Chinese superstitions
With reference to the watch given to Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) by British Minister of State for Transport Susan Kramer at a recent meeting, the British news channel BBC said British officials were not aware that, in Chinese culture, giving a clock implies that the recipient’s time is running out.
Whether this is a taboo in Chinese culture is a matter for Chinese, but in Taiwan — at least a few decades ago — this kind of superstition did not exist.
I remember very clearly how, when we moved into a new house when I was still a child, the gifts offered by relatives included a round wall clock with the text “Congratulations on your new home.” As it hung there on the wall in all its splendor, it offered both joy and practical use, without any negative superstitious connotations.
I also remember how, when coming top in a test in school, my parents gave me a wristwatch to encourage me to treasure time and to continue to work hard.
Doesn’t Ko know that “clock” in Taiwanese is pronounced “jing”, rather than “zhong” as in Mandarin? In Taiwanese then, giving a clock implies that the recipient is clever, quick-witted and capable, and it is thus something very positive, akin to the word “smart.”
At the center of this whole issue is the fact that Ko does not seem to have a clear understanding of the word “Chinese.” When most young people are called “Chinese,” they correct their counterpart, but Ko is not that sensitive.
When a reporter told him that some people feel that it is taboo for Chinese to give a clock, Ko should have said: “That’s a matter for the Chinese, it is not a taboo in Taiwan.”
Shen Cheng-nan
Taichung
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