Kitsch in Beijing Capital International Airport

On my way back from China, I had almost four hours to explore the newly built Beijing Capital International Airport. There are art galleries and stage and booths showcasing different regions in China - currently on display are works from Hebei Province next to Beijing.

The art gallery in my terminal displayed "bone porcelain" plates, vases and other products. Most of them are very beautiful but inevitably, some kitsch took the center space - a giant plate of Mao Zedong portrait sat right in the middle of the beautiful utilitarian merchandises.




In one of the showcases from Hebei Province, I picked out an expensively produced catalog of snuff boxes but found nothing nice in it. The catalog started with a grandiose owner of the enterprise and an array of awards and certificate pictures, followed by pictures of visiting VIPs (exclusively politicians) and calligraphy by some of those VIPs. Only then, you would see the products. Most of the snuff boxes were painted with vulgarity, but it was the kitsch stood out. Many snuff boxes featured the president and prime minister of China, striking heroic or caring poses during the 2008 earthquake, or many famous athletes or scientists.



























































In last few decades, China has transformed greatly but definitely not everything.