Until I visited Beijing, I had not an inkling why Napoleon nicknamed China “A Dragon State,” Now, everything is clear to me. “What about you?” In my opinion, such understanding depends on one’s exposure or reading. An astonishing point here is that, some periods back, Napoleon had inkling about China’s projected ascension in the sphere of development. He foreshadowed that “Let China sleep, for when the Dragon awakes, she will shake the world!” When we analysis Napoleon’s prophecy it is amazing not only retrospectively but also prospectively. Hence, it is plausible to say, his view was extraordinarily foresighted as it was nothing devoid of wisdom.
Two hundred years ago, he had been gifted enough to predict what could unfold right now. With less than a century, China has become the second country with a strong economic muscle. Nowadays, China is striving not only to be the first in all aspects but also to be the supper hegemonic state in the globe. Because the “Dragon is no more in a slumber” As such the world has started to shake. Here the big question one could pose is why and how did China got awake to build the second largest economy swiftly as compared to other countries? In my perspective, scholars attribute China’s awakening to two main interrelated reasons: Chinese history and Chinese Culture.
To begin with, China’s history stretches 5,000 years back. During the course of this time, it had passed through lots of ups and downs. In some historic chapters all along the timeline, they were the source of civilization. China was one of the great empires in the world, while on other times, especially before nearly a century, they were the poorest one. They could neither defend the nation from invaders nor able to feed themselves. China was marked as a country whose economy was in tatters.
Its name was a synonym to backwardness. The Communist Party of China, led by Mao Zedong, resorted to a revolution in 1949 not only to do away with the bleak situation the country was in and lack of self-sufficiency in food but also to rejuvenate China’s greatness. The party, once again, allowed China its rightful place in the history of the world.
Observably, in the course of the last 70 years ,they had done well in and they have restored history. Second, it is safe to say, People of China have given special attention to their culture as much as or in better degree than any other country. Every artifact or physical thing or spiritual issue is derived from their culture. For instance, Beijing’s master plan; the design, name and color of buildings and name of every citizens and streets talk loud all about Chinese culture. More importantly, Chinese socioeconomic and political dynamics is intertwined thoroughly with their own culture.
Notably, in the closing decade of twentieth century, although the ideology of socialism ran out of charm, China could sustain socialism injecting its own values in it. One professor in Chin’s Academy of Governance had informed us that the secret behind the China’s Socialism resides in its culture. In another words, first and for most, when socialism anchored roots in China’s soil, revolutionary political engineers had tailored it with Chinese culture.
They called their adopted philosophy “Socialism with Chinese Characteristics.” Culture for them is a yardstick to adopt or to adapt or to reject anything. They had used and they are using it for mass mobilization and harmonization.
They used it to build their citizens’ moral virtue. They have done their assignments very well. As a consequence, right now, Chinese Culture is respected, renowned and preserved. To sum up, I had the chance to visit the Great Wall of China and China’s Palace Museum or what they call “the Forbidden City” and I had attended the Banquet too. All of these sites showcase common issues i.e. China’s history and Culture. Particularly, the Dragon image is ubiquitous. The design of Great Wall also carries across the message of a Dragon.
Most of the pillars, columns, doors, windows and decorations in the palace conjure up in visitors’ mind the Dragon. Similarly, the hall, where a banquet is normally thrown, is decorated by that giant animal. Needless to say, Dragon symbols are ubiquitous in the Metropolitan city. Surprisingly, I have witnessed a newly built building looks like a Dragon. Lastly, after my critical observation, I had asked several people (officials, academicians, tourist guiders and interpreters) that “What does Mr. Dragon symbolize to people of China?” All of them in one word replied that “Mr. Dragon implies Power and Greatness.” As I indicated in the introductory part, I had understood the secret.
I said “Game is over!” By drawing inspiration from their history and culture, the Chinese have got back on the right track. The Dragon has already waken-up; the world is also experiencing a shock.
China is on the threshold of embarking on its envisaged development, while other countries like African are lagging behind.
What do we Ethiopians learn from this story? We do have outstanding history and precious culture. I want to convey to Ethiopians “Let us Get-up and Stand-Up for Change and Greatness.”
We Ethiopians have to have focus on social transformation. We have to delve into our history and culture and ensure the Renaissance of the country. We have to look-back and map out our development trajectory. We have to chalk out our destiny critically.
The Ethiopian Herald March 3 ,2019
BY ADDISU ABERHA
