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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 6, 2023)
ASIA / PACIFIC Page 20 n THE ASIAN REPORTER November 6, 2023 In the wake of Matthew Perry’s death, Chinese fans mourn an old friend FRIEND FAREWELL. Long before “Friends” made its official debut in China, the show was a word-of-mouth phenomenon in the country. In the wake of Matthew Perry’s death at age 54, fans in China are mourning the loss of the star who felt less like a distant celebrity and more like an old friend. In September, Zhang Fengguang proposed to Sun Tiantian (pictured) by re-creating Chandler and Monica’s proposal scene from “Friends” at a Shenzhen café. (Zhang Fengguang via AP) By Fu Ting The Associated Press ong before “Friends” made its official debut in China, the show was a word-of-mouth phenomenon in the country. In the wake of Matthew Perry’s death at age 54, fans in China are mourning the loss of the star who felt less like a distant celebrity and more like an old friend. A Wednesday evening memorial last week at a café in Shenzhen, a busy city across the border of Hong Kong, was one of several held throughout the country for the actor who played Chandler Bing and died October 28 in Los Angeles. The coffee shop — an homage to the 10-season sitcom, from its name (Smelly Cat) to the Central Perk sign on its glass wall — was packed with people and floral arrangements as the TV mounted in the corner played an episode of “Friends.” “There are more people who showed up than we expected,” said café manager Nie Yanxia. “People shared their own memories about Chandler and ‘Friends’ and many teared up.” A large poster displayed on the bar featured pictures of Perry over the years. “We love you, friend,” read the message at the bottom. While “Friends” didn’t debut in China until 2012 — through Sohu, a streaming platform — the show had become popular more than a decade earlier thanks to bootleg DVD and hard drive copies. Once Chinese fans added Mandarin subtitles to the show, which ran in the U.S. from 1994 to 2004, it quickly gained a following. “China was experiencing this drastic historical change marked by the rise of consumerism and also individualism and urbanization back then,” said Xian Wang, L a professor of modern Chinese literature and popular culture at the University of Notre Dame. “This TV show actually offered a way to imagine this kind of so- called metropolitan utopian imagination.” Many Chinese fans learned English through watching the show and got a peek into American life and culture. The uncensored underground version of “Friends” also opened a window into topics that weren’t commonly broached on Chinese television, like LGBTQ+ themes and sexual content. (While “Friends” wasn’t initially censored on Sohu, the platform — and others that later began officially distributing the show in China — would increasingly cut out scenes.) Wang said many young people in China identified with Perry’s character and his fictional friends as they navigated living independently and developing their own identity in a big city. “It’s kind of like the loss of one of their own friends,” Wang said. “So that’s emotional because there was a sense of the childhood or youth memory, a sense of nostalgia.” In the bustling neon city of Shanghai also on Wednesday night, more than 30 people packed a petite rendition of the Central Perk café. There was barely room to stand, and just space for three to sit on a replica of the iconic orange sofa. Those who couldn’t fit inside the café spilled out the door, peering in, while others sat on chairs outside. Inside, fans took turns reading articles about Perry. Some choked up. Nilufar Arkin, who lives in Tianjin, says she and her boyfriend have been described by their friends as the real-life Monica and Chandler. The couple even got matching tattoos two years ago with the lyrics from the theme song “I’ll Be There For You,” performed by The Rembrandts. The artwork on their arms also depict the classic Thanksgiving scene where Monica dances in front of Chandler wearing a turkey on her head. It was the first time Chandler told Monica that he loved her. “I think Chandler and Monica is the model as a couple,” Arkin, 27, said. “This is what I admire for a couple, I love both of them. He’s my type as a husband.” Arkin heard about Perry’s death when she woke up at her friend’s home in Xinjiang and broke down in tears. “I couldn’t believe it and had to verify it again and again until I found it was true, then I just cried,” Arkin said. “He’s my top one character in the show.” Fu Xueying has watched the series repeatedly; each time, it grows on her more. The 20-year-old student has visited three Central Perk-themed cafés, in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou, where she felt like she was part of the show. “‘Friends’ has been a haven for my life,” Fu said. “Every time I have too much pressure from school or being unhappy, I watch it and forget the things that happened to me.” For mechanical engineer Zhang Fengguang and his fiancée Sun Tiantian, both 30, Perry and the show will always be a part of their lives. In September, Zhang re-created Chandler and Monica’s proposal scene; Sun said yes. “I used his scene and his line,” Zhang said. “It feels like I just got to know this long-lost friend, but he’s just gone.” Fu Ting reported from Washington. Associated Press journalist Han Guan Ng in Shanghai contributed to this report. Asia’s first Gay Games kicks off in Hong Kong Continued from page 14 able to break down stereotypes.” But organizers have faced various challenges since winning the bid to host the games in 2017. The opportunity to grow Hong Kong’s reputation as an inclusive international financial hub did not draw much support from the government. Some lawmakers have even attacked the games, with one suggesting it could pose a threat to national security. The scale of the event also falls short of the organizers’ original goals set in 2016. They had aimed to attract 15,000 partici- pants and inject 1 billion Hong Kong dollars (US$128 million) into the economy. The COVID-19 pandemic is largely to blame for its downsize. As Hong Kong grappled with the uncertainty of when stringent quarantine rules for travellers would be eased, Guadalajara in Mexico was named as a co-host for the games. With a closer option available, many in- dividuals from Europe and America opted not to undertake the lengthy journey to Hong Kong, Lam said. The high costs as- sociated with long-haul flights and hotel accommodations in the post-pandemic era also deterred many potential visitors, she added. Others are hesitant to visit due to the risks posed by a Beijing-imposed national security law that has jailed and silenced many activists following 2019 pro-democ- racy protests. Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, did not send a dele- gation to Hong Kong out of safety concerns. But equality advocate Jerome Yau was optimistic that the community would still appreciate how the games promote LGBTQ+ dialogue. It can take time for people to fully realize the legacy of an event, said the co-founder of non-govern- mental organization Hong Kong Marriage Equality. LGBTQ+ activism is a rare spot that is still making considerable progress in Hong Kong under a government crackdown on its civil society. Over the past year, the city’s courts have ruled that full sex reassignment surgery should not be a prerequisite for trans- gender people to have their gender changed on their official identity cards and backed the granting of equal housing and inheritance rights for same-sex couples married overseas. Hong Kong is now moving toward a framework for recog- nizing same-sex partnerships following a landmark ruling in September. All these wins were brought by legal challenges launched by members of the LGBTQ+ community amid growing social acceptance of same-sex marriage. Suen Yiu-tung, a gender studies professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, acknowledged the positive progress but said Hong Kong’s LGBTQ+ development remains uneven because other areas have not advanced much. Suen pointed out that discrimination based on sexual orientation is still legal in the private sector, and that a report from a 2017 public consultation on legal gender recognition has yet to be released. While government policies may take years to fully incorporate equal rights, many members of the LGBTQ+ commu- nity are proactively seizing every opportu- nity to drive small changes. Hundreds of volunteers have helped to build the Gay Games. Emery Fung, a 29-year-old founder of a diversity and inclusion consultancy, is one of them. He helped set up all-gender toilets for participants and arrange some contests to allow people of different genders to play together — breaking from the tradition of conventional sporting events, which typically segregate players by sex. “I hope that ultimately, there will be a day people won’t need to specifically state what kind of person I am or what kind of person you are, we just all live together,” he said. CHECKING & SAVINGS • HOME LOANS • AUTO LOANS CREDIT CARDS • BUSINESS SERVICES We take pride in this community. After all, we live here too. For over 90 years, OnPoint has been a part of the Pacific Northwest. 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