Chinese+Money



The relative uniformity of the various //yuan// banknotes represents a sense of national uniformity and a desire to emphasize national identity over an individual one. This is reinforced by the visual similarities between the banknotes, for although they are different colors and have flowers, the basic design of the notes remains the same. This can be related to the idea that although China is made of varying cultures and religious traditions, the people are all fundamentally the same (i.e. they are all a part of the same nation). Interestingly, the only political place represented on the //yuan// is the //Great Hall of the People//, located on the back of the ¥100. The //Great Hall of the People// is used for ceremonial and legislative activities; it also functions as a Parliament building and, consequently,serves as the political center of the People's Republic of China. The fact that this building is the only political building present on Chinese currency is not what makes it interesting, rather it is the fact that the obvious political reference is not present until the ¥100. In other words, presumably more people will be carrying around the lower values than the ¥100 banknote and, consequently, the symbols on these notes appear to appeal to the general masses while the ¥100, which is presumably more frequently found in the pockets of the wealthy, contains the most overt reference to the Chinese government as an entity.
 * What do the symbols, or other visual elements, on the currency say about the nation's values?**

Chinese currency appears to emphasize the whole rather than the individual. The places represented on the backs of the notes are universally celebrated by all the various groups in China for varying reasons. The //Three Pools Mirroring the Moon// //at West Lake// found on the back of the ¥1, for example, is a popular pilgrimage spot for many tourists as well as Chinese citizens. Although the image of Mao Zedong might appear to detract from this theory of the group being most prominent on Chinese currency, it really does not. Mao Zedong is the epitomy of a unified China, a unified government dedicated to the people. He is regarded as a major historical figure by most of China and has almost become a symbol for the the People's Republic of China. Essentially, Mao Zedong, rather than merely being a celebrated political figure, represents the unified people. In this way, the symbols on Chinese currency also appear to be dedicated to abstract principles. The flowers are common throughout Chinese literature and philosophy, the //prunus mume//, or sugar plum, being the most widely recognized (outside of China). Flowers have often been used in Buddhist, Taoist, Confucianist, Zen and varying other relgious/philosophical disciplines practiced by the Chinese people. The places depicted on the backs of the currency also hold varying abstract meanings. The //Three Pools Mirroring the Moon at West Lake// has long been a place of inspiration to poets and philosophers; it is a spiritual retreat and a place of beauty, with various Chinese traditions claiming some heritage there. //Mount Tai// has become a common symbol for distinction. Associated with sunrise, birth and renewal, it is one of 5 sacred mountains, and often regarded as the foremost. In earlier times, Chinese emperors would pay homage to the gods from the peak of //Mount Tai// and Mao Zedong referenced it in a famous speech, saying that "To die for the people is weightier than //Mount Tai,// but to work for the fascists and die for the exploiters and oppressors is lighter than a feather." In this way, to say something is "weightier than //Mount Tai//," is to say that it is worthier than its opposite, which is "lighter than a feather" (this is a common Chinese idiom). The images found on the backs of the banknotes (with the flowers depicted on the front in brackets) are as follows: ¥1: //Three Pools Mirroring the Moon at West Lake// [orchid] ¥5: //Mount Tai// [narcissus] ¥10: //Three Gorges of the Yangtze River// [rose]-- at the time of printing, the controversial Three Forges Dam was already long underway; therefore, this could possibly be intended to represent progress and a changing China ¥20: //Scenery of Guilin// [lotus]-- Long known for its unique scenery and Sweet Osmanthus trees, Guilin is essentially an antique heritage town, whose cultural and historical heritage and natural scenery are protected and preserved under Chinese law. This town represents a sense of Chinese history and a unique identity. ¥50: //Potala Palace// [chrysanthemum]-- This Tibetan palace has been the home of the Dalai Lama in Lhasa for centuries until the 14th Dalai Lama fled the country (and the Chinese government) in 1959 after a failed uprising against the Chinese invasion. The Potala Palace is the religious center of the Tibetan people and it's inclusion on the Chinese currency could be a means of identifying Tibet (for better or worse) as a part of China. ¥100: //Great Hall of the People// [prunus mume]
 * What is emphasized? Religion? Government? History? Abstract principles?**

Each //yuan// is a different color. The ¥1 is yellow-green, the ¥5 is purple, the ¥10 is blue, the ¥20 is brown, the ¥50 is green and the ¥100 is red. Other than color, the flower images and the images on the back, the banknotes are largely identical. Consequently, the colors appear to be a means of differentiation rather than having any symbolic significance simply because none of the colors appear to have any special significance in Chinese religions (especially since there are simply too many varying traditions within China) or history, nor do they match the colors of the flowers present on each banknote.
 * How is color used? Why?**

As previously mentioned, the most obvious statement being articulated through the symbols is that of a unified national identity. Each of the symbols is designed to appeal to every ethnic, religious and social group in China. The idea is that the individual groups are merely a part of the whole (i.e. all the groups are a part of the People's Republic of China; therefore, they are all unified). The symbols are, on the one hand, very traditional, but they are representative of a "new" China, a China dedicated to the people and to progress. Arguably, the most obvious political statement would have to be the use of the Potala Palace on the back of the ¥100. Tibet has been fighting for its freedom from China since the Chinese first invaded and overtook the country. In fighting for freedom, the Tibetan people have attempted to maintain a distinct cultural identity (essentially, the people of Tibet see themselves as Tibetan and not Chinese); however, China's use of onr of the most important buildings in all of Tibet on the back of its own currency seems to be an extremely powerful way of claiming Tibet as its own. In claiming the Potala Palace, the Chinese have essentially claimed Tibetan tradition, history and culture as its own.
 * What political statements or philosophies are being articulated through symbols?**

Most likely, a traveller will fail to "read" the currency at all. What a traveller will see is uniformity, different colors and various different languages and pictures, but they will not understand what the pictures are; they will not be able to recognize (most likely) West Lake or Mount Tai. Consequently, a traveller will most likely find the currency pretty and relatively simple, but they may end up thinking the images are arbitrary. A traveller, will not understand how a lotus flower (¥20) fits into Chinese philosophy; they will not know about how Tao Chi'en wrote about chrysanthemums (¥50) in his Taoist poetry. One thing a traveller might be able to understand is the diversity of China due to the 6 different languages found on the currency for the demoniation and the words "People's Bank of China" are printed in Mongol, Tibetan, Uyghur, Zhuang, Chinese and Arabic.
 * How might a traveller "read" the currency differently than a citizen?**

Although the new Chinese government is more commonly known as the People's Republic of China, there are no representations of the various ethnic groups found within China. Earlier versions of the currency dislpayed images of the "everyday man" and the indigenous Chinese people alongside various political leaders; however, these people have all been replaced with the image of Mao Zedong, possibly due to China's invasion into Tibet and a desire to present a more unified country rather than a country of individual groups. Chinese currency also fails to display any images of prominent Chinese emperors, in fact, other than Mao Zedong, there are no government or religious leaders depicted on the //yuan// whatsoever. Quite possibly, Mao Zedong could be the only government figure present because he represents a "new" China (i.e. he represents the turning away from old traditions to face a new system of government, one dedicated to the people). Arguably, religious figures are absent because they are too specific. China, like most Eastern nations, has a wide variety of religious traditions and to depict leaders or phrases that obviously identify with a specific tradition would be to alienate the others. The spiritual places depicted on the backs of the banknotes are general enough to hold significant meaning for all of China's religions.
 * What is conspiculously absent? Why?**