The Genesis of Pop Culture in China
Pop culture in China is not a single topic. It could be considered as an outcome of both the development of China’s own unique traditional culture and diversified economic globalization. In contemporary China in particular, there are trends of muti- culture and subculture with the flourishing ways of living and entertaining. Briefly, it is a story told by Chinese people of how they encounter each period and create the symbols of pop culture one after another.
The Evolution of Pop Culture Since Reform and Opening - up
This story might best be told since the reform and opening-up. People in China began to perceive and acquire things from a new angle. Pop culture is the folklore of each city in China, the cultural label of the times. In the past 41 years of reform and opening-up, China has truly entered a “fashionable era”, an era in which pop culture is prospering. Almost every three or four years, there will be a new pop culture, and people’s way of dressing up, entertainment, leisure and aesthetic interest will always have the trends of renovation. Accordingly, related industry would always begin to react and reshape these trends to meet people’s growing needs in different levels.
From the melting songs of Teresa Teng to R&B hits of Jay Chou, from bell- bottoms to Tang suit, from “Super Variety Show” to “You Are the One”, from The Legend of The Condor Heroes by by Jin Yong to The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, from iAPX 286 (1995—1998) to quad-core processor, from ballroom dance to disco and the square dance, all these changes manifest the beautiful sceneries and their transformations of the definition of pop culture in China.
The Influence of Global and Neighboring Cultures
When scrutinizing the cultural context of China, what is apparent is that it has embraced the global popular culture from economy to lifestyles. From influences of Japanese cartoon and Korea waves, China has begun to assimilate the cultural elements of its neighboring countries in many aspects. For example, a wave of fan culture started from enthusiasms about Korean soap operas and idol groups. The magnitude of this influence can be largely seen in the younger generations who have internalized the pop culture completely. This can be understood very well through newly formed lifestyles of the people.
The Role of Technology and Fan Culture
Along with the technological development, in which China is at the forefront, the mushrooming number of cyber cafes bears evidence to the involvement of youth in technology that has become a part of their lifestyles. Media and entertainment have also shifted away from traditional styles. Young people got their own idols through localized reality shows and other forms of competitions, such as “Super Girls”, “The Voice of China”, etc. Young idols, like Chris Lee, Jane Zhang and TFBoys all have a lot of fans. Fan culture has thus become an inseparable part in pop culture in China, since it arouses large-scale social discussions and even greatly promotes this industry named as fan economy.
All of this highlights that the dominating forms of popular culture in China is embraced by the youth more than the older generations and that it decides nearly all aspects of their lifestyles.
