Dashan

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Dashan (大山, pinyin: Dàshān, lit. "Big Mountain") (born ca. 1965 in Ottawa, Ontario) is the Chinese stage name adopted by Canadian Mark Rowswell who works as a freelance performer in China. Dashan is perhaps the most famous Westerner performer in China, yet he is virtually unknown in the West. Dashan occupies a unique position as a foreign national who has become a bona fide domestic celebrity in China.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Education

Rowswell began studying Chinese while attending the University of Toronto in 1984. His original Chinese name, as given by his Canadian Chinese-language teacher, was Lu Shiwei (路世伟). Upon graduation from the University of Toronto in 1988, Rowswell was awarded a full scholarship to continue Chinese language studies at Peking University.

[edit] First Television Appearance

Rowswell first appeared on Chinese television to host an international singing competition in November 1988. The following month he was invited to perform a comedic skit on national television during the CCTV New Year's Gala, a New Year's evening variety program, to an estimated audience of 550 million people. The name "Dashan" ("big mountain" in Chinese) comes from the character Rowswell played in this skit, entitled Ye gui (夜归), which propelled him to national stardom overnight.

[edit] An Accidental Celebrity?

Due to the abrupt nature of Dashan's rise to fame, he has been called an "accidental celebrity". However, his subsequent longevity and continuing prominence in the Chinese media almost two decades later suggest something more substantive than mere accident. Many foreign nationals appear regularly on Chinese television, and foreigners fluent in the Chinese language are no longer a rarity. Yet no other foreign national has come close to the level of recognition and popularity in China enjoyed by Dashan.

[edit] Xiangsheng

Following Rowswell's first appearance as "Dashan", he began formal study of xiangsheng (a traditional form of "crosstalk" comedy) with his mentor, China's foremost comedian Jiang Kun. In December 1989, Dashan became the first foreigner to be formally accepted into the strict xiangsheng hierarchy as a member of the "9th generation," a move that caused considerable controversy in Chinese performing arts circles at the time. Xiangsheng is often called "the art of comedic language", and as such is regarded in China as a highly skilled form of performing art beyond the reach of most native speakers, much less a foreigner.

Through the 1990s, Dashan appeared frequently on national and regional television programs across China to perform xiangsheng, including several appearances on CCTV's annual television program celebrating the Chinese New Year Gala Chunjie Wanhui (春节晚会) in 1998 and 1999. This program is easily the most influential annual television event in China, with an estimated audience of 900 million to 1 billion viewers. Appearances on this and other programs gained Dashan wide recognition throughout China.

[edit] Current Work

Dashan's initial fame came from performing xiangsheng, but he gradually expanded into a variety of performing styles and public activities. Although he has been less involved in comedy in recent years, Dashan continues to be a popular performer and on-air personality on Chinese television.

[edit] Freelance Host

Much of Dashan's television work now is as a freelance host of many varied television programs and live events, especially those with an international focus and requiring a bilingual (English/Chinese) MC. He has also co-produced and hosted numerous language education programs, to teach both English and Chinese. The most current of these is Travel In Chinese, a 15 minute Chinese lesson that broadcasts on CCTV International.

[edit] Dramatic Acting

In recent years, Dashan has also expanded into dramatic acting, often to portray other famous foreigners in Chinese history. In 2005, he played the lead role in a 24-part television series Palace Artist broadcast by China Central Television, as the 18th century Italian Jesuit painter Giuseppe Castiglione. In 2006, Dashan performed the lead role in "Red Star Over China", a stage play based on the life and work of the American reporter Edgar Snow.

[edit] Commercial Endorsement

Dashan's name and image can often be seen in commercial endorsements for various Chinese and international companies. Dashan is also active as a spokesperson for several charity organizations, primarily involved with cancer prevention as well as environmental protection.

[edit] Cultural Ambassador

In many instances, Dashan has transcended the role of celebrity performer to become a cultural ambassador between China and the West. A recent example was his appointment as Team Attaché to the Canadian Olympic Committee for the 2008 Summer Olympics to be held in Beijing.

[edit] Awards

In 2006, Dashan was awarded the Key to the City of Ottawa, in recognition of his outstanding achievements as a native of Ottawa. In 2004, Dashan was chosen as one of ten "Outstanding Youth of Beijing." This marked the first time a foreign national has received this award, one of the highest honours granted by the Beijing authorities. In 2004, Dashan also received a rare "Special Recognition Award" from the Canadian Cancer Society for his work on a joint Canada-China cancer prevention program. In 1999, the University of Toronto selected Dashan as one of "100 Alumni Who Shaped the Century." That same year, TIME Magazine selected Dashan as one of the "Leaders for the 21st Century." In 1998, New Weekly Magazine chose Dashan as one of the "Outstanding People of the Past 20 Years."

[edit] Perception Among Non-Chinese

Despite being highly popular among the Chinese people, Dashan is unpopular among some Western residents in China.

Negative feelings often result from the frustration many foreign nationals have with learning the Chinese language. Westerners who speak Chinese are almost invariably compared with Dashan, who is seen as having set an impossibly high standard to attain.

In fact, Dashan's abilities in Chinese are in-line with many other long-term foreigner residents of China. This is perhaps another source of resentment among foreign nationals in China, who are baffled at the level of popularity Dashan enjoys. Clearly, simply being a Chinese-speaking Caucasian is not enough to explain the uniqueness of Dashan's popularity and success.

Dashan's performances are largely in Chinese and, even when including bilingual (English/Chinese) content, are targeted a primarily at a Chinese audience. This creates not only a language barrier, but also a cultural barrier for most non-Chinese viewers. Some have suggested that this Chinese-speaking foreigner constitutes little more than a "monkey show" to Chinese television viewers. However, this accusation appears unfounded. There is no widespread perception among Chinese television viewers that Dashan is an object of ridicule. Instead, Dashan is widely regarded by the Chinese as a role model of cross-cultural understanding, respect and international friendship.

Dashan has also been criticised by non-Chinese for his apparent unwillingness to use his influential position in China to become more involved in political advocacy. Others note that this is simply the norm for all television performers in China, whether they be Chinese or foreign nationals.

Regardless of the negative feelings held by some, others feel Dashan is a pioneer who has overcome traditional stereotypes that suggested the Chinese language and culture were too complex for foreigners to master or understand. Dashan has helped to create a whole new image for foreigners in China. China's official state newspaper People's Daily once concluded "Dashan is a foreigner, but not an outsider".

[edit] Brush with scandal

In 2005, a television program hosted by Dashan was mentioned during testimony before the Gomery Commission in Canada. According to the Gomery Commission, the advertising company that sponsored an educational series hosted by Dashan received funding from a government program accused of mismanagement. The 26-part series, called Dashan and Friends in Canada (随大山商访加拿大), was broadcast in China and received an award from the Chinese Ministry of Radio, Film and Television in 1998.

The Gomery Commission's fact-finding report eventually cleared the advertising company of any wrongdoing. Dashan was not personally implicated in the incident. However, his brush with scandal created tremendous interest and speculation in the Chinese tabloid media.

[edit] See also

In 1995, the National Film Board of Canada produced a documentary, directed by Guy Nantel, called Dashan, Ambassador to China's Funny Bone.

[edit] External links

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