So yes, it is assimilation when you force your dialect on others.
> most Hongkongers are ethnic Chinese and share much of the same cultuRe
I beg to differ. Mao destroyed a lot of cultural relics during the Cultural Revolution. Things that used to be wide spread such as idol worshiping is no longer seen in China and only in Hong Kong. Hong Kong resembles more of the traditional China culture than China does today.
An attempt to deemphasize Cantonese in Guangdong does not constitute eradication.
Mandarin in Hong Kong as far as I know would've been strictly in addition to, not instead of Cantonese, much like learning English in Quebec.
So again, not assimilation.
> Mao destroyed a lot of cultural relics during the Cultural Revolution.
The relics may have been destroyed, but (most of) the people lived, some still living. Culture doesn't die with the relics, it lives with the people.
> Things that used to be wide spread such as idol worshiping is no longer seen in China
It's certainly less wide spread now, especially in big cities. But it's still common in small towns and villages. Dive deeper next time you visit China.
> The relics may have been destroyed, but (most of) the people lived, some still living. Culture doesn't die with the relics, it lives with the people.
I would have to disagree with this. Those people are in their 70s now. And without relics, there is no anchor for cultural values.
Cambodia did the same thing and it has been a disaster to their culture.
The destruction of the relics was on purpose. Hence “cultural” revolution.
> its stated goal was to preserve 'true' Communist ideology in the country by purging remnants of capitalist and traditional elements from Chinese society, and to re-impose Mao Zedong Thought as the dominant ideology within the Party
It was a deliberate attack on Chinese culture to solidify Maos power.
Your statement sounds too much like marketing speak without any substance. I think I heard it before. Oh yeah: Thor Ragnorak. It is low effort.
> I would have to disagree with this. Those people are in their 70s now. And without relics, there is no anchor for cultural values.
Relics without the people are pretty meaningless. There's very little you can learn about the ancient Egyptian culture even with all the preserved relics.
Sadly we lose tradition, heritage, and culture with the passing of every person. That's universal, Cultural Revolution or not, east or west. But personally I've seen new relics and artifacts recreated after the end of Cultural Revolution, so all is not lost.
> Your statement sounds too much like marketing speak without any substance. I think I heard it before. Oh yeah: Thor Ragnorak.
Well if it's cliche it's only because it's true. BTW never saw that movie, or any of the recent Marvel junk.
If it is a model of restraint, what would be your definition of unrestrained. It seems like you would have a different way of handling the situation? Would love to hear it.
> China is one of the safest countries in the world.
Is there actual statistics? The only source I found is from GlobalTimes which is clearly a mouth piece for China. The numbers also seem to be self reported. I trust it less than I trust the GDP numbers from China.
Safe is one thing. But what happens if you do get into trouble. Do you trust the authorities there? Last I heard, even the police chief has unknown sources of income.
Mandarin is a dialect, just like Cantonese.
China has been actively trying to eradicate Cantonese but mainly backfired. In Guangdong, no less.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guangzhou_Television_Cantone...
So yes, it is assimilation when you force your dialect on others.
> most Hongkongers are ethnic Chinese and share much of the same cultuRe
I beg to differ. Mao destroyed a lot of cultural relics during the Cultural Revolution. Things that used to be wide spread such as idol worshiping is no longer seen in China and only in Hong Kong. Hong Kong resembles more of the traditional China culture than China does today.