A taekwondo martial arts team from Guangdong province in China faced severe consequences after performing a ‘Zombie dance’ dressed in Qing dynasty costumes at the 2023 Seongnam World Taekwondo Hanmadang in South Korea. The Chinese Taekwondo Association denounced the performance, stating that it tarnished the nation’s image and disrespected Chinese culture. The association revoked the studio’s membership, banning it from national contests, and revoked the coach’s license, barring him from association-held training and competitions.
The controversial performance featured seven studio members executing taekwondo techniques while dressed as Qing dynasty officials and mimicking zombie movements from classic Hong Kong horror films. The association’s formal denunciation led to a split in opinion on mainland social media. While some users felt the performance disrespected both taekwondo and China, others thought it was creative and enjoyable, arguing that there was no need to be sensitive if confidence in one’s culture was strong. Another user supported the punishment, saying the performance perpetuated Western stereotypes of Chinese people as “old fogeys in robes with long braids.”
Coach Liu Hao, who choreographed the dance, stated that the performance concluded with the ‘zombies’ removing their robes and gaining global recognition for their new image. This portrayal of Qing dynasty zombies originates from the 1985 Hong Kong horror film “Mr. Vampire,” directed by Ricky Lau Kwan-wai and starring Lam Ching-ying. Unlike Western zombies, which move freely, those in “Mr. Vampire” exhibit stiff body movements, a characteristic of 1980s and 1990s Hong Kong zombie films. This image is believed to be based on the Qing dynasty shamanistic practice of ‘ganshi,’ or driving corpses, prevalent in today’s Hunan province in southern China.
Ganshi practitioners transported the bodies of those who died unwillingly, such as from the death penalty, to their hometowns for burial. To transport multiple bodies, practitioners attached the corpses’ arms to bamboo poles, creating the appearance of hopping corpses with outstretched arms.
The reaction to the performance highlights the complexities of cultural interpretation and sensitivity, revealing a divide in public opinion on the issue. While some viewed the act as a fun and creative homage to popular culture, others saw it as an offensive misrepresentation of Chinese history and culture.
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