China's Anthem

You'd think if a country were going to choose a song for itself, the song would reflect its best traits. Venezuela's would be about beautiful women and pristine beaches, Switzerland's about its chocolate and cuckoo clocks. If a nation wishes to advertise its fighting prowess, decorum would dictate following America and England's lead, with allusions to flags still waving and making mightier yet.

In the East, countries display a lyrical schizophrenia, giving voice to a side otherwise seldom advertised. The trend seems to be historical. The Qing Dynasty, for example, was founded by a semi-nomadic race of mounted toughs who rode roughshod over the remains of the Ming Empire. To judge by their anthem, though, their reason for doing so was to establish a loafer's paradise, a realm of gold and giggles threatened only by the ocean.