Why Jackie Chan donates old houses to Singapore
成龙决定捐古建筑给新加坡 打了谁的脸?
Some people worry that their cultural relics are not being well preserved by the government nd they are not alone. Hong Kong superstar Jackie Chan has a collection of old traditional Chinese houses, but frustrated with some local officials and moved by the sincerity of some Singaporeans, he has decided to donate a few to a university in Singapore. But his move has angered many of his compatriots.
Many people were angered when the Kung Fu legend, Jackie Chan, posted on a microblog his plans to donate four of his ancient buildings to a Singaporean university.
One netizen says:" It’s not proper to send China’s own cultural relics abroad." Another one says,"Once they are gone, they become the foreign country’s possession, and it’ll be difficult for Chinese people to see them again."
But Chan is determined.
"They must be in Singapore, because I can’t break my promise. I said I would give and I gave, and I’m very comfortable with that."
Chan says he is comfortable because of their sincerity.
"They sent people over...their tourism minister and cultural minister. They really took it seriously...All the personnel, they came to Hong Kong."
He was touched also by their professionalism. Singapore University of Technology and Design gave Chan a detailed plan for the project. And they carefully disassembled the houses and packed them up. They then shipped them to Singapore, and placed them in this special house...
"You see, how beautifully they’ve laid the logs."
Since Chan posted on the microblog, many Chinese officials have asked for his donation. But why did he only donate to Singapore, why not others?
"Now they send me proposals for preservation projects, but not in the past. And often when I was about to strike a deal, they tried to lure me with a real-estate project. Often, I found out this "Jackie Chan" park is actually beside a neiborhood of villas."
Chan’s plan for his collections, are not for profit, but preservation and cultural exchanges.
"It will be helpful to promote cultural exchanges between Singapore and China. Just bringing things back to China doesn’t necessarily mean patriotism. What I’m doing is letting others understand Chinese culture."
Though there are still some misunderstandings and criticism, Chan says he’s doing the right thing, and he is following his heart. And that’s what’s most meaningful.