‘CULTURAL cringe,’ a phrase first coined by Australians as a way of distancing themselves from the UK and establishing their own, unique identity, is a concept that Asia should take note of. China is probably the worst offender in the way it slavishly reproduces almost anything from the West, including ludicrous recreations of English villages. Equally cringeworthy is Macau’s interpretation of a European Christmas, with fake snow and carol-singing. In Thailand, meanwhile, developers build housing estates that copy traditional architectural designs from France and Italy, usually with a foreign-sounding title. Why can’t Asia be more original and creative? It’s a culturally rich region with plenty to be proud of. Let’s use this enormous resource instead of aping others.
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