Having a non-Asian appearance in China can sometimes make you feel like a celebrity. Especially in areas where foreigners are rare, many people openly stare at Westerners and try out their favorite English word, “hello”. The braver ones might ask for a photo with their new foreign friend, friend in this case meaning person they have just spotted walking around.

For those who want to actually be a celebrity in China, a foreign face is an asset too. In fact, some people say that if you dream of fame, you have a greater chance of success in Beijing than in Hollywood.

Easily the most well known Chinese foreign celebrity is Canadian Mark Roswell, better known by his alter ego Da Shan (Chinese for Big Mountain). He has been famous in China since he arrived in 1988 to study Chinese at Beijing University. His teachers suggested he take part in a variety show, for which he created the country bumpkin character Da Shan. People were enthralled to see a tall white man talking pitch perfect Mandarin, and Da Shan became a household name overnight. These days Da Shan’s face is everywhere on Chinese billboards and television; he is currently treading the boards as a lead role in a Shanghai theatre, and will be Cultural Ambassador for Canada for the 2008 Olympic Games. Some 80% of Chinese people have heard of him, according to Bill Lankoff’s article (see Slam Canoe website below). Lankoff makes the interesting point that Da Shan is admired by more people than any other Canadian, but most of his own country men have never even heard of him.

Indeed, Da Shan is far from the only foreign face on Chinese television. There are other exotic celebrities too, like the American Rachel Dewoskin who found fame playing the lead role of Jiexi in a Chinese drama serial about foreign girls with Chinese boyfriends. She recently wrote a book about her experience in China called “Foreign Babes in Beijing”.

American Idol style talent shows are growing in popularity in China, and often foreigners appear on these too. Singing songs in Chinese and wearing funny outfits, they evoke loud cheers from the audience. Foreigners who can speak Mandarin hold curiosity value for the Chinese audience. Lots of game shows will have a token foreigner participating or sitting in the audience, whom the camera seems to zoom in on more often than the other contestants or audience members.

So, what’s the big deal about foreigners on tv in China? Lots of countries have foreign celebrities that they know and love.  The difference in China, however, is that the celebrities’ foreign-ness is constantly emphasized. Da Shan himself admits that “you always feel like a foreigner in China, but not necessarily an outsider”. It is understandable that a country that until relatively recently had next to no international residents will be very aware of new people with different ethnic backgrounds. In an interview on www.thestar.com , Da Shan suggests that the main difference centres around whether the individual perceives themselves as an outsider. He suggests people who stick to a very artificial expatriate lifestyle are more likely to feel like outsiders, but those who engage in their local environment and “make it home” will feel more comfortable.

Westerners in China have mixed feelings about this fascination with all things foreign that allows them to become minor celebrities. Some people see it as a bit of fun and an easy way to make money. However the online community also has lots of people who complain about foreigners appearing on television to be laughed at by Chinese people. They say that some Chinese already consider Westerners to be ‘dippy’, so those who act silly on television are reinforcing this stereotype. In his blog describing his appearance on a Chinese talent show, Ben Ross reports that the producer told him to deliberately make mistakes in his spoken Mandarin for comic effect. Some of the comments following his blog are from people who complain that foreigners should not appear on Chinese television to be ridiculed (see link below). This expat resentment for foreign celebrities also extends to Da Shan, who seems to really annoy some expats in China. Whether this is merely due to jealousy of his Mandarin skills or a suspicion that he is the puppet of Chinese television producers is hard to know.

The foreign celebrity culture in China is something pretty unique in my experience. Even this writer has been offered the chance to be on television: when wandering down the street happily with a Chinese friend, I was chased by a man with a camera saying he was looking for foreigners to sing on screen (most people who have actually heard me sing know that it is probably for the best that I was unable to take part). While the irritation of some expats about this is understandable, it could be argued that the best option is just to take this interest as a compliment. The more China opens up to the rest of the world, this level of interest is likely to fade away. So take advantage of it while it lasts. If nothing else, flicking through the tv channels playing “spot the token foreigner” might be one way of brightening up an evening…

References
Lankoff, Bill http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Columnists/Lankhof/2006/11/12/2327060-sun.html... : Article about selection of Da Shan as Canadian representative for the Olympics : “he’s bigger than noodles!”
Ross, Ben http://www.benross.net/wordpress/?p=116 : An interesting blog where Ben describes singing in a Chinese talent show and the audience’s reaction.
York, Geoffrey http://www.rense.com/general47/rela.htm : Article about love-hate relationship between China and foreigners
http://www.chinaexpat.com/article/2007/03/08/art/literature/rachel-dewos... : A review of Rachel Dewoskin’s book describing her experiences living and filming in Beijing.
http://www.thestar.com/article/234623 : An interview with Da Shan

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