Damn You, Sleeping Chinese
by Guest Contributor Jen, originally published at Disgrasian
One thing I did not get for my birthday yesterday was sleep. Despite having a pasta-tasting menu for dinner (five buttery pasta courses = sleep, right?), I found myself awake at 5 a.m.–again–drinking scotch out of my new birthday tumbler (I got two, one for me, one for Diana), catching up on my interwebz, commiserating with our friend Edana on Facebook, who was also awake and asking all of the pertinent questions one has at that twisted hour (namely, what’s wrong with us and why has alcohol failed us), and cursing this dull, repetitive, unceasing misfortune of mine.
So the last thing I wanted to see this morning was a website devoted to sleeping Chinese people. Because it’s like, How dare you. But the truth is, watching people sleep is fascinating, particularly when they’re not actually beside you in bed, taunting you with their sleepfulness. And the pictures are all taken of people asleep in public places, which suggests that these sad sacks probably have more in common with someone like me than I would think.
You’d think that the website’s premise would be kind of offensive, like sleeping Chinese people are no different than animals at the zoo, especially since the photos are taken by some German dude living in China, but the idea endeared itself to me after I read the photographer’s welcoming statement:
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“They talk about ‘The Sleeping Giant’. About ‘The Birth of the New Super Power’ or ‘The Awakening of the Red Dragon’. Often with a strange kind of undertone, which is supposed to frighten us. The reality definitely looks more peaceful.”
Fighting Chinysteria one picture at a time? That’s one thing, at least, that’ll help me sleep better at night.
To go to sleepingchinese.com, click here.
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of
Logan wrote:
In the school office I work at in Beijing, its kinda humorous to watch one of my fellow teachers, who has a tendency to just nod off into a nap at any given moment. I must say, I haven’t noticed a real Sleeping Chinese trend around where I live, in part because its too freaking cold/windy to sleep outside here at the moment (30 -20 degrees over here, with winds hitting 30 MPH; I remember a day with the temp about 15 degrees and a wind chill of -10 a couple weeks ago), although I did noticed a few walking under city streets both in Beijing and in Taichung when I was in Taiwan, though those were more homeless people staying in warm covered areas, and pictures of them I’d definitely see as exploitive.
I will say though, that sleep does seem to be looked upon fondly over here. I was actually talking about this with a co-worker (Chinese) today, and she told me she liked to get a lot of sleep, and that kids usually got about 9 – 10 hours of sleep or so. To me, having managed to turn 5 hours sleep into a good day back in College, it still seemed a little weird. I don’t see the pictures as that exploitive though, this could be done anywhere, and really, it shows how, well, tranquil China really is. In my experience, I wouldn’t be worried if I fell asleep in public about anything happening to me, and I feel perfectly safe walking at night in relatively low-lit areas (I’m a guy, full disclosure, but still a different feel compared to back home).
Posted 08 Jan 2009 at 10:18 am ¶
Restructure! wrote:
I’m not sure if it’s ethical to take pictures of people while they’re sleeping and post them on the internet.
While the audience is supposed to view them as strangers with unrecognizable faces, the sleeping person’s friends, family, significant other, boss, coworkers, enemies, etc. might recognize them and see them in a vulnerable and embarrassing position.
Posted 08 Jan 2009 at 10:52 am ¶
Ugly Deaf Muslim Punk Gurl! wrote:
What an annoying, pretentious website. I think it’s offensive when any white person makes a mockery out of a certain group of people.
Enough is enough!!!!
Posted 08 Jan 2009 at 11:37 am ¶
Kavita wrote:
I agree, this website sucks. Whatever the creator’s supposed intention, its far too easy to imagine a bunch of obnoxious white kids laughing over these photos. Plus the intention doesn’t quite sit right with me either–to help us not be so scared of Chinese people, take pictures of them sleeping dociley in awkward positions? Um, no thanks.
Posted 08 Jan 2009 at 1:15 pm ¶
MK wrote:
That picture might be amusing to folks on this site who know the difference, but what about any old person who stumbles onto sleepingchinese.com? Oh, look, funny Asians…again…har har.
Way to make the most out of your experience in China, German guy.
Posted 08 Jan 2009 at 2:33 pm ¶
Joanna Eng wrote:
I do think it’s ethically questionable to take photos of sleeping people you don’t know, because you definitely don’t have their consent. And the political premise of the website is kind of questionable too.
However, I don’t think that it’s shameful or embarrassing for Chinese people, because it’s normal for Chinese people to sleep in public. From my experience in Beijing, it’s normal for dozens of food service workers put their heads down to sleep during their breaks in the food court of a mall; and a whole crew of construction workers will all fall asleep on the sidewalk during their lunch breaks. It is a kind of amusing phenomenon for an outsider and I don’t really blame this guy for making a photo project out of it. I think it’s maybe more embarrassing for the photographer than the subjects.
Posted 08 Jan 2009 at 3:03 pm ¶
KadiBaby wrote:
I guess the point is that the pictures are nice as art. But for insensitive, ignorant or xenophobic people the humanity is overlooked in favor of mocking the other.
Posted 08 Jan 2009 at 3:34 pm ¶
Asada wrote:
there is some strange element to it. Very awkward.
I do sleep in public. I am a college student and have the good sense to carry a blanket or oversized jacket with me because I’m to lazy to walk back to my dorm just to take a nap. I dont have that kind of time and I need to sleep.
That said, some ppl do come by and say crap. Tell jokes. Even racist ones and I wonder if it has to do with the fact that I’m a person of color sleeping there. I guess its the closest they will ever be to “speaking thier mind” .
ugh….
@ Ugly Deaf Muslim Punk Gurl! :
…sigh…..*shakes head*.
Posted 08 Jan 2009 at 3:37 pm ¶
Nu wrote:
I trust that he speaks the truth when he says he’s taking these photos out of a fascination and fondness for the country and its people, but it still makes me uncomfortable.
I’d think twice before starting a project that focuses on a curiosity of a different culture, it feels like encouraging the idea that this culture is different and strange and odd and Not Like Us.
And even that aspect aside, putting pictures of people online without their consent is not only all sorts of rude, it’S technically illegal. There is a German law in that direction, although I don’t know enough about it to say whether this website would be considered an exception, maybe as art…
Still… not a fan. Makes me feel too much like a voyeur.
Posted 08 Jan 2009 at 4:44 pm ¶
Lxy wrote:
Instead of “sleeping Chinese,” a better website theme might be, say, “Annoying Western Expatriates/Tourists with Cameras.”
If I were that German guy, I would be careful taking pictures of people without their permission and then posting them on a website, despite how well-intentioned it may (or may not) be.
More on how certain people like to take pictures of Asian Americans in New York city:
http://bicoastalbitchin.wordpress.com/2008/10/17/art-or-exploitation/
Posted 08 Jan 2009 at 9:08 pm ¶
Whitney wrote:
That’s…. strange. I wonder what would prompt someone to create a website like that. I’m not going to click on it because they might get money for every person who visits it (like the Westboro Baptist Church does). That’s really unethical, in my opinion, to take a photo of someone when they’re sleeping and post their image on the internet without their permission. You can’t use someone’s image on TV without their written consent, so why would this be different?
If this guy is trying to pass this off as art…. he’s doing an incredibly poor job, and making the art world look like a bunch of unethical, stuck-up fools.
Posted 08 Jan 2009 at 11:21 pm ¶
Lisa wrote:
Public napping is a big cultural phenomenon in China, and it’s very cute and endearing and, as the site points out, is a more human and relaxed side of China than the international media usually portrays.
ALL photographers work by shooting people without their express permission. I do as well. You can’t get natural shots if you have to get permission of everyone, all the time – and that is impractical as well if, say, shooting something with a crowd.
If you’re in a public space, your behavior is in the public demain, whether you’re taking a nap or reading a book.
Certainly there are A LOT of foreign photographers in China who take photos and videos with a demeaning, “Oh, look, the Chinese are so weird!!!” attitude. I recall in particular one video blogger who specialized in mocking things like public urination and spitting. “Sleeping Chinese” strikes me as very different from that.
Yesterday I saw a video of a performance art piece that consisted of giving out “awards” to Chinese jaywalkers, totally mocking the complete disregard of traffic rules here. Would you object to that?
(And would your opinion change upon finding out that the artist is Mainland Chinese?)
Posted 09 Jan 2009 at 4:53 am ¶
Nu wrote:
(And would your opinion change upon finding out that the artist is Mainland Chinese?)
Of course the dynamic would be different if he was Chinese…
Would we be talking about a Chinese photographer taking pictures of Chinese people for a website aimed at fellow Chinese people, or a website aimed explicitely at people from western countries, like the one here? I guess I would have least objection to the former.
And I have little experience with how Chinese people would feel about their privacy or whether there are Chinese laws regarding the publication of photos of strangers without their permission. But the guy is German, the website is on a German server (as far as I can tell), and it’s kind of worth pointing out that there IS a German law called “right to one’s own picture” that handles these issues. I dont know if these being Chinese people photographed in China means the law doesn’t apply. (Technically, there could be a German citizen of Asian ethnicity among them, too…)
Posted 09 Jan 2009 at 9:47 am ¶
Sha wrote:
I can soooo relate! I spend 2 years in Shanghai and I first noticed this phenomenon during a conversation with an office mate. I’m waxing poetic about whatever for about 15 mins, I paused to get her response, I call her name several times, then finally turned around to find her head on the desk knocked out! It was hilarious! Coincidentally, that same day as I entered the gates of my apartment, the guard was at his post, spread out on a lawn chair, dozing off. I was utterly fascinated to the point that I pulled out my camera (I often carried it around to happen on some random stuff!) and took a picture. What was equally funny was that passerbys stared at me in wonderment as I captured the image.
Posted 11 Jan 2009 at 4:49 am ¶
Lisa wrote:
Sha, ha: indeed, Chinese people often gather around to puzzle over what the weird foreigner is photographing. (I’m fond of shooting old neighborhoods and architecture.) We foreigners can be very inscrutable!
I admit I’m having a bit of a gut negative reaction to some of the comments here. There is a whole attitude in China that foreigners are not allowed to have any opinions on China, espescially not critical ones, no matter how long we’ve been here and how well-informed those opinions are. If we do, we hate China and are imperialist dogs, etc etc. I think this is xenophobic and racist, and it’s frustrating to see echos of that here.
Trust me, no one has less patience with people who ignorantly China bash (like, say, 90% of the American press) than me. But some educated, informed foreigners contribute a great deal to critical examination of China. Sometimes outsiders see things that natives miss, and that is true everywhere. A la Touqeville. Not that his blog is any profound contribution, but I don’t think the validity of his perspective is questionable.
Posted 11 Jan 2009 at 11:10 pm ¶
A.J. Luxton wrote:
One of the things I find fascinating and really, quite humane about Chinese culture is the fact that, given quite long working hours, workers generally get a couple hours’ nap break in the middle and sleeping is encouraged/permitted when not working. When you consider the ill health effects of cumulatively missing sleep (they’re worse than most people think, and raise risks of heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, etc) and how the American workplace treats this basic physical need, suddenly it seems less silly to see people sleeping everywhere. Indeed, it seems pretty darn important.
Posted 12 Jan 2009 at 5:27 am ¶
curlyscales wrote:
I thought the pictures were beautiful and produced peaceful thoughts. Thank you for sharing.
Posted 12 Jan 2009 at 3:14 pm ¶
PatrickInBeijing wrote:
I didn’t go look at the pictures. I did take a quick look at his site. Not terribly impressed, it is not really clear what his intent is, other than to express his feeling that Chinese people are “cute”. It seems a bit demeaning to me, but alas all too typical.
In terms of law, Chinese law is more like American law. If you are in public, what you do is not considered private, and it is legal for people to photograph.
There is a difference between legal and ethical, or course. In my classes (I teach English), one of my favorite subjects is a discussion of taking people’s pictures in public without asking. More people are willing to take others pictures than to have their own taken (not surprising!).
As a foreigner (white male) who often goes places where there are not many other foreigners, I am often photographed by others. I was taking pictures of flowers one day, when I looked up to see a movie camera on a boom following me. The people quickly walked away without speaking to me. I took their pictures. (smile).
As an ethical question, it is difficult. If one stops to ask permission, many great photographs would be missed (the photo of two people kissing on hearing the WWII has ended is a prime example). Some of my students take my picture during class (I am an active teacher, and perhaps funny looking at times). I have gotten used to it.
It seems to me that there is both the general ethical/legal question (I think German law is unlikely to prevail across the expanse of the internet on this issue) and the question of tourist photography of different cultures.
Many foreigners who come to China come with attitudes of “superiority”, which are very racist. There is a tendency in the West to see China as “other” which usually translates into “quaint” or “evil”. “Quaint” is probably better than than “evil”. But still pretty irritating.
There is also a tendency among many foreigners to come here and try to tell Chinese people all the things they are doing “wrong”. The idea that Western countries have solved all of their problems and that Westerners have all the answers is racist, but seems to be quite common among some of the Westerners here.
(Upon meeting a fellow foreigner, one can quickly tell if they have this attitude, they give themselves away almost at once. It is nice, only because then I can avoid them in the future.)
Because China is a “communist” country, many westerners feel it is okay to express the kind of racist attitudes that would be seen as politically incorrect if expressed about non-communists.
Because China is developing and becoming more powerful, it is an object of both fascination and fear. Alas, it is also too rarely an object of learning and study ( at a serious level).
To Lisa (comment 15). You might perhaps consider how your attitudes and opinions are expressed. I have been here a number of years, and never run into the idea that I am not “allowed to have an opinion about China”. Just the opposite. There are ways of communicating opinions that are culturally sensitive, and ways that come across as “racist and imperialistic”. If you find that you are often accused of the latter, you might look at how you are communicating from a Chinese cultural perspective. (The Chinese methods of expressing opinions and criticism are different than those of most Western nations.)
In fairness, Chinese folks also take pictures of “others”, and post them. And as more of them become tourists, you may find yourself on a website somewhere someday!! (smile). (I have a lovely picture of an Englishman sleeping in public which I have never published due to my own ethical considerations (I am still wrestling with them).)
One of the things I like about China, is that people feel they can safely sleep in public without being disturbed, assaulted or robbed. It is a nice feeling. And I have done so myself from time to time.
It’s not really the photographs that are the issue, it is the attitudes of the photographers that we should be concerned about. The attitude exists independently of the photographs.
My students who take my picture, often do so because they think I am lovely and humorous. There is nothing offensive in their attitude at all. The pictures themselves are not so beautiful, except perhaps in their eyes.
Posted 13 Jan 2009 at 3:27 pm ¶
Evelyn wrote:
out sourcing by the rest of the world especially the USA would make you sleepy also, after working over time to get the higher wage that out sourcing can now allow the the people of china a better standard of living but just like in this country millions are riding public transportation sleeping after working a double shift you to would sleep like the man in the picture, why go home when the bench around the corner is closer to your job, you will be right back in a few hours so why go home at all now that you can purchase more
Posted 14 Jan 2009 at 3:03 pm ¶
Therese wrote:
Chinese people sleep everywhere because they’re overworked and often underpaid, they live far from their jobs because proper prices in the city centres where they work are too expensive, and it’s accepted. Everyone in my Mainland office regularly took a cat nap at their desk, and some of the nicer offices (such as that of a well-known American software company) actually have nap rooms. The site makes me sad, but also glad that naps are accepted — they help with productivity and alertness, and they feel pretty darned good, too. And, really, what else are you going to do on your 2-hour lunch break, which is common for most jobs?
Posted 18 Jan 2009 at 8:19 pm ¶