Perhaps the crowing glory of this all is Chinese Tsai Chih Chung who draws Chinese classics into whimsical life.  These young Asian entrepreneurs have one thing in common: their rediscovery of the wonders of their heritage have inspired the creation of interesting and for some a thriving business out of the treasures their ancestors have left them.
 
 

Millionaire Cartoonist

Wealthy cartoonist Tsai Chih Chung of Taiwan has sold more than  30 million copies (20 million in the mainland of China alone) of his 20 titles in 19 languages around the world. He has been instrumental, through his very witty and lively cartoons, to help young Chinese understand their ancient roots.  The cartoon versions of the classics have struck a chord among Chinese who want to know the ancient myths and teachings that underpin their civilization without plodding through weighty tomes.

In Tsai's boiled-down version of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," a 14th century novel about the political maneuvering of ambitious rulers as they fight for supremacy in China, the cartoonist inserts modern references and humor.  One warrior waves an Iraqi flag; a satellite dish is fixed on top of an ancient Chinese building and court officials play mah-jongg or munch beef noodles.

Certain lines uttered by characters in the classics have been edited to echo the words of Mao Zedong. A depraved nobleman is shown reading Playboy magazine, and a Taiwanese television cameraman makes a cameo appearance.  That is the light-hearted series.

Tsai also works hard to interpret the Chinese classics and put his understanding into pictures.   In 1987 he published The Sayings of Lao Zi, The Sayings of Confucius and two books based on Zen.  Since then he has published some ten titles on ancient Chinese thinkers.  Tsai rejoiced at the fact that "my ancestors have left me such a rich heritage and these treasures are literary making me very rich indeed."
 
 

Beginning with Food and Clothing
Everyone involved in the wave of Asian renaissance agrees.  David Tang, the flamboyant Hong Kong entrepreneur who took Chinese robes for men to the Madison Avenue in New York and caused a sensation at the Big Apple with the opening of his China Club and Shanghai Tang Chinoserie wares.

Tang engages mainland actress Gong Li to be the spokesperson for Shanghai Tang.  Once an Anglophile speaks English with a heavy British accent, Tang is now a fervent promoter of Chinese culture.  He opposes to the idea that Hong Kong builds a Disney theme park and asserts that Chinese must have the self confidence to modernize its culture and work hard to share those valuable traditions with the rest of the world.

To date, much of the entrepreneurship is in the realm of food and clothing.  This rediscovery of Asian tastes, as well as rising affluence of the region has also prompted Western companies to join in the party.  Nestle is now producing frozen dim sums in China.
 
 

Towards Renaissance

For close to two decades now, I have been working with people from both East and West who run businesses and thought leaders who shape management and business trends.  My experience with Asian audiences is that they almost always find a Caucasian speaker (and their experience) more credible.

The social critic Marshall McLuhan reminded us that it wasn't fish who discovered water.  It's if often the Westerner's admiration and appreciation of Asian culture that gives Asians their first appreciation of it.  It is interesting to note that the majority of those Asians who wave the "Asian values" flag have spent time abroad.

These "cultural entrepreneurs," unlike other Asian businesses who blindly imitate western concepts and import fast-food joints into Asia are focusing their energy and resources to recreating and repackaging the values in their own culture.

Take food for example, many western fast food products is neither attractive on neither nutritional grounds nor part of a warm dining experience. Famous American Cooking doyen Julia Child has chided the unsophisticated way most Americans eat, and make a career popularizing French cooking in America.

"Legends from Ten Directions" in Taipei and the School of Renaissance Cooking in Kaoshiung, both started and ran by thirty-something Entrepreneurs aim to change that. They are bringing back the culture of dining -- warm atmosphere, fine presentation, and simplistic cooking and Nutritional emphasis.
 
 

Fusion of East and West

While assertive and proud of their heritage, these cultural entrepreneurs are not chauvinistic.  In fact, they themselves are a good blend of the best of the East and West. They are meticulous in the presentation and design element of their products.

Alan Chan for example is a master in this area.  He successfully fuses western technology with oriental and Asian design subtleties, to present an exotic yet modern and chic feel for the renaissance product that he is working to share with the world.

This is very exciting and enriching.  For a long time, the world has been attracted to popular culture dominated by the Americans.  Now, with the effort of these cultural entrepreneurs the world can look forward to a greater variety of goods and services that showcase a different approach to life.

February 1, 1999