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Friday, 2 October 2009
Why 60 is so important
The number “60” holds a unique significance in Chinese society, which explains the military fanfare and civilian pomp to be displayed at today’s celebration in Beijing.
The number “60” holds a unique significance in Chinese society, which explains the military fanfare and civilian pomp to be displayed at today’s celebration in Beijing.
In the ancient Chinese calendar of “heavenly stems” and “earthly branches”, a span of 60 years is known as jiazi. There are 10 heavenly stems and 12 earthly branches, and a count of 60 completes one cycle of both elements, and marks the beginning of a new one.
Formulated in the ninth century BC, fung shui masters and fortune tellers still consult this system today, as do young couples looking to see if they are a match made in heaven. It is customary to throw a lavish banquet for a family elder’s 60th birthday, more so than for the 50th, and the country must do likewise.
If one attentively follows the pattern of nature, as Taoists teach, there are some interesting 60-year cycles in recent Chinese history.
The Qing dynasty started losing steam after the death of Emperor Qianlong in 1799; the country was held at gunpoint in the second Opium war in 1859; the May 4th Movement in 1919 kick-started China’s new culture movement that saw the seeding of Western ideas, including Marxism; and the country finally rejoined the international stage in 1979 with the opening up and reform.
Marking this important anniversary with a display of military might is a way of demonstrating the strength of China - and its leaders. “A military parade is a reflection of the overall might of a country, its economy and its political strength,” said Hong Kong-based China expert Johnny Lau Yui-siu.
“The grandeur and solemnity of the military parade will also be associated with the nation’s leaders.”
Every leader in modern Chinese history inspected at least one military parade from the Tiananmen watchtower - Mao Zedong for the first 11 parades from 1949-59, Deng Xiaoping in 1984, and Jiang Zemin in 1999.
The fact that Hu Jintao, president of the nation and secretary general of the Communist Party, would be receiving the army instead of Premier Wen Jiabao, head of government, once again reaffirms the party-army bond and Hu’s authority, Lau said.
It does not take a fung shui master to know that the next 30 years will be crucial in China’s development.
International experience shows that countries with gross domestic product per capita income reaching US$3,000 will begin to see a growth in civil society and political demands.
“The next 30 years will be critical to China’s continued success. It will be when the development emphasis must switch from quantity to quality,” Lau said. “The government must let go of more power, and the people must learn to abide by the law.”
On a lighter note, Lau was also amused that flipping the number “60” upside down produces “09”.
1 comment:
Why 60 is so important
Ng Tze-wei
01 October 2009
The number “60” holds a unique significance in Chinese society, which explains the military fanfare and civilian pomp to be displayed at today’s celebration in Beijing.
In the ancient Chinese calendar of “heavenly stems” and “earthly branches”, a span of 60 years is known as jiazi. There are 10 heavenly stems and 12 earthly branches, and a count of 60 completes one cycle of both elements, and marks the beginning of a new one.
Formulated in the ninth century BC, fung shui masters and fortune tellers still consult this system today, as do young couples looking to see if they are a match made in heaven. It is customary to throw a lavish banquet for a family elder’s 60th birthday, more so than for the 50th, and the country must do likewise.
If one attentively follows the pattern of nature, as Taoists teach, there are some interesting 60-year cycles in recent Chinese history.
The Qing dynasty started losing steam after the death of Emperor Qianlong in 1799; the country was held at gunpoint in the second Opium war in 1859; the May 4th Movement in 1919 kick-started China’s new culture movement that saw the seeding of Western ideas, including Marxism; and the country finally rejoined the international stage in 1979 with the opening up and reform.
Marking this important anniversary with a display of military might is a way of demonstrating the strength of China - and its leaders. “A military parade is a reflection of the overall might of a country, its economy and its political strength,” said Hong Kong-based China expert Johnny Lau Yui-siu.
“The grandeur and solemnity of the military parade will also be associated with the nation’s leaders.”
Every leader in modern Chinese history inspected at least one military parade from the Tiananmen watchtower - Mao Zedong for the first 11 parades from 1949-59, Deng Xiaoping in 1984, and Jiang Zemin in 1999.
The fact that Hu Jintao, president of the nation and secretary general of the Communist Party, would be receiving the army instead of Premier Wen Jiabao, head of government, once again reaffirms the party-army bond and Hu’s authority, Lau said.
It does not take a fung shui master to know that the next 30 years will be crucial in China’s development.
International experience shows that countries with gross domestic product per capita income reaching US$3,000 will begin to see a growth in civil society and political demands.
“The next 30 years will be critical to China’s continued success. It will be when the development emphasis must switch from quantity to quality,” Lau said. “The government must let go of more power, and the people must learn to abide by the law.”
On a lighter note, Lau was also amused that flipping the number “60” upside down produces “09”.
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