Encouraging the “civilized spiting” from Chinese government to push the 2008 Olympic Etiquette Campaign

Like placing French fries on the desert menu and adding ice and juice into wine, here is another fascinating and disappointing example of China etiquette issues for us all to consider.

Apparently, Beijing has now placed blue porcelain spittoons along one of the capital’s main thoroughfares.

“These spittoons have a decorative function for the street and in the meanwhile, provide a convenient place for people to spit” A reporter named Wang Hong said.

The blue porcelain spittoon story is one of the government’s civilizing efforts, much like their effort to distribute millions of paper spit bags to encourage the “civilized spiting” from Chinese government to push the 2008 Olympic Etiquette Campaign.

The Chinese government’s response to spitting highlights one of many cultural differences between East and West: in China, the problem is not spitting per se, but where to spit.

“It is unhealthy to swallow spit,” one of the Olympic Etiquette advocates says, “so we need to help people spit in a civilized way.”

One has to wonder if there is such thing as “civilized spitting.” Imagine a picture like this – on every street of Beijing, there are some beautiful blue porcelain spittoons and people stick out their neck spitting in them with that big “hock” sound. Does this will help Beijing to shape up the public etiquette image in the eyes of the world?

I am afraid the answer is “No”. How come the related government officials did not simply ask how their Western counterparts or other Chinese societies i.e. Hong Kong and Singapore have had dealt with spitting issue in order to learn from them? Had Chinese officials realized they were making the motherland look like a relic from the early 19th century of the Unite States?

At that time, spittoons became a very common feature of many places, including saloons, hotels, stores, banks, railway carriages, and other places where people (especially adult men) gathered.

"America is one long expectoration." -- Oscar Wilde on his first visit to the United States, 1882

  Use of spittoons in the US was considered an advance of public manners and health, intended to replace previously common spitting on floors, streets, and sidewalks. Many places passed laws against spitting in public other than into a spittoon. After the 1918 flu epidemic, both hygiene and etiquette advocates began to disparage public use of the spittoon, and use began to decline. While it was still not unusual to see spittoons in some public places in parts the US as late as the 1930s, vast numbers of old brass spittoons met their ends in the scrap drives of World War II.  (A

Chicago

courtroom scene, mid 1910s. A spittoon is seen on the floor at bottom right).

Let’s take a look at how spittoons became big in China. Starting from 1949, spittoons were placed at every conceivable public place, and were commonplace in homes as well in China. The mass introduction of spittoons was a public hygiene initiative, motivated by a desire to correct the once common Chinese practice of spitting onto the floor. They were typically made of white porcelain, sometimes with traditional Chinese art painted onto the exterior.

Spittoons were even used during official functions by the political leaders of China; this eventually became a source of ridicule by the mass media outside China. As a response, the spittoons have largely been withdrawn from public spaces in China since the late 1980s.

Deng Xiaoping, who opened up China to the world and was famous for keeping a spittoon handy. Imagine if, Hu Jun Tao had one with him at foreign guest functions to spit at-will. Is there any difference between an ordinary citizen and Hu Jun Tao as it concerns public etiquette? No. Then why should the public continue to be provided with spittoons? Why is spitting still promoted?

It’s not about where to spit. It’s about spitting at all. If the citizens of other countries can refrain from spitting in public places, why shouldn’t we Chinese be able to comprehend similar boundaries? And why is it that the Chinese people in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and Macao have been able to adapt their behavior away from spitting while only the mainland Chinese remain wedded to this custom?  (The picture on the left was taken by Vida at Hong Kong Immigration Office in Wan Cai).

Placing the blue porcelain spittoons on the street is not the solution for spitting! If China copies its western counterparts in this matter, there won’t be any patent right issues to worry about. I would propose Chinese government follow Singapore to make spitting in public an unlawful action, therefore, the offenders will be fined.

“Welcome to China, spit as much as you want. We have the world biggest spittoon for you right on the street in our capital.” Said Lu-Chin, Founder of the Pride Institute, ironically. Spittoons have no place in this new “Pacific Century”, other than as a functional tool at dentist’s office or, artifacts in museums or curio shops.

Comments

[Vida]

Thanks Lu-Chin. I am so glad Mr. Lu took the initiative and decided to do something about it. Our community needs people like him.

Vida

[Lu-Chin]

吕俊超is from 首都精神文明办公室。He had come to my seminar at a college before, When I email the person I know at BJCDC and hoping they can talk to 北京卫生局to get the spittoons removed, I copied Mr. Lu on the email. He took it upon himself and talked to someone at 奥运城市管理委员, remind them to do something. Obviously someone took the responsibility and instructed 西城环卫局to take the spittoons away.

[Vida]

Thanks Lu-Chin. That's a great news.

Could you please share with me how they removed the spittoons? Thanks.

Vida