From China Digital Space

拆哪 (Chāi nǎ) Demolish it

Chāi nǎ mimics the sound of the English word “China.” “Demolish” (拆 chāi) has a special meaning in contemporary China, as demolitions, often forced on tenants with little or no compensation, are one of the major sources of social instability. Developers and the local government profit greatly from forcibly evicting people from their homes to build on the land. Anger over forced demolition lead the people of Wukan, Guangdong to fight the local government, eventually laying siege to their village in December 2011.

哪 nǎ means “where” or “which.” Hence, Chāi nǎ also sounds like the question “Where/which should be demolished?” and mocks the ubiquity of demolition.

All over China, 拆 is spray-painted on the sides of buildings slated for demolition. People who have had their homes demolished are called 拆迁户 chāiqiānhù.

Linguist Victor Mair has a collection of nicknames for China, including chāi nǎ, on his Language Log blog.

Contents 1 Ministry of Truth: Death and Burial in Guangdong 2 AmazeNews: At the Mercy of “Brother Emperor” 3 ‘China’s Leonard Cohen’ Calls Out Corruption 4 China’s Resistance Art Beyond Ai Weiwei 5 PX Protests, Hollow Victories and Forced Demolitions 6 Drawing the News: Politics in the House 7 After Forced Evictions, a Nightmare of Red Tape 8 China’s Land Seizures Drop 9 Standing Their Ground: Violent Evictions in China 10 Ministry of Truth: Mum on Slain Farmer

Ministry of Truth: Death and Burial in Guangdong

19 May 2013, by Anne Henochowicz

AmazeNews: At the Mercy of “Brother Emperor”

10 May 2013, by Anne Henochowicz

‘China’s Leonard Cohen’ Calls Out Corruption

18 February 2013, by Samuel Wade

China’s Resistance Art Beyond Ai Weiwei

23 January 2013, by Mengyu Dong

PX Protests, Hollow Victories and Forced Demolitions

3 November 2012, by Samuel Wade

Drawing the News: Politics in the House

26 October 2012, by Anne Henochowicz

After Forced Evictions, a Nightmare of Red Tape

24 October 2012, by Samuel Wade

China’s Land Seizures Drop

15 October 2012, by Mengyu Dong

Standing Their Ground: Violent Evictions in China

12 October 2012, by Samuel Wade

Ministry of Truth: Mum on Slain Farmer

2 October 2012, by Anne Henochowicz