Reflections: culture vultures
Wee Kek Koon
To many Hongkongers, “mainlandisation” has been a scourge since 1997. Apart from concerns over Beijing’s political interference, they fear the erosion of their city’s cultural uniqueness due to larger numbers of mainlanders entering as visitors and immigrants.
Emperor Shizong, of the Jin dynasty (1123-1189), had similar concerns. Unlike Hongkongers who dread their sovereign, however, the emperor was worried about the influence of his subjects.
The Jin was founded by the Jurchen people, originally nomads from the northeast of China (by modern borders), who ruled over much of northern China from 1115 to 1234. Enamoured by the more precocious cultural accomplishments of the Han Chinese subjects who vastly outnumbered them, the Jurchen became Sinicised over time.
The Jurchen of the Jin dynasty lived the Han lifestyle, speaking Chinese and wearing Han dress.
They had Han names as well as native names.
Emperor Shizong’s Jurchen name was Wanyan Wulu, but he was also known as Wanyan Yong, Yong being his Han forename (similar to a Li Tat-man, say, calling himself John Li).
Despite his own double-name taking, Emperor Shizong – worried about the dilution of Jurchen culture – hypocritically prohibited his people, especially members of the elite, to ape Han ways. No Jurchen could change his family name to a Han surname and Jurchen officials had to know their native tongue. But the cultural attraction of the Han proved so great that even an imperial order couldn’t turn the tide.
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