The Rise of Shanzhai Culture 山寨文化的兴起

The Rise of Shanzhai Culture

The vast array of knockoff name-brand products, such as cell phones, DVDs, MP3 players, have made “shanzhai” the hottest word of the year. Now we wear shanzhai watches, talk through shanzhai cell phones, play shanzhai video games, use shanzhai computers, even watch shanzhai TV shows. Once a term used before some electronic products to suggest a copycat version of inferior quality, shanzhai now suggests to many Chinese creativity and trendiness. With the media all over the rise of shanzhai culture, public opinions are clearly divided.

Advocates invariably associate it with innovation, stylishness, the DIY spirit, open-mindedness and practicality, as shanzhai products often mix imitation with innovation – a similar skin but a different heart. The end products are usually more functional and much cheaper than the original. Besides, they respond to the market more swiftly and they are more considerate in design. Thanks to them, more people at the grassroots level can enjoy the benefit of modern technology.

However, other people, including myself, hold more reserved attitudes towards the shanzhai fever. For all the popularity it has won, a copycat is a copycat. The mockery of the prestige products not only steals their profits but also upsets market competition. Moreover, shanzhai products thrive on the current legal loopholes. Under the disguise of anti-dominance slogans, they make illegal profits by violating intellectual property rights and evading taxes. And to top it off, the so-called innovation is only senseless talk as true innovation always faces huge costs and potential failures, while plagiarism simply builds success on other people’s risks.