Seneca (Expat in China)

I hold that most Chinese fail to understand traditional culture; this is because they hardly read. It is also true that very few Chinese go to opera performances. Those who do often just go because they feel they owe it to their status to be spending time watching an opera. That means they most probably don't care what the opera is all about; they can be seen chatting on their cell phones or with their family.

Literature and operas in China are pastimes for the elites, not for ordinary people.

This contrasts with the West's traditions. Book printing made fiction very, very popular and common among the masses. At middle schools, our pupils are exposed to poems and novels. When they become adults, most of them continue reading books for pleasure. I don't see this in China.

People visit the German book stand during a book fair in Beijing on August 26, 2015. [Photo/IC]