Altering perceptions of an old Chinese Tradition
Hongbao, the ancient Chinese tradition of giving a red envelope containing money as a gift for birthdays, weddings, baptisms and other happy occasions, also applies to area that the Chinese government is looking to change. When Chinese families are faced with a major medical procedure, they give the doctor a red envelope with money prior to the procedure. For the government, the preferred time for gifting the red envelope would be after treatment.
The
rationale behind governmental distaste for the practice is understandable
(receiving payment for better care seems to be encouraging unethical behavior
on the part of the doctor), but for the Chinese people, the tradition is a good
thing. They believe giving the gift in
advance of the procedure will ensure a good outcome. Not giving the gift prior to the procedure
would practically guarantee a bad outcome. Additionally, as most Chinese
doctors are traditional, they wouldn’t think of refusing the gift , which would
be perceived as an insult.
While
fully understanding the tradition, Chinese officials are also aware that those who
don’t know the custom could perceive the Chinese medical profession as
corrupt. With a goal to make Chinese
society and the Chinese nation more mainstream as a super power, having a major
part of their society appear to be disreputable could be a major black
eye. Understandably, the government is
in a quandary between cultural reality, outsiders’ perceptions and what appears
to be a sizeable gray area between the two.
The
first option would be to simply let things stand as they are and address
questions as they arise.
However, with
the power of the Internet and its reputation defense-minded world, this may not
be a viable option. Being proactive and explaining
the hongbao tradition, as well as its underlying long-held good-intentions,
could help. In this scenario, a line or
two explaining how this custom originated and came to be used in areas of life
beyond celebrations, such as medical procedures, would be a good approach.
The
worst case scenario would probably be outlawing or announcing a
government-decreed end to the tradition. But, enforcing such a minor issue is
always difficult. While it would not end it entirely — there are always those
who will ignore laws that are difficult to enforce — those afraid of punishment
would be torn between following the law or doing what’s necessary to ensure
good the fortune stemming from the tradition.
The line between the red envelopes of hongbau and a black line
potentially drawn in the sand by the government to end the practice is not just
a gray area but possibly an unbridgeable divide.
