Is the China we know the real China?
- A new perspective that transcends misunderstandings and prejudices and allows us to see China and the Chinese people correctly.

Understanding China Correctly with Kim Young-soo, a Humanist with 40 Years of Experience

These days, there isn't a single day that goes by where we don't use Chinese products.
Our country and China have enjoyed a deep historical, cultural, and economic relationship for thousands of years, and even today, as North and South Korea confront each other, China exerts significant political influence.
Geopolitically and economically, we and China are inseparable.
But how much do we really know about China? Aren't we mired in misunderstandings and prejudices, along with the current trend of "anti-China" sentiment, and deluded into believing we don't need to know anything about China?


In a rapidly changing international situation, shouldn't we properly understand China's existence if we are to use it as a lever for our own development?
However, surprisingly few books exist that comprehensively introduce various fields related to China and analyze its inside and out to reveal its true nature.
This book, "Great China, Stingy Chinese," is the result of Kim Young-soo, a humanities scholar with 40 years of experience studying Chinese classics and visiting China on foot more than 150 times, to find multi-layered clues about China and the Chinese people.
In doing so, it vividly presents the diverse history of China, which has continued for over 5,000 years, its current state, and the background of the Chinese people's psychology.

If we look at the history of Korea and China, there was a time when both countries enjoyed their golden age almost simultaneously.
It was a period of about 150 years, starting around the 8th century and ending in the mid-9th century.
We were after Silla unified the three kingdoms in 676, and China was under the Tang Dynasty.
The biggest commonality between the two countries during this golden age was that there was no war between them, and there was almost no war within each country.
In short, the most important prerequisite for the two countries to develop together is the absence of serious conflicts, including war.
--- p.14

When the THAAD issue was raised and China's various retaliations were taking place in all directions, one of the questions I received most frequently from businesspeople was why such a "big country" was "retaliating" so "pettily."
My answer to that question was very simple.

“That’s how it is!”
--- p.22

The land is vast, and the products that exist or grow on it are countless.
From the biggest to the smallest, from the most to the least, there is everything.
The same goes for the remaining ruins and relics.
They range from bronze artifacts weighing nearly a ton and dating back thousands of years to letters engraved on rice grains or hair.
This is expressed in another way as ‘Bakdaejeongsim (博大精深)’.
It means 'broad, large, sophisticated, and profound.'
--- p.35

When asked to name the cultural relics that symbolize Xi'an, a 3,000-year-old ancient capital city visited by people from all over the world, many people would name the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor and the Terracotta Army.
Local people shorten the name of Terracotta Army by one character to 'Terrain Horse', and shorten the name of Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum by one or two characters to 'Shi Huang Mausoleum' or 'Huang Mausoleum'.
On the other hand, some Koreans who have visited Xi'an mistake the Terracotta Army for the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, the tomb of Qin Shi Huang.
--- p.56

Sima Qian recorded the history of the Yin Dynasty in the third volume of the Records of the Grand Historian, “Yin Benji (殷本記),” but most scholars did not believe it to be true until the early 20th century.
That is, the reality of the award was not acknowledged.
Meanwhile, as oracle bones and the characters engraved on them began to circulate, Yin Ruins came into the spotlight as their source, and starting in 1928, they were officially excavated and their true nature was revealed.
--- p.79

What surprised people the most during the excavations of Yin Ruins was the tomb of a wealthy man.
This tomb was excavated without being robbed, and while the sheer quantity of grave goods was impressive, there was something even more surprising.
The surprising thing about the appearance of the symbol seen through the treasures is that it was a female warrior.
Records such as oracle bone inscriptions also state that Buho was a warrior of both wisdom and courage, leading 3,000 elite soldiers and 10,000 warriors to conquer various regions and subjugate around 20 small countries.
--- p.81

There is a Chinese proverb that says, “A gentleman’s revenge is not too late, even if it takes ten years.”
There is also a slightly creepy proverb that says, “Repay kindness and enmity even if it takes generations to repay.”
The themes of Chinese films and dramas, especially historical dramas and martial arts films, are mostly filled with betrayal, resentment, grace, and revenge.
This is evidence that the concept of favor and enmity, the concept of yinyuan, is deeply rooted in the Chinese people's mentality.
'Eunwon-gwan' is a cultural phenomenon that is engraved in the DNA of the Chinese, just as it is for Koreans and people of other countries.
--- p.117

Chinese idioms, which are characterized by metaphors, analogies, and symbols instead of direct speech, are deeply ingrained in the language habits of the Chinese people.
To properly understand this, we must read the historical background of the words and writings and the cultural characteristics latent therein.
Even though it may be cumbersome and difficult, if you learn it properly, you can achieve great results in your relationships with Chinese people.
This is because the Chinese have a language habit of quoting poems and classical passages, including idioms.
--- p.138~139

When it comes to Chinese alcohol, eight out of ten people will choose 'Maotai'.
Maotai is a famous liquor that has even earned the honor of being called the "national liquor," and its reputation has been passed down since the 16th century.
Maotai is named after a small village called Maotai Village in Guizhou Province.
This rural village produces this exquisite liquor by combining water, climate, and a unique yeast, which contains dozens of minerals.
It is said that in different regions, the same ingredients were brewed in the same way, but the same taste was not achieved.
--- p.199

China has almost no secondary culture.
Although it has changed somewhat recently, in Chinese drinking culture, there is basically no second round.
End conversation and business at the dinner table.
The reason why a meal usually lasts two hours, or sometimes more than three hours, is because there is no secondary culture.
Therefore, insisting on a second round is both drunkenness and rudeness.
--- p.201

When dealing with or doing business with Chinese people, I would advise you to 'say only half' and 'sing only one verse'.
Chinese people have a habit of not revealing everything about themselves or their thoughts.
Because of this, you may feel a bit frustrated and impatient at times, but you must know how to be patient and wait.
No boasting.
Boasting at a drinking party is even more taboo.
Chinese people enjoy drinking as much as anyone else, but they rarely get drunk.
Even at a drinking party, I am used to observing others and figuring out their intentions.
--- p.216

Approach it with history and culture.
Most failures in business in China are due to a failed localization strategy.
In other words, even with a good location and good goods, he could not win the hearts of the Chinese people.
Only by knowing the culture and history can one properly understand the temperament and character of the Chinese people, as well as the regional sentiments and customs.
It is an essential element of localization strategy.
--- p.280~281

It has become a common practice for Chinese political leaders to indirectly convey their political views and positions by using historical and classical quotes and the sayings of famous figures.
If you do not properly understand the true intention or metaphor behind the lines, you may face difficulties in conversations or negotiations.
--- p.292

China has completed three of the largest and best projects in world history.
One is the Great Wall of China, which stretches for a whopping 5,000 kilometers, and the other is the Grand Canal, which connects the north and south, which stretches for approximately 1,800 kilometers.
The Great Wall we see today is the result of a truly grand undertaking that continued to expand for over two thousand years, from the Spring and Autumn Period to the Ming Dynasty.
The Grand Canal is a massive waterway that began around the 6th century BC and took approximately 1,700 years to complete by the 13th century.
--- p.305

For Korea-China relations to change in that way, understanding must be a prerequisite.
You have to know to understand.
You need to know that too.
To know, you must study.
Another thing I realized while reading related books is that the commonality among those who promote anti-China sentiment is that they do not even try to understand China, let alone learn about it.
Even if you try to learn, you only focus on one-sided studies.
What's more serious is that they are so mired in confirmation bias that they don't even try to think about the other side.
The problem is that these are the forces that lead public opinion.

--- p.310~311