Wen 丨 smiled lightly
Editor丨 Smile
preface
With the in-depth development of globalization, exchanges and interactions between countries have become more and more frequent, and the collision and integration of different cultures have also become a major feature of the times.
In this context, the development of various cities has also begun to face some new problems and challenges.
As a city with a long history and once a multicultural melting pot, Harbin is now experiencing a controversy over place names.
On the one hand, some citizens believe that some place names in the city are too exotic, or even completely use foreign Chinese names, which is not conducive to the inheritance and development of local culture, so they should be changed in time.
On the other hand, there are also many citizens who believe that these special place names actually carry rich historical connotations and have a certain role in promoting the development of the city, so they should not be blindly changed.
In fact, this controversy reflects some of the confusion and challenges faced by cities in the process of development, especially when faced with cultural choices.
How to strike a balance between globalization and localization has also become a difficult problem for each city.
Cause of controversy: Foreign place names accused of being "too public"
When it comes to the city of Harbin, I believe that the first picture that comes to many people's minds is the rows of buildings with strong European style, as well as a variety of landmark attractions that have been given "foreign names".
"Moscow Hotel" on the central street, "Ivesli Ice World", "Paris Spring" department store in the Dauri district, "Volga Manor" and so on.
These place names all show the historical style of Harbin as the "Little Paris of the East", "Moscow of the East", and "Vienna of the East".
These special place names have also become the starting point of controversy.
Some citizens believe that although these place names look unique and even eye-catching, they do not contribute much to the development and cultural heritage of the city.
These place names may feel "too public", and they cannot truly represent the original appearance of the city, and do not have much significance for the inheritance and development of local culture.
They began to call for the timely change of these "foreign-named" landmarks to more local names, so as to better reflect the city's cultural self-confidence and better facilitate future generations' understanding of the city's history.
As soon as such a proposal appeared, it immediately sparked a heated discussion among other citizens, and everyone also expressed their opinions on this issue.
Some citizens said that they should indeed pay attention to the inheritance of local culture, but it does not mean that these "foreign names" should be completely abandoned, and they should be reasonably guided and used on the basis of retention, and integrated into the broader urban culture.
For example, after the place name, the Chinese explanation or sub-name can be added, which can not only retain the original historical and cultural connotation, but also provide citizens and tourists with more diverse cultural cognitive perspectives.
Behind the controversy: the cultural memory of place names
Should these "foreign names" be changed, or should they be retained? I am afraid that there is no simple answer to this question, because different place names, the cultural connotations they carry, and the significance of urban development, are different.
If you just look at it on the surface, you will indeed feel that these "foreign names" seem to be a bit "out of place" and cannot really blend in with the surrounding environment, such as "Manhattan Square", "Venice Water City" and so on.
If we really understand the history behind these place names, we may have a deeper understanding of them, and even feel that these "foreign names" are so "Chinese".
The reason why "Manhattan Plaza" is given such a name is because its location was once the core area of Harbin Binjiang Cultural and Creative Industry Zone, and it also once hosted the "International Architecture Expo" on both sides of the Songhua River in Harbin, so it will be compared with an international metropolis like "Manhattan".
The "Venice Water City" is because of the environment in which it is located, which is just comparable to the water buildings of Venice, so it will be "embellished" by such a place name.
It is precisely because of this that these place names are not just simple signs, they also contain rich historical and cultural connotations, which are the bearers of the city's "cultural memory" and a part of the city's image.
If these place names are changed rashly, it is likely to lead to the rupture of historical memory, so that future generations can no longer understand and perceive the original city style, which is not a good thing for the cultural inheritance of the city.
In this regard, we also need to "know what it is, but also know why it is so", which does not mean that all "foreign name" landmarks should be retained in a generalized manner, and should comprehensively consider the historical and cultural value they represent, as well as the role of promoting urban development, to make corresponding decisions.
Conjecture and inspiration: how to protect the "foreign name" landmark?
In such a controversy, we should probably guess that it is not only the issue of the place name itself, but also some deeper cultural preservation and urban development issues behind it.
How should we correctly view the "foreign name" landmark, and how to find a more suitable way of cultural inheritance in its protection and utilization.
We should be aware that whether it is a "foreign name" or a "Chinese name", there is no so-called "distinction between high and low", and each place name has a unique historical style that it represents, and it is also worthy of our attention.
The so-called "foreign name" is actually not "unusual", in the original naming process, it also has its specific historical background and "fit" with the surrounding environment, so it will be given such a name.
We should not blindly "reject" such place names, but should start from the historical and cultural connotations behind them to carry out in-depth excavation and understanding.
In this process, it is also necessary to actively participate in the cultural protection department, as well as relevant experts and scholars, who can conduct a scientific evaluation of these geographical names, find out their historical and cultural value, and also provide more professional advice for the protection of geographical names.
In the protection of place names, some "software" and "hardware" construction can also be carried out, such as the explanation of place names can be increased, relevant cultural publicity activities can be carried out, and even integrated into the city's cultural landscape design, so that citizens and tourists can more intuitively feel the cultural connotation it carries.
This also requires the active participation of citizens and tourists, after all, only everyone has a deep understanding of the place name, so that such a place name can truly become the city's "cultural business card", but also can play its due role in social education and cultural inheritance.
Epilogue:
Regardless of the final decision, it is believed that such a controversy is itself a part of the cultural life of the city, and also reflects the active participation and love of citizens for urban affairs.
In today's globalized world, it is indeed a challenging task to fully integrate various cultures while maintaining local characteristics.
In Harbin's experience, we can find some inspiration and reference, and can also provide some conjectures and suggestions for other cities, especially those with similar historical backgrounds, to explore how to find a balance between local cultural heritage and urban development.
In this process, we can also have a deeper emotional connection with the city we are in, and we can also discover more interesting cultural stories, so that the development of the city is not only an improvement in "hardware", but also a rich "soft power" support.
I also hope that Harbin can resolve such disputes as soon as possible and find a more suitable development path for itself, and also hope that more citizens can participate and contribute to a better tomorrow for the city.
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