China in Ten Words

Chinese writer Yu Hua reflects on Chinese culture and history in chapters grouped around 10 themes. He combines personal memories with public history and reflective thoughts. Published in 2010/2011 this is a fantastic portrait of the country's transformations over the last century.

We learn about the importance of big-character posters during the Cultural Revolution, and the starving for stories in a world that's limited to texts by Mao and Lu Xun. We learn about denunciation and self-criticism sessions in a culture where losing face is of substantial value, and 9-year olds send their teachers to the hospital as misbehavior and violence is legitimized by the revolution. We learn about the symoblism and open fights over official seals, and how the country's recent economic gains are produced by a government that shows no concern for individual lives. Since the Tiananmensquare massacre has supressed all internal voices for human rights, China seems to be driven only by making money. According to Hua, this economical progress and democratic regress has led to a breakdown of social morality. Modern China is a world where everything is pirated, everyone cons everyone, and fake news and scams are so common that they are socially accepted.

This book was first published in a French translation in 2010 and then published in Chinese in Taiwan in 2011. Naturally, this book is banned in China.

Relatively easy to read and enjoy, the comparisons I'd heard of the author to David Sedaris seem pretty on-point.

The concept of this book is through ten words (characters) and how they have evolved political and cultural meaning, using the lens of personal anecdotes as microcosms, Hua gives us a look into the everyday social changes and surprising parallels from Mao to Jinping. These stories are sometimes funny and sometimes awful but to read them feels like listening to an old friend.

For anyone interested in how basic Chinese culture has changed over the last several decades as told through the eyes of a man who's formative years came during the Cultural Revolution without getting a dense history lesson, this is certainly recommended.

Of note: I have never had to read the word “bamboozle” so many times in one chapter.