi Emperor. The prolific author was smacked twice in the face, allegedly because the attacker disagreed with his historical views.

While it was unclear from the report which views got Professor Yan slapped by another dude (what kind of a guy slaps someone, anyway?), Danwei did some digging and came up with these little nuggets of Qing wisdom by searching the internet for “Yan Chongnian” and “traitor”:

Wu Sangui, the general who has usually taken the blame for the collapse of Ming Dynasty (the last Han Chinese Dynasty) by virtue of his surrender to the Manchu invaders, should be reevaluated for avoiding mass bloodshed that may have resulted had he not surrendered; Censorship and crackdown on dissenting views by the Qing ensured social stability despite certain limitation; The Manchu invasion promoted the integration of different ethnic groups, and the human loss it caused was inevitable.

The Qing can be a touchy subject.  I’ve occasionally riled people by (tongue ever so slightly in cheek) correcting their assumption that

October 8th, 2008

100 Years of Humiliation, One Shining Moment

“100 Years of Humiliation.“ It’s a phrase so common I think most people have unfortunately stopped listening.   An essay by author Lijia Zhang in The Guardian quotes 67-year old Beijing resident Xie Fengzhi: “I want foreigners to see what China has achieved. We were called the ‘sick man of Asia’. Now we are strong and rich enough to hold such a major international event.”  The Christian Science Monitor interviewed Mr. Li, also of Beijing: “The history of the last 100 years has been a history of humiliation for the Chinese. Finally we are standing up, so this is a big moment for all Chinese.”

Indeed it is. Though the CCP would probably like to amend part of Mr. Li’s statement because — officially at least — the 100 years of humiliation ended in 1949 with the founding of the PRC.  The violence and avarice of foreign imperialist powers in China gets full play in the educational system and in popular culture.  The dark periods of the post-liberation era…not so much.  After all, the CCP’s legacy as ‘liberators’ of China from the yoke of feudalism and imperialism is an integral part of the Party’s legitimizing ideology down to the present day, a

August 6th, 2008
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