Refusing to kneel down to worship the New Year is scolded, and cultural tolerance cannot lose national integrity

On January 2, the girl group Everglow held a fan autograph party in South Korea. During the event, five Korean members bowed to the fans and congratulated the New Year. Chinese member Wang Yiren did not kneel, making a gesture similar to "Wishing you prosperity" to greet fans, and many South Korean netizens said they could not accept it, criticizing the Chinese member for "ignoring Korean culture" and even insulting her for "getting back to China". (January 9 Press Conference)

To not kneel down to pray for the New Year is to "ignore Korean culture"? Did forcing Chinese to bow down and worship did it respect Chinese culture? With the evolution of globalization, countries have strengthened cultural exchanges and mutual learning, culture is inherently pluralistic, and world culture is enriched and colorful because of pluralism and differences. We respect foreign cultures and are eclectic, but we must not lose the cultural integrity of our own people, and any cultural exchange must be premised on adhering to our own culture.

Forcing Chinese artists to kneel down to worship the New Year and follow the customs is not so "casual". For other national cultures, we do not completely deny, but also do not accept them all, but uphold the principle of taking their essence and removing their dross, and national culture has always been the fundamental starting point of cultural exchanges. In the Chinese cultural tradition, kneeling is a great gift, and only "heaven", "earth" and "parents" can kneel, and forcing others to kneel is a great insult. South Korean netizens who criticized the Chinese members accused Wang Yiren of disrespecting Korean culture while ignoring traditional Chinese culture, and this "double standard" is really too unreasonable.

In Korea, there is the custom of kneeling down to worship the New Year, and in China there is also the tradition of "gold under the knees of boys", which are all part of their own culture and have special cultural significance for both ethnic groups. No ethnic group should impose its own culture on others, which is the most basic respect for other peoples.

If there are cultural differences, we should tolerate each other, respect other national cultures and at the same time adhere to national integrity. There are many ways to express gratitude, and you don't have to kneel. In the name of "going into the countryside and following customs", forcing Chinese artists to bow down to their fans to pay homage to the New Year not only hurts the personal dignity of idols, but also loses the cultural integrity of their own people, which is not conducive to cultural interaction and exchange. Refusing to kneel to the fans, and instead expressing blessings and thanks in another way, decent and atmospheric, the female artists in the incident maintained their dignity as Chinese, showing a national integrity of self-confidence, self-esteem and self-improvement, which was in stark contrast to the Korean netizens who criticized her.

The Chinese nation has an inclusive attitude towards all foreign cultures, but this is based on cultural self-confidence. Our respect for other ethnic cultures does not mean that Chinese culture is willing to be "inferior", national culture will always be the background of our adherence, self-confidence, self-esteem and self-improvement will always be the national integrity we adhere to.

Text/Gao Jiahan (Shaanxi Normal University)