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Reflecting on ‘Shanzhai’ Complex in China's grassroots culture

By Li Hongmei (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-01-07 16:54

In the year just gone by, ‘shanzhai’ seemed to go far beyond a cyber term, or a popular contemporary Chinese Internet slang, but more special as listed amongst the hot words in 2008. ‘Shanzhai,’ if literally translated, means ‘mountain village’ and it has been making headlines everywhere in China. Before revealing its meaning, we must first figure out what is special about the term and why it is so firmly clinging to China’s ongoing grassroots culture. A recent survey about ‘shanzhai’ culture was conducted by China Central Television (CCTV) indicating that 50 percent of the netizens support for it. The result sparked a heated debate.

When giving it more than a passing thought, we had better trace back to the origin of ‘shanzhai’ to make a close study of its evolution. ‘Shanzhai’ comes from Cantonese, roughly meaning ‘small- scale’ or even ‘underground.’ That being the case, the main features of ‘shanzhai’ production are duplicative, speedy and vulgar.

Today, almost everything on the Web has a ‘shanzhai’ version: shanzhai stars, shanzhai ‘007’ movies, shanzhai CCTV news, shanzhai Bird’s Nest, and even shanzhai ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’ (a famous classical Chinese novel). With the flourishing ‘shanzhai’ culture on the Web, a phenomenon of Internet spoof is coming unstoppably into being. The famous Internet spoof of the grandiose Chinese movie --The Promise--, called ‘The Murder Caused by a Bun’ has ever inspired multiple sequels in the past few months.

‘Shanzhai’ is seemingly speaking for itself in the way that it has already formed a culture that bears the imprint of grassroots innovation and the wisdom of the common people. I will not focus on copyright or IPR in this writing, as the ordinary Chinese clearly do not see many products of ‘shanzhai’ culture as problematic or mistaken, instead, they celebrate them and warmly embrace them. I will not argue for now with some Western commentators who deemed the popularity of ‘shanzhai’ complex in Chinese culture is the evidence that the Chinese are hopelessly unoriginal, and incapable of any real innovation.   

In modern times, actually, the progressive French intellectuals launched a cultural enlightenment campaign directed to subvert conventions and the mainstream culture, which was then defined by the upper class in Paris as highbrow culture, but rebuffed by the critics as ‘high and dry’ and beyond the reach of masses. Pioneers leading the enlightenment campaign therefore poured scorns, taunts and jibes upon the traditional culture by creating parodies and artistic forms with sarcasm. The undercurrents beneath the cultural enlightenment were, as a matter of fact, the free flow of a mass culture, which may be absent of refinement and elegance. But it proved dear to the lower levels of society.

That also explains why the Chinese grassroots are so sentimentally attached to ‘Shanzhai’ Complex, just in pursuit of a free emotional outlet for the pent-up creativity and wisdom at the grassroots level. Considering a good many ‘shanzhai’ versions are produced without approval from authorities, they tend to be accused of fake, piracy or even thievery. Even if there is a popular belief that since the products under the title ‘shanzhai’ are never as good as genuine versions, they won’t exist too long, ‘shanzhai’ culture breaks the social chain and offers enjoyment directly to ordinary people.

‘Shanzhai’ culture, in a sense, is rebellious against authorities, as it invariably takes the form in a deliberate departure from social conventions. Some even regard ‘shanzhai’ spirit a killer or destroyer to the well-accepted traditional culture. But mass culture at the grassroots level is by no means tantamount to ‘mob culture,’ which is built on smashing old civilizations and the massive destruction of traditional culture. Grassroots culture, instead, is building its popularity on the basic formula of the fine traditions and aesthetics while discarding what is unworthy of existence. ‘Shanzhai’ spirit, in essence, is more constructive than destructive when it finds its way in China’s grassroots culture. And currently it has even attracted mainstream attention.