Don't turn ritual into a farce
<p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="Americans">Americans</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="saying">saying</span>: <span word="George">George</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span> <span word="slept">slept</span> <span word="here">here</span>.</p><p><span word="Now">Now</span>, <span word="imagine">imagine</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="place">place</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span> <span word="ever">ever</span> <span word="slept">slept</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="turned">turned</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="museum">museum</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="honored">honored</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="grand">grand</span> <span word="public">public</span> <span word="memorial">memorial</span> <span word="ceremony">ceremony</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="birthday">birthday</span>, <span word="death">death</span> <span word="anniversary">anniversary</span>, <span word="Memorial">Memorial</span> <span word="Day">Day</span> <span word="and">and</span> - <span word="what">what</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="heck">heck</span> - <span word="throw">throw</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Halloween">Halloween</span>, <span word="too">too</span>. <span word="All">All</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="taxpayers">taxpayers</span>' <span word="money">money</span>.</p><p><span word="Something">Something</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="happening">happening</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="remember">remember</span>, <span word="China">China</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="longer">longer</span> <span word="recorded">recorded</span> <span word="history">history</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="examples">examples</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="above">above</span>-<span word="mentioned">mentioned</span> <span word="phenomenon">phenomenon</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="sprouting">sprouting</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="proverbial">proverbial</span> "<span word="bamboo">bamboo</span> <span word="shoots">shoots</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="spring">spring</span> <span word="rain">rain</span>".</p><p><span word="When">When</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="visited">visited</span> <span word="Henan">Henan</span> <span word="province">province</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="told">told</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="recently">recently</span> <span word="held">held</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="mammoth">mammoth</span> <span word="ritual">ritual</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="pay">pay</span> <span word="homage">homage</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Huangdi">Huangdi</span>. <span word="Scholars">Scholars</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="born">born</span> <span word="within">within</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="administrative">administrative</span> <span word="division">division</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="today">today</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="China">China</span>. <span word="However">However</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="buried">buried</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="Shaanxi">Shaanxi</span> <span word="province">province</span> - <span word="an">an</span> <span word="opportunity">opportunity</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="rival">rival</span> <span word="ceremony">ceremony</span>.</p><p><span word="Actually">Actually</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="left">left</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="traces">traces</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="George">George</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span>. <span word="So">So</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="competition">competition</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="sing">sing</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="praise">praise</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="become">become</span> <span word="fierce">fierce</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="governments">governments</span> <span word="fight">fight</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="piece">piece</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="intangible">intangible</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="meaty">meaty</span> <span word="asset">asset</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="place">place</span> <span word="associated">associated</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="distant">distant</span> - <span word="even">even</span> <span word="mythological">mythological</span> - <span word="celebrity">celebrity</span>.</p><p><span word="Together">Together</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="Yandi">Yandi</span>, <span word="Huangdi">Huangdi</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="heralded">heralded</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="archetypal">archetypal</span> <span word="ancestor">ancestor</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="people">people</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="progenitor">progenitor</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="China">China</span>'<span word="s">s</span> 5,000-<span word="year">year</span>-<span word="old">old</span> <span word="civilization">civilization</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="Huangdi">Huangdi</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="deserves">deserves</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="tributes">tributes</span>.</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="minor">minor</span> <span word="celebrities">celebrities</span>. <span word="For">For</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="city">city</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Henan">Henan</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="celebrating">celebrating</span> <span word="the">the</span> 2,725<span word="th">th</span> <span word="anniversary">anniversary</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Liu">Liu</span> <span word="Xiahui">Xiahui</span>, <span word="who">who</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="keeping">keeping</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="cool">cool</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="beautiful">beautiful</span> <span word="girl">girl</span> <span word="sat">sat</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="lap">lap</span>.</p>
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