Singapore and China Teen Culture

Singapore's Teen Culture

Yu Zhen : These are some of the things that actually represent singapore teens' culture. For example,  Instagram, whatsapp and facebook are apps that are often used by teenagers in Singapore. 

Vesy: Currently, kpop has been very popular amongst most of the teenagers in Singapore. Examples of the kpop groups are Girls Generation and EXO etc. 

Gwen: Most Singaporean teens spend a lot of their time on the internet, listening to pop music, chatting with friends on whatsapp and social media. These are the most common pastimes among us.

China's Teen Culture

Nigel :These are some of the things that represent China Teenagers. For example, QQ, weibo and wechat are some apps that are often used by teenagers in China. 

Currently, TaoBao has been very popular amongst most of the teenagers in China. 

Winnie : Most China teens spend a lot of their time on the streets with their friends, eating bingtanghulu and listening to Chinese pop, chatting with friends on wechat and finding new ones on QQ. These are the most common pastimes among china greenteens.

Family structure

Family structure in China 

China has changed significantly over the last few years , including changes in family structure . A traditional Chinese family usually consists of at least two generations of people including men and women and children , and there is a general phenomenon of three generations , four generations and even five generations living under the same roof . A large family is often held at a great price .,

However, along with social progress and breakthrough change , the size and structure of the traditional Chinese family has changed . Small size , simple structure and pattern varies family has become the most important feature of a modern Chinese family . Since the introduction of the reform and opening – up policy , to adapt to changes in the way of social production and lifestyle , traditional family structures are complicated and large size gradually turned into a family of simple structure and small size . Guo , a resident in Beijing , Tianshuiyuan , said . ” When I was young , I had a family of 12 members , including my parents , my grandparents , and eight brothers and sisters , I was the youngest in my family now . I have a family of three with one child . ” Currently , more and more adults are moving , especially their elderly parents . Many young couples are now living with their parents for a family tradition , but because they can not afford to buy or rent an apartment home. 

One child policy 

The one-child policy, officially the family planning policy, is the population control policy of the People's Republic of China. Many demographers consider the term "one-child" policy a misnomer, as the policy allows many exceptions: rural families can have a second child if the first child is a girl or is disabled, and ethnic minorities are exempt. Families in which neither parent has siblings are also allowed to have two children. Residents of the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, and foreigners living in China are also exempt from the policy. In 2007, approximately 35.9% of China's population was subject to a one-child restriction.In November 2013, the Chinese government announced that it would further relax the policy by allowing families to have two children if one of the parents is an only child.

This policy was introduced in 1979 to alleviate social, economic, and environmental problems in China. Demographers estimate that the policy averted 200 million births between 1979 and 2009.The policy is controversial both within and outside China because of the manner in which the policy has been implemented, and because of concerns about negative social consequences.The policy has been implicated in an increase in forced abortions,female infanticide, and  under reporting of  female births, and has been suggested as a possible cause behind China's sex imbalance. Nonetheless, a 2008 survey undertaken by the Pew Research Center reported that 76% of the Chinese population supports the policy.

The policy is enforced at the provincial level through fines that are imposed based on the income of the family and other factors. "Population and Family Planning Commissions" (计划生育委员会) exist at every level of government to raise awareness and carry out registration and inspection work.

Terracotta

The Terracotta Army or the "Terracotta Warriors and Horses", is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BC and whose purpose was to protect the emperor in his afterlife.

The figures, dating from around the late third century BC, were discovered in 1974 by local farmers in Lintong District, Xi'an, Shaanxi province. The figures vary in height according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots and horses. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits near by Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum. Other terracotta non-military figures were also found in other pits and they include officials, acrobats, strongmen and musicians.

Recent digs have revealed that in addition to the clay soldiers, Qin Shi Huangdi's underground realm, presumably a facsimile of the court that surrounded him during his lifetime, is also populated by delightfully realistic waterfowl, crafted from bronze and serenaded by terra cotta musicians. The emperor's clay retinue includes terra cotta officials and even troupes of acrobats, slightly smaller than the soldiers but created with the same methods. "We find the underground pits are an imitation of the real organization in the Qin dynasty," says Duan Qingbo, head of the excavation team at the Shaanxi Provincial Research Institute for Archaeology. "People thought when the emperor died, he took just a lot of pottery army soldiers with him. Now they realize he took a whole political system with him."

This shows that Qin Shi Huang and the Chinese believed strongly in afterlife and Qin Shi Huang cared a lot about himself, as he brought a whole army system with him even after his death. This was all possible because Qin Shi Huang had much power and respect in china, as he contributed a lot to china. Given the size of the Terracotta Army, we can see how powerful China is and how important their emperor was.

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_Army

Gwen Su (18)

2E

Terracotta Army

Terracotta Army

         

http://www.chinatourguide.com/xian/terracotta_warriors_details.html

 The Terracotta Army is a part of a massive burial tomb built for Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. There are over 8,000 life size statues of soldiers buried along with the emperor. The reason why this tomb was built was due to the fact that Emperor Qin wanted to live forever. He also spent a huge amount of resources building for himself the largest single tomb built to a leader in the history of the world. He felt this huge army would protect him and help him to keep his power in the afterlife. The soldiers of the Terracotta Army are life-size statues. All of them have different facial features! That means none of them looks alike. They also have different ranks and facial expressions such as calm or angry. The soldiers were even designed with different clothing and armor. Men from the cavalry are dressed different than foot soldiers. Some soldiers don't have armor. Perhaps they were supposed to be scouts or spies. 

In my opinion, Emperor Qin was able to "think big" as he knew he should build his tomb early and due to his selfishness, he wants hundreds or soldiers to accompany him even at death. It took years to build the tomb and the laborers were put to death to keep it a secret. However, he was too cruel to force the laborers to follow him to death. I guess Emperor Qin was too afraid of death and wanted to rule forever. The Terracotta Army was much of importance to China as it was a great attraction to be built. To me, it was so unbelievable to be able to build such a huge tomb. I can learn that Chinese believes in afterlife a lot and wants to have a good life even after death. The history has made a huge impact on Chinese even till today.

-Teo Lian Wei Vesy (20) 2E

Beijing National Stadium

Beijing National Stadium

http://beijingbirdsnest.wordpress.com/architecture/architechural-influence/

http://flavorwire.com/167567/over-36-hours-later-chinese-artist-ai-weiwei-still-missing/

Beijing national stadium, which is also known as "The Bird's Nest" is one of the most famous sports buildings in the world .It is located at the Olympic Green, in the heart of Beijing.The design was awarded to a submission from the Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron in April 2003 after a bidding process that included 13 final submissions. The design, which originated from the study of Chinese ceramics, implemented steel beams in order to hide supports for the retractable roof; giving the stadium the appearance of a bird's nest. Leading Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was the artistic consultant on the project. The retractable roof was later removed from the design after inspiring the stadium's most recognizable aspect. The stadium is located in the Olympic Green and one of the main ideas behind the design was to create an icon for China and the city of Beijing. The shape was chosen so that it would express something related to the Chinese traditions and culture, thus tourists can understand more about these values; its circular form represents Heaven while the adjacent square resembles the Chinese symbol for Earth. In fact, the stadium grew to symbolize the entire city during the Summer Olympics of 2008, and it has remained a highly popular tourist attraction even after the Games, receiving thousands of visitors from abroad and across China every year. However, even though this stadium was a very famous tourist attraction, the flow of visitors gradually decreased.At the beginning the stadium was designed to accommodate 80,000 spectators. Then the capacity was increased to 91,000 seatsout of which 11,000 were temporary placed on the terrace of the top floor in front of the restaurants. To build the stadium, it took 17,000 workers and 44,000 tons of steel for the structure that rises six floors above the ground. Because of Beijing’s geological characteristics, the stadium was also conceived to withstand major earthquakes and has become structurally even more secure since it was decided not to proceed with a roof because of its cost. 

"Our goal was to create an architectural building that could be utilized after the 2008 Olympics," said the Herzog & De Meuron architect. To further celebrate the work a film was produced that narrates all the stages of the stadium construction. I find that China is taking this project seriously, despite the fact that the cost to build this stadium was indeed very high. 

Feelings 

The unique design of the stadium makes this stadium stand out as a genuine and true structure that takes its inspiration from traditional sources such as Chinese traditions and cultures, which turns this concept into a proper, 21st century building that combines contemporary architecture and technology with local beliefs and ideas. 

I find this design very interesting and special because this stadium is actually an icon for China and the city of Beijing, and the shape was chosen to express things related to Chinese values and cultures, thus I find this very unique and we can learn a lot from this just by looking at the shape and structure of this stadium. Also, the stadium was built to withstand an earthquake measuring up to 8 on the Richter scale. In addition, the building is protected from storms by absorbers. The building's plaited construction enables effective ventilation and allows rays of the sun to reach the stadium's grass playing surface. I find that the Chinese government is doing their best to protect not just the building , but also to protect us. I feel that China is being very careful and thoughtful as they even thought of this problem and at least tried ways it solve the problems and improve the building structure. From a distance this building looks like a colossal ship, but also like an immense nest and in which our minds can imagine China as a large bird that has just taken flight, gaining freedom perhaps. 

-Yeo Yu Zhen (23) 2E

Advantages and disadvantages of One party Rule.

Advantages

-no conflict with other parties

-run the country smoothly with its policies

-steer the nation in one direction.

Disadvantages

-lack of voice from opposing parties,lack of balance in laws

Singapore

PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong thinks there is simply insufficient talent to form two good political parties.

But it is more than just that. Let us compare a country which has a plural party system against one with a single party, like India and China.

Both countries have huge populations and a largely homogenous culture. And although the two nations are growing well economically, it is evident that China is performing better.

I think this can be attributed to China's one-party state (albeit a communist one).

Having a single party allows the leaders to steer the country in one direction.

On the other hand, a two-party or multi-party system forces each party to serve party interests, sometimes at the expense of the country's progress.

For instance, developing infrastructure may benefit the nation but a good plan may be stymied by the opposition along party lines.

Often enough, a country traverses laterally economically and languishes, such as the United States where progress has been stagnant for the past decade because one political party is trying to outdo the other.

The economies of Asian tigers Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore have been thriving despite the lack of natural resources.

But what sets Singapore apart is that it has emerged relatively unscathed from the latest financial crisis.

I believe it is because our single-party government steered the country in one direction.

Bigger nations with a two-party or multi-party system can afford to falter and recover. For a small country like Singapore, there is no room for second chances.

-Gwen Su

Advantages and Disadvantages of One Party Rule

Advantages

1) Formulate a long-term plan for national development

2)Ensure stabilization of its policies without being affected by the alternation of parties with different positions and ideologies.

Disadvantages

1) Freedom can be restricted or limited. 

2) This form of government leads to communism. 

3) Not all voices are heard or represented in a one party system. 

4) The existence of separate parties runs counter to national unity

Singapore

Singaporean politics have been dominated by the People's Action Party (PAP) since the 1959 general election when Lee Kuan Yew became Singapore's first prime minister. The PAP has been in government and won every General Election since then. Singapore left the Commonwealth in 1963 to join the Federation of Malaysia, but was expelled from the Federation in 1965 after Lee Kuan Yew disagreed with the federal government in Kuala Lumpur. Foreign political analysts and several opposition parties including the Workers' Party of Singapore and the Singapore Democratic Party have argued that Singapore is a de facto one-party state.

-Teo Lian Wei Vesy (20) 2E

Advantages and disadvantages of One Party Rule

Advantages of one party rule 

-more unity in government

-things can be done faster as there is no competition of interests

-More efficient, effective reaction to emerging challenges and problems 

-less corruption

-more responsible 

Disadvantages

-no democracy

-lack of representation, no one to counter argue decisions made 

-not all voices are heard and represented 

-less variety of ideas 

Situation in Singapore

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong thinks there is simply insufficient talent to form two good political parties ("2-party system not workable here")

But it is more than just that. Let's compare a country which has a plural party system against one with a single party, like India and China.

Both countries have huge populations and a largely homogenous culture. And although the two nations are growing well economically, it is evident that China is performing better.

I think this can be attributed to China's one-party state 

The advantage of having a single party allows the leaders to steer the country in one direction.

On the other hand, a two-party or multi-party system forces each party to serve party interests, sometimes at the expense of the country's progress.

For instance, developing infrastructure may benefit the nation but a good plan may be stymied by the opposition along party lines.

Often enough, a country traverses laterally economically and languishes, such as the United States where progress has been stagnant for the past decade because one political party is trying to outdo the other.

Bigger nations with a two-party or multi-party system can afford to falter and recover. For a small country like Singapore, I don't think there is any room for second chances. 

Yeo Yu Zhen (23) 2E