Lack of mutual cultural understanding
<p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="York">York</span> <span word="Times">Times</span> <span word="reported">reported</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="pair">pair</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="statues">statues</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="gift">gift</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="China">China</span>, <span word="has">has</span> <span word="received">received</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cold">cold</span> <span word="shoulder">shoulder</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Italy">Italy</span>.</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="cultural">cultural</span> <span word="exchange">exchange</span> <span word="program">program</span> <span word="between">between</span> <span word="Ningbo">Ningbo</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Florence">Florence</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="unexpectedly">unexpectedly</span> <span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="aesthetic">aesthetic</span> <span word="roadblock">roadblock</span>. <span word="Florence">Florence</span> <span word="gave">gave</span> <span word="Ningbo">Ningbo</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="replica">replica</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Michelangelo">Michelangelo</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="David">David</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="Ningbo">Ningbo</span> <span word="gladly">gladly</span> <span word="accepted">accepted</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="erected">erected</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="public">public</span> <span word="venue">venue</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="return">return</span>, <span word="Ningbo">Ningbo</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="city">city</span> <span word="south">south</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Shanghai">Shanghai</span>, <span word="donated">donated</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="reproductions">reproductions</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Tang">Tang</span> <span word="dynasty">dynasty</span> <span word="figures">figures</span>.</p><p><span word="Florence">Florence</span> <span word="residents">residents</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="them">them</span> "<span word="ugly">ugly</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="imposing">imposing</span>". <span word="As">As</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="result">result</span>, <span word="the">the</span> 13-<span word="ft">ft</span> <span word="tall">tall</span> <span word="statues">statues</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="warehouse">warehouse</span>. <span word="Local">Local</span> <span word="officials">officials</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="worried">worried</span> <span word="guests">guests</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Ningbo">Ningbo</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="coming">coming</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="visit">visit</span>.</p><p><span word="Some">Some</span> <span word="netizens">netizens</span> <span word="suggested">suggested</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="disparity">disparity</span> <span word="comes">comes</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="pieces">pieces</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="art">art</span>. <span word="Florence">Florence</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="birthplace">birthplace</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="European">European</span> <span word="renaissance">renaissance</span>, <span word="with">with</span> <span word="world">world</span>-<span word="famous">famous</span> <span word="sculptural">sculptural</span> <span word="masterpieces">masterpieces</span>, <span word="while">while</span> <span word="Ningbo">Ningbo</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="art">art</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span>'<span word="m">m</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="position">position</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="determine">determine</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="gap">gap</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="value">value</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="gifts">gifts</span>. <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="studied">studied</span> <span word="Michelangelo">Michelangelo</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="part">part</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="college">college</span> <span word="course">course</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="renaissance">renaissance</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="almost">almost</span> <span word="nothing">nothing</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="Ningbo">Ningbo</span>'<span word="s">s</span> "<span word="Civilian">Civilian</span> <span word="bureaucrat">bureaucrat</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="military">military</span> <span word="officer">officer</span>". <span word="That">That</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="imply">imply</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="latter">latter</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="valuable">valuable</span> <span word="artistically">artistically</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="financially">financially</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="m">m</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="expert">expert</span>.</p><p><span word="Since">Since</span> <span word="both">both</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="replicas">replicas</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="believe">believe</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="crux">crux</span> <span word="lies">lies</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="aesthetics">aesthetics</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="values">values</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="Tang">Tang</span> <span word="statues">statues</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="obviously">obviously</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Buddhist">Buddhist</span> <span word="tradition">tradition</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="apart">apart</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Greco">Greco</span>-<span word="Roman">Roman</span>-<span word="Renaissance">Renaissance</span> <span word="axis">axis</span>. <span word="Putting">Putting</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="side">side</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="side">side</span>, <span word="one">one</span> <span word="needs">needs</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="different">different</span> <span word="set">set</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="standards">standards</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="appreciate">appreciate</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="evaluate">evaluate</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="them">them</span>. <span word="By">By</span> <span word="extension">extension</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="understandable">understandable</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="putting">putting</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="context">context</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="yield">yield</span> <span word="jarring">jarring</span> <span word="incongruity">incongruity</span>.</p>
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