Holding on to History in Changing Times
By DAN EDWARDS
THE 30 years of China's reform and opening-up correspond roughly with my own lifetime. I was born in 1973, so I've never known a China that wasn't a rising economic power. Having lived in China for just over a year, I also haven't personally witnessed the immense changes that have swept across the People's Republic since economic liberalization commenced in the late 1970s.
On the other hand, in the past 12 months I have witnessed Beijing go through its final preparations for the Olympics, with new buildings appearing on the skyline, extra subway lines rumbling beneath the streets and generally improved services across the city. Even this short period of time has provided an insight into just how fast and disorientating change in China can be. Dongzhimen subway station in the city's east closed for a few weeks last winter for renovations. I remember emerging onto the street for the first time after it reopened and being completely lost, despite knowing the area well. A new office block and a redesign of the subway exit had completely transformed the streetscape, leaving me feeling curiously suspended in a space I once knew.
This small personal incident seems to be symptomatic of the country's experience as a whole over the past 30 years. China has changed beyond recognition and the quality of most people's lives has improved immensely, but the breakneck speed of development has also created a nation strangely disconnected from its recent past. Reading accounts of life in China before 1978, and the hand-to-mouth existence endured by most people, it is easy to understand why rapid development has been wholeheartedly embraced, despite the attendant problems. But it seems older people in China don't talk about the past, and younger people know surprisingly little about the period before they were born. This not only contributes to misunderstandings between locals and outsiders, whose perceptions are often shaped by stories young people are unaware of – it also means some of the ideals of the earlier era are in danger of being lost.
China has made tremendous advances in just a few decades, and will continue to do so. I hope aims like easy access to medical services and education remain important however. In my own country of Australia, these services have become increasingly difficult for poorer members of the community to access, a trend that has had a negative impact on the community as well as individual lives.
Development is always a difficult process, and overall the past 30 years are a period Chinese people can truly be proud of. Large numbers have been lifted out of poverty and urbanites now enjoy a living standard not too different from their counterparts in the West. China will continue to grow and overcome the challenges it meets on its road to prosperity. I hope the process of opening up also continues apace in all areas of life, not just the economy. Taking in a multiplicity of views can only make the country stronger, allowing a well-informed nation to make the best choices about its own future.
Zhongguo, jiayou!
