Critique of a Heritage or Cultural Event: China in London - Essay Example

 Critique of a Heritage or Cultural Event China in London Table of Contents Abstract 2 Introduction 2 Theme One: Globalisation and the visitor experience 4 A wide range of events 4 Organisation 5 Trivialising culture 6 Overall success 7 Theme Two: Visitor perception 8 Theme Three: Cultural relations 11 Conclusion 12 References 13 Abstract Chinese in London is an event that celebrates the Chinese New Year as well as the culture and heritage of China, and it occurs within the heart of London. Those who attend the festival’s numerous events are immersed in a culture very different than the city that surrounds it. Despite significant logistical demands, including the difficulties of working with large crowds and parts of the event being designed remotely, Chinese in London continues to grow in size and success. The event occurs annually, attracting more than 300,000 participants in the final celebration. Introduction Britain promotes cultural connections with many countries through the use of cultural festivals and events. This is particularly prevalent in terms of Chinese culture. The interest that Britain people in general have towards China and the Chinese culture can be seen in the dramatic increase of people learning Chinese within Britain. There are close to 100,000 people throughout the United Kingdom who are learning to speak Chinese through language classes (People's Daily Online, 2011). One explanation for this interest is the focus that Britain has placed on Chinese culture. This interest in the culture and history of China has continued to grow among United Kingdom citizens (China Culture, 2008b). This evaluation will consider the China in London cultural festival that occurs annually around the time of the Chinese New Year. The festival is an example of the celebration and teaching of the values of one culture within another. In this case, the annual festival is continuing to grow, driven by an increasing interest in aspects of Chinese culture. Every year since 2006, London has hosted a Chinese cultural festival to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The festival is known as China in London and it continues to grow in popularity and size. The event is a chance for people in London to become more aware of Chinese culture and heritage, as well as to celebrate it. There are many different aspects to this festival, including a variety of events, exhibitions and concerts (View London, 2010). For London residents who have a Chinese heritage, the event provides a way to express cultural pride. Additionally, China in London makes use of many Chinese people and groups from China itself, forming and maintaining relationships between the two countries. The process of organising and planning the event each year is a substantial logistical effort involving a large amount of long distance communication and coordination. The festival lasts approximately a week, beginning with the lighting of Chinese lanterns, which occurs in Oxford Circus. The final component of the cultural event is a celebration of the Chinese New Year. This occurs at Trafalgar Square, and consists of a large number of performances and events. The exact dates of the festival are different each year, but they generally centre on the dates of the Chinese New Year. For example, in 2010, the festival ran from February 14 to February 21, where February 14 was the official date of the Chinese New Year (View London, 2010). China in London is a celebration of values and traditions that are an ingrained part of Chinese culture, but are not well recognised in the Western world. It is now considered to be the largest celebration of the Chinese New Year outside of China (China Culture, 2008b). This case study considers the China in London festival, with particular reference to the 2009 and 2010 festivals. Theme One: Globalisation and the visitor experience The world continues to grow more globalised, with travel between countries becoming commonplace, and many aspects of different cultures intermingling with one another. Most cities and countries are a mixture of a range of different cultures. This is particularly true of London, which is thought to be the most multicultural city in the world. It is estimated that in any given day, approximately 500 different languages are spoken (Freeman, 2007). In China in London, event organisers, both in Britain and in China, aim to promote Chinese culture and heritages within London, exposing tourists and residents to a culture that they are unfamiliar with. The festival is more than a glance into Chinese culture; instead, it is an immersive experience that is prominent throughout its duration. Although the festival focuses on a single aspect of Chinese culture, the Chinese New Year, the large number of varied events means that there are many different parts of tradition and culture shown throughout the week-long event. A wide range of events One way that the China in London event provides an intense and involved experience for visitors is thorough the variety of events that are incorporated into the festival. For example, during the festival, a large number of art exhibitions occur, as well as literature and music events (China Culture, 2008a). There are many different London-based organisations that are involved in the festival. For example, during the 2010 China in London festival, the British Museum, the London Zoo and the Royal Academy of Music were all involved in hosting events (Zhuoqiong, 2008). Throughout the China in London event, many different businesses and institutions, both large and small, are involved in promoting Chinese heritages and culture. This results in the festival being very immersive, as visitors see aspects of the festival throughout the city. Furthermore, the variety of events means that people of all classes are able to be involved, as there are free events and premium, ticketed events. Additionally, China in London is not limited to adults. There are also a large number of events that are focused at children. This was especially true during the 2010 festival, which was extended to last two months instead of the usual week. The extension was due to the Olympic Games, which were being held in Beijing in 2008, and are going to be held in London in 2012. Consequently, the China in London festival also acted as a celebration of the Olympic Games themselves, as well as the Chinese New Year. During this time there were many events and workshops that were specifically focused on children, such as a Chinese Opera Workshop (China Culture, 2008b). Organisation The China in London festival is present in many locations throughout London, which can make overall organisation and coordination of the different components difficult. This can be particularly difficult, as many aspects of the festival are not ‘official’ but occur as the result of individual business owners or people who want to be involved. Consequently, organisers of the festival do not have the manpower to enforce who is or is not involved in the festival. During planning and organisation for this event, there has to be considerable consideration of the number of people who will attend. It is difficult to determine how many people attend the festival as a whole, as it is spread across many different businesses and locations. However, one indication is to consider the number of people who are present at particular key parts. For example, more than 300,000 people were present at the Trafalgar Square celebrations in 2009 (Admin, 2011). Approximately the same number of people attended the event in 2010 (China Culture, 2008a). Another significant difficulty in organising the festival is managing people two countries, often remotely. Many events that occur as part of the China in London festival involve performers or items from China. For example in the 2010 festival, two photo exhibitions from Beijing were transported to London and set up in the City Hall (China Culture, 2008b). In the 2009 festival, the Chinese performance group Embrace China performed an eight-hour programme during the Trafalgar Square section of the celebration. The group employed a United Kingdom company to ensure adequate management and set up of the stage and effective liaison between all groups involved. The troupe consisted of more than 60 performers, and consequently, the use of this company is likely to have played a significant role in the success of Embrace China’s performance on the day. Trivialising culture With any cultural event, particularly one that focuses on a non-native heritage, there is a risk that the nature of the event could lead to fake heritage themes and the trivialising of the culture. In the case of China in London, the event has evolved into something that involves a large number of different businesses and individual shows and events. During the China in London event, many different aspects of the city focus on Chinese culture. However, one problem that can occur is that during this time it becomes beneficial for businesses to advertise Chinese aspects, even if they do not have any links to China, or any understanding of the culture. This can result in elements of the culture being misrepresented, and visitors not know when they are viewing actual aspects of Chinese culture, and when what they observe is highly commercialised. Another important aspect is that as the festival has grown, the amount that businesses and professional organisation are involved has grown significantly. This can make it difficult for individual British-Chinese to become involved in the festival, and consequently, their contributions to the culture that is presented, are lost. Likewise, there is a risk that the aspects of Chinese culture that are part of the festival are included because they are easy to show, do not cost as much as other aspects of culture, or are driven by other factors. For example, Dragon Boating is considered to be a Chinese cultural heritage, but showing this could be difficult due to the crowded nature of London. Overall success A significant aspect of the China in London festival is the way that China culture is brought into London. The festival is more than a glance into Chinese culture; instead, it is an immersive experience that is prominent throughout its duration. Although the festival focuses on a single aspect of Chinese culture, the Chinese New Year, the large number of varied events means that there are many different parts of tradition and culture shown throughout the week-long event. Despite the range of events and the difficulty that is involved in organising the event, China in London grows in size each year, and is a popular celebration that exposes Londoners and visitors to an unfamiliar culture. The festival is highly successful, with visitors at the final event each year totalling over 300,000, and an unknown number of individuals participating in different events throughout the duration of the festival (China Culture, 2008a). Theme Two: Visitor perception The way that people perceive an event is the result of imagination, both collective and individual, and the story that is told. This varies substantially depending on the situation and specific methods that are used. For example, a museum may tell a specific, sequential story, by guiding visitors through the exhibits in an intentional manner and providing explanatory information. Alternatively, the same museum could present the exhibits in a free-form manner, allowing individuals to choose their own path. The first example places restrictions on the way that people perceive the exhibition and guides them towards one particular perception. In contrast, the second example leaves the interpretation to the visitor’s imagination, and consequently, different people are likely to have different opinions as to what the exhibition was about. The China in London event uses a combination of these two approaches. Firstly, as discussed above, it is a freeform festival. This allows visitors to experience a wide range of different aspects of the Chinese culture by participating in the individual events throughout the city. This allows individuals to use their imaginations to derive their own meaning from the festival. However, China in London is more than an exhibition of the Chinese culture. It is also a celebration of a specific Chinese event. The Chinese New Year is also known as the spring festival, and is a celebration of the end of winter and the beginning of summer. The use of a specific theme allows the perception of visitors to be guided. Traditionally, the celebration begins on the first day of the Chinese calendar year, and finishes with a lantern festival on the 15th day. The festival is associated with many celebrations, including the gathering of family, releasing of fireworks, dragon and lion dances. The specific date of the beginning of the festival varies from year to year. For example, in 2012, the Chinese New Year was on 23rd January, while in 2013 the New Year begins on 10th February. This occurs because the Chinese calendar is based on lunar and solar progression of the seasons, which vary from year to year. Although the Chinese New Year is commonly celebrated in Chinese communities throughout the world, it is not generally celebrated in Western culture. The China in London event is the largest celebration of the Chinese New Year outside of China (China Culture, 2008b). Although the China in London event is designed to celebrate the Chinese New Year, organisers have had to make many compromises to traditional aspects of the event to ensure that it is effective in London. One significant example of this is the duration of the event. In China, the Chinese New Year is celebrated for half a month (15 days). In contrast, the London version of the event is seven days in length, approximately half that of the Chinese festival. Another difference is the use of the Chinese lantern festival. In Chinese New Year celebrations, the lantern festival is used to signify the ending of celebrations, while in China in London a lantern festival is used to open the celebrations (China Culture, 2008b). A final difference between the two festivals is the date which they begin and finish on. Chinese New Year celebrations in China always begin on the date of the Chinese New Year, while the London organisers must choose the dates of the festival based on what is relevant and effective for the city. For example, in 2007, the China in London festival began on the 15th of February, while the Chinese New Year officially began on the 18th of the same month (Xinhaunet, 2007). However, other times organisers are able to get the starting date exactly right. For example, the 2010 festival ran from 14th of February to the 21st, and the Chinese New Year also began on the 14th (View London, 2010). Consequently, China in London is able to bring a specific Chinese celebration to life within London. Although some elements of the event must be altered to make it possible in its new environment, such as the date and length of the festival as well as the order of events, the festival remains a strong celebration of a specific aspect of Chinese culture, as well as China in general. Theme Three: Cultural relations China in London is one of several cultural festivals that are present in London, and each of these helps the city to develop its reputation of being highly multicultural, as well as relationships between the different cultures and countries (Freeman, 2007). Cultural events are used by cities throughout the world in an attempt to stimulate development, attract investment and visitors, as well as to improve the overall image of the city. Research has shown them to be effective at increasing the image of the host city as being a cultural destination (Richards and Wilson, 2004). One of the key aims of China in London was the increase in relations between London and China and to pave the way for future interactions between the two countries. Already, many people are considering China as an important business venture in the future (Benedict, 2009). This approach is supported by current market trends, which suggest that China’s economy will continue to grow, overtaking that of the United States by 2035 (Keidel, 2008). Worldwide, culture is increasingly being used as a resource that can be invested in and used for a profit (Yudice, 2004). Many people find culture appealing, and are interested in knowing in the ways that other cultures differ than their own. The China in London festival takes this approach, and its organisers have the specific aim of improving relations between London and China, as well as facilitating future business connections. The festival provides many specific chances for businesses from the two areas to directly interact with one another, as many of the events which are part of the festival involve contributions from both regions, and on some occasions London directly contracts Chinese companies to do some of the work (Freeman, 2007). The relationships that are formed for this event can potentially have significant ramifications afterwards, and for other interactions between the cultures. In a similar manner, the festival is also used to gain revenue, through attracting new visitors to the city, and providing an exciting, innovative environment to those that are there. This presents many opportunities for local businesses, and cultural events have been shown to be a highly important economic venture for cities (Herrero et al., 2006). Conclusion China in London is a very effective cultural event that exposes people throughout London to many aspects of Chinese culture. One of the most positive aspects of the festival is that it involves many different groups of people, and has the potential to continue expanding as more businesses and organisations become involved. However, the festival is large a spans a wide area with many different individual components and groups involved. Because of this, coordinating the different aspects of the festival is likely to be difficult, especially in ensuring that the same ideas are promoted. References Admin. (2011). China in London - Organising a Performance at Trafalgar Square by a Leading Chinese Performance Group, Embrace China [Online]. China Media Communications. Available: http://www.chinamediacommunications.com/china-in-london-%E2%80%93-organising-a-performance-at-trafalgar-square-by-a-leading-chinese-performance-group-embrace-china/ [Accessed March 21 2012]. Benedict, B. (2009). Londoners Beginning to Embrace Chineses [Online]. 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