Chinese Media Shifts Blame to Foreigners Over Boy’s Graffiti Gaffe in Egypt

Chinese Media Shifts Blame to Foreigners Over Boy’s Graffiti Gaffe in Egypt
May 28, 2013 By eChinacities.com

Been reading any China-related news lately? Well you may have come across reports of a recent incident in Egypt where a student from Nanjing defaced a 3,500 year old relic in the Temple of Luxor by writing “Ding Jinhao was here” on it. The incident has caused an outcry from the international community and China’s netizens alike, as well as raising further alarm over the antics of badly behaved Chinese tourists in general.

So, the ball is in your court, Chinese media. Of course, the reasonable option would be to admit the wrongs of the boy, agree that there is some truth to whole badly behaved Chinese tourist phenomenon, and then move on from there. However, the Chinese media (which is not one to stray from a catfight) has instead turned its citizens’ attention to the amount of graffiti scrawled by foreigners on the Great Wall.

Reports focused on the Badaling and Mutianyu sections of the wall (you know, the ones that totally aren’t tackily renovated tourist traps), highlighting similar “XXXX was here” scrawlings on their similarly ancient cultural relic.

Well played, China. Well played.

Source: travel.people.com.cn

See also: 10 Ridiculous Reports Published by Chinese Media Recently

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Keywords: badly behaved Chinese tourists Ding Jinhao was here

10 Comments

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mweidner2008

fact: I am sure paint supplies are hard to find for the foreign tourist, only a local could get it. fact: graffiti is vandalism no matter who does it or where. fact: international incident years ago from spray paint vandalism (in Japan)and a minor was caned in public, so what is the punishment here or there? fact: lack of respect for property, period! If the person is guilty,admit the faults and move on. Tit-for-tat doesn't apply here.

Jun 01, 2013 15:28 Report Abuse

xiaoxiong

Also just because it was written in english doesnt mean that foreigners are to blame,

May 30, 2013 21:34 Report Abuse

hermes

xiao xiong,my name is the same as yours

Jun 18, 2013 20:15 Report Abuse

t91camp

Critical flaw in their argument: the Egyptian relic was a work of art, whereas the "Great Wall" is just a bunch of (frequently remodeled) bricks.

May 29, 2013 06:33 Report Abuse

Karajorma

Critical flaw in your argument is that it's just as bad a habit. We can't complain that the Chinese media would rather make excuses for the poor behaviour of their citizens instead of acknowledging that it is a bad thing to do, if we're making excuses for the poor behaviour of foreigners in China. Both the Chinese boy in Egypt and the foreigners on the Great Wall have acted poorly. The real pity is that the Chinese media don't spin the story that way instead. Show the picture of the Great Wall, ask how angry Chinese people feel when they see foreigners defacing it, and then point out that's the anger the Egyptians feel now.

May 29, 2013 08:18 Report Abuse

carlstar

May be that the actual wall people go to is only about 40 years old but still not good. I think the main flaw is the typical thing that China does all the time.... Shift the blame game.... Once more people are just being mean to poor little China

May 29, 2013 08:57 Report Abuse

t91camp

At no point did I excuse the behavior, only retards scratch graffiti onto things like a dog pissing on a tree. But if anyone truly believes touristy Great Wall sections have as much value as Egyptian artifacts, then they need to get their head examined.

May 29, 2013 09:52 Report Abuse

Nessquick

You are right, very much

May 30, 2013 10:40 Report Abuse

Guest2282338

How many people scrawled their names on the Great Wall? Not only foreigners marked their names on the Great Wall but even Chinese people, right? Did the Egyptians ever marked their names on their relics? My point is, it's incomparable.

May 30, 2013 17:51 Report Abuse

RachelDiD

The critical flaw in the argument is that it is childlike, and, honestly a part of the 'blame others for everything' attitude that permeates PRC culture. It's just not attractive in grown adults, let alone media 'professionals.' It is also a flawed argument--for one thing, Egyptian artifacts were always made to be seen, the Chinese Wall was made to be walked on. If a foreigner was ever caught doodling on a millennia-old statue at a Chinese, it would be a fitting comparison. There is also the 'broken windows' aspect--the GW is littered with Chinese graffiti. The one non-Chinese amid the thousands who writes his name writes it there because the Chinese leave ample precedent. If the brat had merely added his name to an existing volume of Arabic writing, the comparison would stick. But, of course, if he had done that, there would be no backlash.

Jun 01, 2013 23:55 Report Abuse