Chinese tourists being photographed riding Wall Street's famous Charging Bull has sparked a controversy in China. A Beijing Television reporter spotted the scene and lamented in her blog about the lack of civilized behavior among some of our countrymen. Once again, netizens played sleuths, but this time for evidence against the reporter. They reposted photos of Western tourists on top of the same bull, adding that this particular piece of sculpture is open for "riding". Wikipedia notes that the Wall Street Bull was actually not commissioned by the New York government, but a result of "guerilla art". It was created and installed by someone named Arturo Di Modica, who still owns it. The entry does not mention whether it is okay for an ordinary tourist, obviously without the prior approval of either the sculptor or the city, on whose land it sits, to ride the bull. Therefore, I cannot come to a conclusion whether a tourist, Chinese or otherwise, is behaving inappropriately if he or she does it. But I'm not surprised the reporter thought that way. It is often reported that some Chinese tourists have bad manners while traveling overseas. I've witnessed it several times. I don't think they're deliberately "destroying the image of China". Instead, I deem it a continuation of long-wrought bad habits. If you go to a popular tourist attraction in China and wait for your turn for an ideal photo spot, you may never get it. You'd have to bull your way into it. |