# 15-Year-Old Chinese Tourist Carves His Name on 3500-Year-Old Egyptian Tomb **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 27, 2013, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463 "2013-05-27T15:08:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/21 "2013-05-27T23:01:55Z")
$5 says that in 3 years he’s enrolled at UCIrvine. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/22 "2013-05-27T23:21:18Z")
I am more and more impressed with the impact of Chinese netizens. Speaking (very) broadly, China is a shame culture, rather than a guilt culture. What this means is that pressure to “do the right thing” tends to be more external than internal. Roughly, rather than asking “How can I sleep at night after what I’ve done,” it’s “How can I show my face in the morning?” Both shame and guilt cultures have their good points and bad points, but one of the big problems with shame cultures is that once you are out of the view of whoever is putting shame on you, it can be taken as license to do whatever you want. But it seems like the internet, and microblogs especially, are really shaping up to broaden the moral range and bring more accountability to stuff that previously would have been ignored or shrugged off. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/23 "2013-05-27T23:27:07Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > While I deplore the defacing of a 3500 monument, I have to say he’s hardly the first tourist to carve his name on something, we’ve collectively been making marks on things since before we invented writing. I can’t support his actions but it’s a very human thing to do and 15 year olds from any culture are frequently impulsive and do stupid/bad stuff. I remember being in the tower of London, and seeing a plaque sternly warning against vandalising the tower - right next to a windowsill where some guys had carved their names into the stone in the 15th century. I mean, yes, this is an example of why the human species as a whole Can’t Have Nice Things, but on the other hand, if nobody fixes the grafitti in the next five hundred years, this kid’s name is going to be part of our collective historical heritage. ---
**Author:** ![panaccione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@panaccione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panaccione)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/24 "2013-05-27T23:33:23Z")
Why does this remind me of a Simpsons episode? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/25 "2013-05-27T23:49:04Z")
People have been writing graffiti on those pyramids since they were built. Why assume this generation is any different? ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/26 "2013-05-28T00:22:20Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I’m kind of bewildered as to how he was left unattended for so long. Looking at the picture: he didn’t carve that grafitti in 15 seconds or so; it took a while. Perhaps he was dictating. ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/27 "2013-05-28T00:42:08Z")
Shut up. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/28 "2013-05-28T00:45:14Z")
> [@what\_do\_I\_type\_here](#): > > Arrogant insect hive people. The sad part is that there are so many of them, they’ll probably destroy us. You what ? > [@even\_sven](#): > > Both shame and guilt cultures have their good points and bad points, but one of the big problems with shame cultures is that once you are out of the view of whoever is putting shame on you, it can be taken as license to do whatever you want. But it seems like the internet, and microblogs especially, are really shaping up to broaden the moral range and bring more accountability to stuff that previously would have been ignored or shrugged off. Whatever one may think of Anonymous, at least they like cats. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/29 "2013-05-28T00:54:45Z")
all this tells me is that 15 year olds are assholes no matter what country they’re from. thanks, but I already knew that. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/30 "2013-05-28T01:41:24Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I remember being in the tower of London, and seeing a plaque sternly warning against vandalising the tower - right next to a windowsill where some guys had carved their names into the stone in the 15th century. > > I mean, yes, this is an example of why the human species as a whole Can’t Have Nice Things, but on the other hand, if nobody fixes the grafitti in the next five hundred years, this kid’s name is going to be part of our collective historical heritage. Yup. Another example: [the temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, as defaced by various nineteenth-century travelers including Lord Byron](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hP0q05s0QZE/UPSjJGtHjfI/AAAAAAAAAOc/vp-Pbl62_zg/s400/427.JPG). (Granted, the chances of this kid’s growing up to be the next Byron are slim to none.) ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/31 "2013-05-28T01:49:59Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > [Indeed, too.](http://www.pompeiana.org/resources/ancient/graffiti%20from%20pompeii.htm) [Indeed, indeed too.](http://ancientstandard.com/2013/01/21/graffiti-art-in-the-colosseum-stands-at-attention/) (the ancients even beat us to the stupidest of graffiti subjects.) ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/32 "2013-05-28T02:00:48Z")
> [@what\_do\_I\_type\_here](#): > > Arrogant insect hive people. The sad part is that there are so many of them, they’ll probably destroy us. Yeah… Please expound on this. The Pit has gotten dull lately and this has so much opportunity to get 50 shades of ugly. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/33 "2013-05-28T02:00:51Z")
Thing is, a 3000 year old thing with graffiti from 3000 years ago isn’t the same as a 3000 year old thing with graffiti from 3000 minutes ago. Not sure what y’all are bringing up old graffiti on old stuff for; it’s a completely different subject. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/34 "2013-05-28T02:05:48Z")
[The Egyptian Temple](http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g60763-d105125-i38378861-Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art-New_York_City_New_York.html) at the Metropolitan Museum in NYC is covered with graffiti and no it wasn’t done by New Yorkers. ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/35 "2013-05-28T02:35:34Z")
> [@miss\_elizabeth](#): > > I’m glad he’s not an American. [Relevant meme](http://i.imgur.com/zqehMCA.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/36 "2013-05-28T03:01:28Z")
There’s a difference between an ancient Egyptian scribbling graffiti on one of the local buildings and a modern tourist scribbling graffiti on what is explicitly described as a precious and protected cultural heritage site. And that goes for Lord Byron too. Yes, graffiti itself inevitably becomes part of the precious and protected cultural heritage once it gets old enough, but that’s no excuse for being a douche in the here and now. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/37 "2013-05-28T04:47:01Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > But dang, I bet that kind of pressure keeps potential jackasses in line. You’d lose your shirt on that bet. Hong Kongers have been complaining a lot for the last few years about Mainlanders as have Japanese, Koreans, etc. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/38 "2013-05-28T07:38:07Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > [Story here.](http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/27/travel/china-egypt/index.html?hpt=hp_t1) > > I guess this kid was hoping his stunt would immortalize his name. In a just world, he _would_ be remembered for the rest of his life as “that asshole who defaced an irreplaceable part of human history.” I’ve read your link, then a couple related articles. Maybe we’ll soon hear about the “Ugly Chinese Tourists”. Yet another evidence of America’s decadence. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/39 "2013-05-28T07:43:55Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I’m not big fan of China, but I gotta say that the collective shame is kind of…admirable? . I don’t think it is. I’m a firm believer in individual responsibility hence sternly opposed to collective blame, including self-loath, or apology on behalf of someone else who happens to belong to same group you do. Especially when the news are “Some 15 yo did something really stupid”. It’s not exactly as if this only happened in China, is it? ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/40 "2013-05-28T07:51:47Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > [Indeed](http://www.maeshowe.co.uk/maeshowe/runes.html). > [@silenus](#): > > [Indeed, too.](http://www.pompeiana.org/resources/ancient/graffiti%20from%20pompeii.htm) “Ingigerd is the most beautiful of women” “I screwed the barmaid” “Marcus loves Spendusa” :D:D:D [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463.md?page=3)