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Opinion / Kang Bing
Festivals of a different nature
By Kang Bing (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-09-21 07:24
We Chinese seem to be especially fond of festivals. And why not? After
all, it is an occasion for long-anticipated family reunions, delicious
food, colorful fireworks and many more exciting experiences.
But the festival I am talking about is not the traditional ones such as
the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival or the Spring Festival but the so-called
festivals initiated by local governments to attract public attention.
For about two decades, many governments sought outside investment as a
major means to boost the local economy. For that purpose, they needed to
draw sufficient media publicity to attract the attention of investors.
Then some smart brains came up with the idea of organizing festivals
featuring specific local characteristics. They wanted to "set up a
cultural stage on which business could be done". Not a bad idea, and, in
fact, many of the early birds were successful. But the negative side is
that it has now been copied too often.
The festivals are often named after plants (red leaves, peach blossom),
animals (giant panda), insects (cricket, butterfly), cultural heritages
(city walls, tombs) and, of course, natural sceneries (caves, mountains).
If one can get hold of a list of the names of the festivals, one would be
overwhelmed with admiration for the great wisdom of our friends.
Long before the festivals, the whole city or county is mobilized -
streets cleaned with shabby houses pulled down, peddlers are driven off
the busy streets, schools are closed with students being coached to
perform in the grand ceremonies. Invitations are sent to higher
officials, the media people, and potential investors - very often
offering free transportation, accommodation and sightseeing.
Foreign faces are especially favored on such occasions - the presence of
big noses can prove that the festival already has an international
impact. This writer was once asked by a friend in a western city to help
invite some foreigners to their festival "be they businessmen or not".
Maotais are uncorked, ceremonies are held, speeches are made, sightseeing
trips arranged and cooperative contracts and agreements signed. When the
visitors have left, life in the host cities and counties returns to
normal. The only difference is that the local coffer is deprived of
thousands of yuan.
One may argue that the cost is worthwhile, when taking into account the
investment contracts and agreements, worth millions of yuan. "But that
could be a sponge soaked in water," a mayor friend in a northern city
told me. He said that most of the contracts and agreements could have
been signed long before the festival. The partners were persuaded to
delay the signing until the special occasion so that an impressive volume
of outside investment could be accumulated in honor of the event.
I believe the practice of this northern city is common in most of the
other cities and counties.
To make things worse, since most of the festivals are annual events, news
media, willing to help, find it difficult to explore any new story
angles, thus, very often, refuse to write anything more. And the
potential investors, having enjoyed the local sights, tend to go
elsewhere. Many of the festivals now bore the people, and drain the
treasury.
Though most of the festival organizers already regard the annual events
as chicken ribs - something of little value - they still hesitate to
throw them away, fearing being blamed as failures.
My advice to those organizers is to stop these events right now. If they
could use the money saved to do something good for the people, they may
even earn some applause.
E-mail: kangbing@chinadaily.com.cn
(China Daily 09/21/2007 page10)
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