Reading positive reviews of one’s own work is, to be sure, a great feeling. But reading Han Huilong’s recent article was feeling beyond anything that a good, objective reivew might bring. From my recent travels through China and speaking to a few Chinese audiences — not to mention the period I was researching the book, or those living in China prior to that — it is clear to me, like so many elders from so many places, that, in short, “kids today…”
But Han, like other potential readers on the Chinese side of the Pacific, saw something in the text beyond a great (!) story.
“Reading [Red Rock],” he says, “was a somewhat unexpected experience for me. It’s the first time that I actually learned about Chinese rock history.”
And, he continues, looking beyond the music: “China’s glorious music history has given us a hope to strive for.”
It’s more important than I can put into words for those of us outside China to read about yaogun to get an understanding of China, particularly when China is all over the news and our understanding of what that actually means is nil. But it’s at least just as important for those inside China to do it — for the same reason.
Here’s to more folks, inside and outside of China, actually learning…