Chinese fans bid farewell to old "Friend"

BEIJING, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Upon learning about the death of "Friends" star Matthew Perry, Xiao Dong (pseudonym) decided to watch an episode of the sitcom, which he had already seen countless times before.

He chose the one when the affable and witty Chandler Bing, played by Perry, was proposed to by his friend Monica Geller, played by Courteney Cox.

"This is one of my favorite episodes, and I believe in another world, the man is living such a happy life," said the 39-year-old editor.

Xiao is among the many Chinese fans of the American TV drama that have been saddened by the death of Emmy-nominated actor Perry, who was found dead in a tub at his home in the United States over the weekend.

Xiao began his studies as an English major at Beijing International Studies University in 2003. His teacher recommended that he watch the sitcom to improve his language skills. His interest in the characters started with a DVD he bought in a shop on campus.

The man was from a small city in north China's Shanxi Province, which, even after the reform and opening up decades ago, saw few foreign people in the early 2000s. "The TV drama really opened a window for me to learn about the lifestyle and culture of the West," he said.

He believes that its influence on Chinese audiences is still evident today, as T-shirts and souvenirs with images and logos of "Friends" can still be easily found in online stores.

In fact, "Friends" was much more than a TV comedy from the outset in China.

It first gained popularity in the late 1990s as a tool for learning the English language. Then the country's post-1980s and post-1990s generations like Xiao discovered its unique appeal as a portal for them to learn about American culture.

Sun Yingchun, a professor at China's Communications University, told Xinhua that he was so familiar with the sitcom that when he heard a line, he could recite the next one immediately. To this day, he still has a habit of listening to the drama's soundtrack on his laptop or in the car.

"From the 1990s to the 2000s when China was undergoing modernization and urbanization, people might have realized that our lifestyle had become more diversified," he said.

"During that period many of us left our hometown to live and work in big cities, and this TV drama helped us to learn how to get along with friends and lovers," added the scholar.

Playwright Dai Zhengyang started watching "Friends" in 2008 when he was in junior high school. "You can always sit together in Central Park and enjoy a cup of coffee with your friends."

He noted that the sitcom was more influential among young people than he had earlier thought.

The rise of Chinese streaming platforms and their import of American sitcoms since the early 2010s have helped "Friends" amass an even greater following in China, some of whom are "Generation Zers" born after the series wrapped up, like 24-year-old Du Shang.

"I was born during the age of the internet, when people are inclined to communicate online through electronic devices," he said. "But 'Friends' presented another scenario where everyone sits together and shares each others' happiness and sorrows. I really love that."

According to Dai, "Friends" was born when Chinese people were just beginning to use the internet. "The drama told us about the importance of presence, which, no matter how technology develops, remains irreplaceable."

With China's development, Xiao Dong has seen an increasing number of good domestic TV dramas in recent years, which he hopes that one day could be like "Friends", loved by foreign audiences, with characters that leave an impression on them like Chandler.

Both Dai and Xiao said Chandler was the most impressive character in "Friends," whose growth throughout the 10 seasons mirrored their own growth.

"I would like to say 'Goodbye Chandler'," said Xiao Dong. "You were not perfect and your friends had worried about your health condition. But your humour had cheered us all up. I hope you can keep smiling in the heaven."