Name game far from being major play for China
- Buildings with fancy titles or international connotations may not go down well with the state and face a crackdown, but there is no need to fear foreign appeal
What is so bad in the name of a building that warrants a purge by the state? Intriguingly, the central government has initiated a sweeping crackdown on places that are deemed inappropriately named.
As in Hong Kong, many mainland property projects are given fancy titles or named after foreign landmarks and places to make them sound more upscale.
Arguably, they are merely marketing strategies and should be left to the wisdom of consumers and market forces. But the mainland authorities see them as “a violation of the core values of socialism and damaging to national confidence”.
The move came last year when six government departments joined hands to demand provincial and country authorities get rid of the “exaggerating, foreign or weird” – the so-called irregular names of buildings and places.
If you’re ‘big, foreign or weird’, you’re not welcome in China
With tens of thousands of housing estates, hotels and commercial buildings being affected, a public backlash is inevitable. Some netizens branded it a waste of effort and money, saying it was like the Cultural Revolution, during which many old names and practices were purged.
But the Ministry of Civil Affairs showed no sign of back-pedalling. It only reminded local authorities to implement the plan “prudently and appropriately”.
Whether names such as Thames Town, Manhattan Square and Eurocity inspire grandeur and superiority are matters of judgment and taste. But it would sound bizarre if foreign countries developed housing projects with names such as the Great Wall, Forbidden City or Yellow River.
Can Beijing just let Hong Kong be Hong Kong?
For a nation that has always greeted foreign elements with scepticism, the mushrooming of places mimicking or named after overseas locations and landmarks is not just embarrassment. If the phenomenon implies public acceptance of foreign being superior, it does not go well with China’s rise as a global superpower.
Confidence and pride are fundamental to a country’s well-being and development. Having gained wider recognition and respect on the world stage, China should have no fear of foreign appeal and influence on its social and economic development. A rethink of priorities and strategies will go a long way in reducing social disputes and enhancing the nation’s international image.
