What do Chinese like about the Netherlands?

[josvangoor]

Hello,

 

I'm Jos and at this moment I'm working on a project about China.

For this project I need some information about what Chinese people like about the Netherlands and especially Giethoorn?

If you don't know Giethoorn, here are some pictures.

 

http://www.rondvaartbedrijf.nl/ 

 

Hopefully you can help me.

 

Greetings from Holland

[Lu]

There are not many Chinese on these forums, but I'd advise you to go to gogodutch.com. It's a forum for Chinese people (mostly students) in the Netherlands, and they might have some useful insights for you. Good luck!

[GaHanna]

Greetings.

 

Here in Shenyang, at the North Eastern University, there is a partnership with people in the Netherlands in, I think, medical supplies. I am not too sure but it might be an interesting avenue for you to look into.

[Silent]

 

 

especially Giethoorn

Based on your name I assume you're Dutch so why not go to Giethoorn and interview them? I suspect if you pick random Chinese people in China they're unlikely to know Giethoorn.

 

The suggestion of Lu, gogodutch.com may be a good one too, but I think it's Chinese only so.... Or ask some random Chinese people in the street in Amsterdam or The Hague. But then, what is the goal and what kind of audience do you want to target? None of these suggestions will give you the opinion of the 'average' Chinese.

[Shelley]

When I first saw this topic I thought to myself "what DO Chinese people like about the Netherlands"?

 

is there an unusually large Chinese population there?

 

Agree with Silent you need to ask Chinese people in the Netherlands, how else will you be able to answer this question?

 

pick random Chinese people in China they're unlikely to know Giethoorn.

 

I am in Europe, have once visited Holland, but have never heard of Giethoom, not that this really means anything, just seems a bit unlikely to be well known around the world. Does anything world grabbing happen there? Any annual activities that would put it on the map?

.

[Lu]

Giethoorn is actually pretty famous in China. It's a very small town, but like Venice it has canals instead of roads and it's in general very pretty. It's called 羊角村 in Chinese and I think that many Chinese people who have considered visiting the Netherlands (or have already visited it) will know about it.

But yeah, ask Chinese people, especially Chinese people who are visiting the Netherlands, or at least Chinese people who like to travel to Europe.

[li3wei1]

The pictures on Wikipedia remind me a bit of old Lijiang.

 

Sounds like some good marketing going on in the Giethoorn Tourism Office.

[Silent]

 

Does anything world grabbing happen there? Any annual activities that would put it on the map?

It's on the jubilee edition of world Monopoly!

 

 

I think that many Chinese people who have considered visiting the Netherlands (or have already visited it) will know about it.

Not exactly the average Chinese, just as that the average European is unlikely to know say Pingyao

[Lu]

OP, I'm sure you heard about the documentary 'Ni Hao Holland' on Chinese people visiting Giethoorn. I keep running into various articles on it, perhaps it can be interesting. The makers of the documentary gave a talk about their work and China blog 2025 writes about Chinese tourism to the Netherlands. (Both articles are in Dutch.)

[Silent]

 

I'm sure you heard about the documentary 'Ni Hao Holland' on Chinese people visiting Giethoorn.

It's broadcasted today and just watched it, I found it more funny then informative due to the naivity, comparisons made but also due to recognition as in many ways the other way around it's exactly the same for westerners in China and other exotic destinations.

For those interested it can be watched here (not sure or there's a location restriction). It's mostly in Chinese with a little English and Dutch (with Dutch subtitles where not spoken in Dutch)

[Lu]

I heard from someone involved in the production that it's in fact not a documentary at all: apparently the Chinese women were actors. Some of it is probably spontaneous, but the director instructed them what to do/say. I haven't seen the film yet.

[Silent]

 

Some of it is probably spontaneous, but the director instructed them what to do/say.

A lot of documentaries are scripted to some extend, it's hard to catch spontaneous acts properly. So retakes with instructions are common. It does have a scripted feel, specially the first boating scenes where they can't keep a straight line and keep 'crashing' and the pondering over the dressed up photographs and near the end. Also their "Dank je wel" sounded odd as nowhere else they made an attempt to use Dutch.

 

It's hard to judge in what extend it's scripted, but I would not be surprised if they were actually Dutch actresses.

[Lu]

No, the actresses were really Chinese (according to the person I spoke to). But for example the scene where they talk to someone on skype about how Chinese have a different idea of public vs private was the director's idea.