Every nation carefully balances what’s permitted and what’s not. French cheese is forbidden in the US, murdering a swan is unlawful in the UK, Turkey prevents women from wearing headscarves in public, and mullets are illegal in Iran. China is similar to other countries, despite its unique position. In recent years, China’s smuggling methods and products have decreased, signaling a new era. Facebook, Youtube, and other famous sites have been prohibited in China for years, but the things below may surprise you.
Understanding the Banned Things In China
Mahjongg
In 1949, when the People’s Republic of China was created, mahjong and other kinds of gambling were forbidden. Mahjong wasn’t accepted back to China until 1985, following the Cultural Revolution, since the new administration saw it as a symbol of capitalist corruption. Since the resurrection of this classic Chinese game 30 years ago, the number of elderly and young playing at temporary tables has grown.
Dogs
On every street, there are many dogs, particularly little ones. Dog ownership has become a trendy urban activity. Beijing has nearly a million registered dogs, with unregistered dogs boosting their ranks. The Pekingese was declared the official palace dog centuries ago, restricting canine ownership to the country’s aristocracy. Anyone who stole a royal dog was executed. Even after the Qing Dynasty fell and 2000 years of imperial authority ended, dogs were considered as bourgeois laborers and security dogs.
Some say the one-child policy has boosted the popularity of dogs in contemporary China. Keeping dogs as pets in China has expanded enormously as a companion for a lone kid or as a replacement.
Fireworks
China’s fireworks history is unknown outside the nation. Originating in China in the 7th century, they are a mainstay of Chinese culture and are utilized at the Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival. Fireworks were outlawed for nearly a decade in China, and many think Spring Festival lost its spirit. When fireworks returned, the government reintroduced official holidays (Duanwu – Dragon Boat Festival and Qingming – Tomb Sweeping Day) for the first time since the 1940s. Despite calls to make pyrotechnics illegal again (to reduce noise pollution and accidents; a Beijing landmark caught fire owing to fireworks), this restriction has not been restored.
Chinese
Teaching Chinese to foreigners was originally illegal, despite its prevalence today. This was forbidden until 200 years ago because of the Chinese language’s purity and cultural importance. This clearly had a significant influence on the spread of the language over the globe since the numbers of second language speakers remained very low. With Confucius institutes across the globe teaching Chinese and China’s economy driving people to study it, the idea that it was previously forbidden to teach or learn it sounds foreign.
Confucius
Confucius is the most well-known ancient Chinese individual outside of China. His teachings dictated Chinese civilization for millennia after he lived 2,500 years ago. After the formation of the Masses’s Republic of China, Mainland China’s official viewpoint moved from veneration to considering him as a symbol of feudalist ideas that subjugated the people to the nobility. As a result, any connected rituals or ceremonies were forbidden, ending 2,500 years of Confucian influence. In the 1990s, events honoring his birth restarted, recognizing Chinese history and culture.
Game Consoles
China bans gaming consoles to discourage children from squandering time. The rise of PCs, laptops, and smartphones has made this prohibition essentially useless. An undisclosed official source informed China Daily this year that the 13-year ban on gaming consoles would be removed. Since the news was publicized, additional sources have challenged it. Sony and Nintendo’s stock rose after hearing the news.