The New Land of Free Enterprise

If the 20th century was sometimes referred to as "The American Century," then it goes without saying that the 21st century belongs to China.  There have been some real changes in the geo-political world in the realm of international business during the past decade.  Today, China does more business around the world than does the United States.  One factor in this equation is that the government of China appears to be more committed to prosperity than does the United States.

To successfully do busines in China though, one should take prudent steps before any investment of time or money is made.  The place where most people begin is with the language.  The official language of the Middle Kingdom is Mandarin Chinese.  However, there are cultural and ethical challenges to be met in order to navigate a path toward prosperity.  There is very much to know about China to be able to understand what to do... or not do! 

What does seem obvious is that China's economy is growing and prospering every year.  The world is looking to what is happening Beijing rather than Washington D.C. or London, England.  So perhaps the heyday of Western business influence is at an end?  May you find good luck and prosperity in your journy!

Best regards from the East,


Harlan Urwiler

Harlan Urwiler is an international businessman, lay educator, and an expert author on Asian history and culture  He is the CEO of HRU Enteprises, Inc. which aspires to bring the beauty, mystery, and art of the East to all.  Feel free to contact us with any of your questions at:  hruenterprisesinc@gmail.com.  

The Richest Treasure of China

It is interesting to note the sweeping changes within China over the past generation.  Many people from the West still have an outdated view of China, even though it is obvious that the Middle Kingdom is a very modern place.  Today, the government of China commands great respect (and even fear) as the nation flexes is economic muscles.  However, the best thing about China though is still its people, its ancient culture, and its unique history. 

The modern Chinese woman has come a longs ways.  She has established herself as a new class of customer and business person throughout the world.  Her role in the family has also evolved too.  Chinese women today are busy at making money through business ventures the same as men.  I find the advancement of Chinese women to be one of the most incredible and delightful aspects of the East Asian experience.  It was not so long ago that the place of women in China was very different than it is now.

One can appreciate China in the most effective by visiting in person.  For this reason a trip to China is always a good idea.  May you find good luck in the Year of the Dragon!

Best regards from the East,

Harlan Urwiler 

Year of the Dragon 2012 is Now!

Chinese New Year 2012 has come at last!  In Chinese communities all across America the celebrations are about to begin.  In China itself this is indeed a wonderful time of the year.  In the past, when China was largely an agricultural based society, these celebrations could last up to a whole month!  However, today they usually only last about two weeks.  Many people who are not Chinese may wonder what exactly the meaning of the celebrations are?

Chinese New Year is an important holiday for Chinese families.  It celebrates the new year according to the lunar calendar.  So it is one of the most significant holidays for Chinese people all across the world today.  The holiday itself is celebrated with big family gatherings, gift giving, the eating of symbolic foods, and the display of festive, traditional decorations from China.  All of this is focused on bringing good luck for the new year.  It also anticipates the coming of spring in just a short time.

Chinese New Year is a happy time indeed.  2012 is the Year of the Dragon, which is a very powerful and old symbol in China.  May your Chinese New Year be a wonderful time!

Best regards from the East,

Harlan Urwiler

For more information, feel free to visit my website at:  http://www.myorientalgallery.com/.

The Chinese Identity Considered

The true meaning of being Chinese is a difficult question for anyone to answer.  This is so because it is often subjective.  This is is especially true for those who take pride in their family's descent from the Middle Kingdom.  One part of the experience of the Chinese is the heritage of faith and belief.  In China there is a great diversity of religious belief and philosophies which are reflected.  However, for the most part the three teachings of Confucisanism, Daoism, and Buddhism dominate the cultural landscape. 

One of the greatest contributions to humanity from China is the teaching of Confucius.  In reality this teaching is really more of a philosophy than a religion, but it is sometimes lumped together with Daoism and Buddhism.  The teachings of Confucius stress the importance of ethical behavior if society is to function properly.  The man Confucius died in 479 BCE at the age of seventy three.  It is amazing that his philosophy has lived on after him for so long in such a powerful manner.  It is fair to say that he himself probably did not envision his influence being so profound.  China, and most of East Asia, have honored his legacy for the past two thousand years.

To understand the meaning of being Chinese it is perhaps foundational that one know something about this great leader and thinker.  In many ways the teachings of Confucius are just as practical and needed today as they were in the time when this man lived.  The Japanese also have learned much from the teachings of Confucius throughout history.  So the ideas which Confucius so convincingly set down are for any one to benefit from.  The Chinese person can begin to appreciate their own heritage best if they begin with Confucius!

Best regards from the East,

Harlan Urwiler

For more information, please feel free to visit my website at:  http://www.myorientalgallery.com/.

Japanese Anime Considered

There are many people who love animation films.  For those individuals who have not seen Japanese animation films, they are in for a different kind of experience.  Japanese animation is very different indeed from American animation.  To start with, Japanese animation distinguishes itself from traditional animation in terms of storylines and visual drawings.  Often these kinds of films are adapted from Manga (or 'comics').  The characters in them are not conventional heros and protagonists.  These characters come from a variety of backgrounds.

Most people new to Japanese anime will always notice that many of characters are drawn with very large eyes.  It is beyond what would be considered realistic on purpose.  Another common trait of these films is that the animators love to draw robots or "mecha robots" in the storylines.  Such animation films frequently question the roles played by science and technology in human society.  The subject of the consequences of over-dependence on technology are usually addressed in the storylines.

In any case, Japanese animation is a delightful film experience.  If any adjustment is needed in how to perceive them, it is certainly not something burdensome to overcome.  The enjoyment of the films will quickly make one forget any trivial considerations of perception.  The creative genius of anime from Japan is worth your entertainment time!

Best regards from the East,

Harlan Urwiler

For more information, feel free to visity my website at:  http://www.myorientalgallery.com/.

Japanese Film "Picture Bride"

Author Amy Tan called the Japanese film by Kayo Hatta "devastatingly beautiful."  The film itself is an epic story in which the natural and supernatural elements of the world blend together in way that could be called "sensual."  In fact, the film is based loosely upon true stories.  The story is about the picture brides of Hawaii a little after the turn of the 20th century.  In this film a young Japanese girl leaves home in 1918 for a man she had never met before who lives in a new world.  It was a place she could not imagine.  It happened to be America!

When she arrives in the tropical island paradise of Hawaii, the young girl has only a picture of her husband in hand.  She has already left behind all that she really knows for an arranged marriage with the man she has known only through this photograph and his letters.  So her arrival proves to be filled with unexpected discovery, hardship, and also joy.  The film features Youki Kudoh, Tamlyn Tomita, Toshiro Mifune.  "Picture Bride" won the Audience Award for Best Dramatic Film at the Sundance Film Festival.  The film is very moving.  It gives one aspect of what it means to be Japanese-American in a way that people every where can understand.... and personally appreciate!

Best regards from the East,

Harlan Urwiler

For more information, feel free to visit my website at:  http://www.myorientalgallery.com/.

The Extreme Nature of the Japanese

Japan is a culture with deep traditions.  Some of the ideas which make Japan what it is are enshrined in a famous novel entitled "The Tale of Genji" by Lady Murasaki which dates from the 11th century.  Subsequently, this work has been frequently illustrated to show the ideas which it presents in a most beautiful form.  The actual language of the text is quite beautiful.  However, the novel also demonstrates a fascinating light upon the attitudes of the court nobels during the era when they were the ruler councillors of the Empire.  To understand the culture correctly is to know the refined and captivating beauty which is so characteristic of Japan.

In this classic work the reader sees such people in their casual moments.  Often they were at play and not at work.  It is most obvious that nobel men moved far from the position of warriors who were their ancestors.  Instead, they live in a society with elaborate rules of etiquette and very refined tastes.  Indeed, they sometimes carry their refinement the point of extreme.  The ability to write sophisticated text in the 11th century was a tremendous social hallmark.  So Lady Murasaki truly mirrored her own times.  It would appear that the primary civilization of China had more of an interest in restraint and avoidance of extremes.  This was never exactly shared by the derived civilization of Japan.  In any case, such a classic text is worthy thoughtful consideration today.  It gives the reader an important look inside the Japanese culture of the past.

Best regards from the East,

Harlan Urwiler

For more information, feel free to visit my website at:  http://www.myorientalgallery.com/.

The Greatest Fear of China

What is the government of China most fearful of?  The most probable fear of the Chinese Communist Party is "social disorder."  This means that the government of China does not want to see a repeat of the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations.  The events which took place witnessed the deaths of many student protestors.  Granted, the tenth and fifteenth anniversaries of the Tiananmen demonstrations saw no great incidents of disorder.  Even so, the government still has not forgotten the dreadful nature of what took place several decades ago.  Of course, this memory is for a good reason.

In addition, the spiritual hollowness of contemporary life in modern China has produced massive interest in the cult of "Falun Gong."  This has taken place after decades of Marxist indoctrination were overturned in favor of mass consumerism.  In fact, the Chinese communist party remains very fearful of any mass religious movement.  The remembrance of of the devestating effects of such rebellions as the Taiping in the 19th century has not been lost either.

Such fears give the rest of the world a keen insight into many of the CCP current policies which direct business affairs and relations with the West in the People's Republic of China.  One must consider the history of modern day China to understand properly many aspects of contemporary life.  China is a unique civilization with a singular history which still exists in a state of flux.

Best regards from the East,

Harlan Urwiler

For more information, feel free to visit my website at:  http://www.myorientalgallery.com/.   

Review of Chinese Red Lantern Film

The film "Raise the Red Lantern" is a story of beauty and terror.  It was originally banned in China because of its somber, even dark, depiction of Chinese society.  The film is directed by Zhang Yimou with actress Gong Li starring in the lead role.  This film was also nominated for an Oscar because it captivates the viewer from the start.  Raise the Red Lantern is film with a powerful and tragic story to tell which effectively disturbs the viewer on a personal level.  Regardless of the effect, it remains a must-see for anyone interested in the plight of women in old Chinese society.

In the 1920's women living in China had few choices to suit them very well.  Therefore, after her father dies the lead character Songlian is faced with a difficult decision.  She is a beautiful nineteen year old college student at the time of her father's untimely death.  However, she agrees to enter into a marriage to a wealthy man of high society.  As it turns out, she is to be wife #4 at a large and luxurious estate.  At this estate an ancient family custom of raising the red lantern outside the house of the wife the master desires to spend the night with is strictly observed.  At first, it appears that there is harmony between the wives.  However, with nothing to do but compete for the attention of the master Songlian soon learns that she is to be drawn into a dangerous game of petty rivalry.  In the end, the game escalates into a treacherous outcome resulting in an incredible tragedy.

Yes, the film is a sobering event to watch.  It causes one to think about the meaning of the past in the old society of China.  Perhaps there is a sense of deep futility which accompanies consideration of such a story.  Even though the film is a work of fiction based upon historical facts, the truth of the unfair treatment of women not so long ago still stirs our deepest emotions.  Watch with an open mind!

Best regards from the East,

Harlan Urwiler

For more information, feel free to visit my website at:  http://www.myorientalgallery.com/.

China's History Books

China's historical legacy is very huge.  As early as the time of the phisopher Confucius (551-479 BCE) people were already looking back to ancient tradition.  It is true that Confucius changed China in ways that he (as a person) would never know or be aware of.  However, Confucius never thought of himself as such an innovator.  Four hundred years later, Sima Qian (145-86 BCE) compiled his work "Records of the Historian."  This book tells Chinese history from the Three August Emperors of mythological times to the high point of the Han dynasty.  This very work was but the first in a series of dynastic histories that traced China's unique story up to the time of the modern age.

In fact, China's greatest historian have been able to draw upon extensive written tradition to do their work.  The scholars of China have always been attracted to the task of rewriting the existing historical texts.  This is because of the desire to see afresh the same history from a contemporary viewpoint.  So, for better or worse, the history books of China are the necessary starting point for that people today need to know about China's long history of antiquity. 

Best regards from the East,

Harlan Urwiler

For more information, feel free to visit my website at:  http://www.myorientalgallery.com/.

China's Tea Contests

The tea contest is a tradition very well established in China.  Tea contests continue to the present day, but their roots are firmly planted in the soil of the past.  The preparation of tea, and tea drinking itself, became quite sophisticated at the Chinese court circle and also among other people during social gatherings.  In fact, tea making contests came into popularity in the Song dynasty.  During the contest, connoisseurs and judges would sample taste and grad the quality of the tea.  They would also, more importantly, appreciate the physical appearance of the tea in the actual tea bowl.  This was always the result of careful preparation.

The preparation of tea requires great skill in order to accomplish.  First, the tea cake is heated.  Then it is ground to a fine powder.  The finely ground tea powder is put in a tea bowl after it is correctly pre-warmed.  The right amount of boiling water at the necessary temperature is poured into the bowl.  Then this is followed by a complete whipping in even circular motions.  If done correctly, the tea will form a silvery white foam on the surface.  The foam clings to the walls of the bowl without showing the presence of water along the wall.  This has been called "biting the bowl" in Chinese.  If this does not happen, the contestant will very likely lose the contest.  Therefore, precision and careful attention are required to be victorious.

Best regards from the East,

Harlan Urwiler

For more information, feel free to visit my website at:  http://www.myorientalgallery.com/.

The Great Wall of China

One of the most fascinating structures built by human hands is the Great Wall of China.  Its history is an intricate part of China itself.  The First Emperor of Qin ordered the building of this incredible wall along the empire's northern frontier.  The idea was to protect China against incursions from Xiongnu, a powerful non-Chinese confederacy.  This confederacy had mastered the war horse which had enabled them to dominate the steppe land of northeast and central Asia for several centuries.  They had successfully contested power with China for the same length of time.

Therefore the commander-in-chief of the Qin army, Meng Tian, deployed a force of 300,000 soldiers and also conscript laborers to build the Great Wall.  The wall became known as "wanli changcheng" or The Wall of Ten Thousand Li.  It was originally constructed of stamped earth with watchtowers and barracks along its mighty length.  One must imagine the time and hard work by ancient people which was required to built such an enormous structure as this one!  Sadly, many common workers died in the construction and maintenance of the Great Wall.

Later dynasties rebuilt the the walls along the northern frontier, often on top of old walls and sometimes in completely different locations.  By the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) the Great Wall had entered into the national consciousness of China.  In the popular mind it became the dividing wall between China and the outside world.  The wall has survived today, but it is not as long as it once was.  It has been completely re-constructed in several locations.  One noteworthy location is the hills at Badaling north of Beijing.  If you ever get to China even once in your life, it is absolutely important that you visit the famous Great Wall!

Best regards from the East,

Harlan Urwiler

For more information, feel free to visit my website at:  http://www.myorientalgallery.com/.