In January, while everyone was immersing in the joy of family reunion, red packets and splendid meals by celebrating Chinese (Lunar) New Year, a fiasco had quietly started on the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) campus. On a board in the campus, the word “Lunar” in “Lunar New Year” was crossed out and replaced with the word “Chinese”. After the staff tried to fix the board with marker pens and tape, they were again removed by the vandal, leaving the modified board on display. This incident has sparked widespread outrage and debates. So what is the story behind this board?
Figure 1: The vandalised board in NTU
What really happened was that NTU’s Student Affairs Office (SAO) restricted the use of “Chinese New Year” in the campus in order to promote inclusivity. The SAO had mandated that all English usage of the phrase “Chinese New Year” be changed to “Lunar New Year'' instead. To protest against this decision, international students from China took the liberty of changing the phrase on the board. Interestingly, polarised views of this incident are seen on different social media platforms.
On the popular online discussion forum Reddit, local users shared their anger towards the act of vandalism, calling Chinese students “thin-skinned” and such behaviours “disgusting” and “abusive”.
However, on the Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu), a social media platform mostly used by PRC (People's Republic of China) Chinese, most users applauded the “heroic act”. Many called for the students from China to gather together and fight for their culture. The students showed their support by drafting emails and joint statements to NTU to voice their discontent towards their decision of mandating the use of “Lunar New Year” instead of “Chinese New Year”, viewing it as an act of pure discrimination against Chinese.
This incident has not been the only time when the use of either phrase sparked controversies. Since this holiday is celebrated all over the world, celebrities and formal organisations have been criticised when using either phrase, with people from China reacting with great hostility to the replacement of “Chinese New Year” with any other phrase. For instance, The British Museum called the holiday “Korean New Year” in a tweet, which later came under fire from China’s internet users. One Chinese netizen commented: “Isn’t it stealing to put your own country’s name on it despite adopting the traditional Chinese calendar?”. Many have pointed out the illegitimacy of the use of “Korean New Year”.
So the question arises: Is it justified for people to use either phrase interchangeably?
Indeed, the new year is celebrated in different regions around the world. For example, the New year is called the Spring Festival in China, Seollal in the Korean Peninsula, and Tết in Vietnam. Each country celebrates the holiday with their unique cultures, traditions and cuisines. Their roots trace back to the Chinese Spring festival before they were spread and popularised in different regions in Asia through various means. Since then, they have evolved to reflect each country's own customs and beliefs.
NTU, being situated in Singapore which is known for her multiracial and multiethnic demographic, welcomes students and staff from all over the world, each upholding diverse cultural backgrounds and celebrating the festival in their own way, not necessarily adhering to Chinese traditions. NTU is justified in promoting the use of “Lunar New Year '' on campus as it takes regional diversity into consideration, enabling students and staff not of Chinese origins to feel included in the celebration of the festival. However, the SAO’s act of banning the use of “Chinese New Year” may not be completely necessary, since “Chinese New Year” is a standardised phrase used in Singapore, with this holiday name marked on the Ministry of Education (MOE)’s website. It is hence understandable that Chinese students would feel offended by the drastic action taken by NTU and interpret it as discrimination against Chinese students.
Now for the next question: why would the Chinese students feel defensive towards the use of “Chinese New Year”?
For one thing, it can be seen as the self-orientalisation of China, which is the act of ‘playing the other’ against the western powers and meeting the western portrayals of the non-west. This is why Chinese people identify themselves as a single oriental body and celebrate all their orient features, fearing that others would snatch them away. This is seen in other instances too, where Chinese people repeatedly accuse Koreans of stealing their culture, undermining their constructed Orientalist image by diluting their culture that, in their opinion, is supposed to be “exclusively” owned by China.
This is exacerbated by the nationalist sentiments widely shared by Chinese youths. Renowned international relations expert and intellectual Yan Xuetong suggests that “post-millennial students usually have a strong sense of superiority and confidence, and they tend to look at other countries from a condescending perspective.” They feel entitled to the vandalism act as they see themselves as warriors fighting for their country. Especially since they are abroad, they would be more compelled to maintain China’s image and feel more united through this act.
In the end, there are merits to the use of both phrases and I personally believe that people should not make a fuss about the use of either phrase. Inarguably, they especially should not express their anger through vandalism and cyber bullying. The festival should be enjoyed and celebrated as it is, instead of becoming a battleground of different cultures.
Written by: Huang Yimin (22S7B)
Edited by: Peh Jia Qian (22S6B), Widyayuki Triyono (22S6D)
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