The phrase tuhao, once used by the Communists to describe feudal landlords, has been appropriated by China’s online masses deride the vulgar tastes of the country’s new rich.
Gerbrand Wiersema: New rich is same all over the globe.
Willis Shirk: Interesting article, but not really that different from the way new rich have always been viewed in every culture around the world.
Li Na: To be a new rich, has to contribute his/her effort, except for those “heirs”.
Alain C. Ah-Yuen: Outside China, when the rich spend their money in tasteless exhibits they are said to be ‘extravagant’ amongst others, in China they are said to be ‘crude’ which says it all.
But as rightly pointed out in above comments, the rich have always behaved differently and been commented upon, and I do not think that things are going to change and be different in here in China…. or elsewhere.
So let them enjoy their money as they seem fit, as long as they do not encroach in other people’s privacy.
Jimmy Fu: I`m pretty superstitious, and so my words to the new rich is an old Chinese saying which goes like “Sadness ambush when pleasure are too much.”, it`s a cycle.
CA Spears 殳龙马: New rich is different from “rich”…”new rich” or in the West we usually use the French, nouveau riche, which means someone who acquired great wealth in one generation, but there social class has not caught up with it.
In China, basically these people have a lot of money but still act like peasants. One of my CHINESE friends made a joke about how you can tell a rich Japanese from a rich Chinese (Mainland) person. The Japanese will buy the best bottle of wine and sip it, savoring it. The Chinese will ask the waiter what is the most expensive bottle, buy that, and then drink right out of the bottle, guzzling it down, and then pass it to his friends, so they can all enjoy this great wine. 🙂
That is an extreme example of “nouveau riche” behavior.
New Rich behavior by Mainlanders can be seen all the time in Hong Konga and somewhat on tour groups in Taiwan…trust me, locals aren’t anymore (usually less) happy than many Mainlanders.
Money does not equal social class, understanding, or good taste. Those things are not directly related.
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