Why are urban Chinese like my friend falling for guoxue scams?
The trend of ‘national studies’ unsettled me. Packaged in Chinese symbols – robes, incense, ancient wisdom – much of it felt too commodified
She had been going through a rough patch: burnout at work, a deep sense of disorientation. I admired her for trying to connect with something deeper. Out of curiosity and genuine concern, I agreed to join. But a sense of unease gnawed at me. The trend of guoxue, framed as a path to enlightenment, had always unsettled me. Something about it seemed too commercialised and packaged.
In my first video session with the reading group, we were told to introduce ourselves. An older woman who seemed to hold a position of authority spoke last. “It’s so good to see young people here,” she said. “These days, no one reads any more. But you all – you have the time. Life is more than just drinking and eating.”