"In direct opposition to" — Phrase of the Week
Arc'teryx faces backlash over fireworks display in Tibet
Our phrase of the week is: “in direct opposition to” (背道而驰 bèi dào ér chí)
Context
Canadian outdoor apparel brand Arc’teryx is facing intense criticism over a high-profile PR stunt gone badly wrong.
On September 21, the company sponsored a massive high-altitude fireworks display in Shigatse, Tibet. Long sequences of fireworks were launched on remote hillsides under the theme “Ascending Dragon” (升龙). The displays were designed by renowned pyrotechnic artist Cai Guoqiang (蔡国强), who made his name creating the fireworks shows at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Once footage of the Ascending Dragon hit social media, the backlash was swift. Arc’teryx was condemned for “blowing up a mountain” (炸山) and causing environmental damage to the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.
Its attempt to contain the damage only made things worse.
The company issued apologies in both Chinese and English, but the content and tone of each was different.
Chinese consumers perceived the Chinese language apology as evasive and blame-shifting, while the English apology was more direct, with Arc’teryx accepting responsibility and promising to mitigate environmental and social impacts.
When Chinese media translated the English apology back into Chinese using a well-known idiom, the discrepancy became even more apparent:
“This event is in direct opposition to our commitment to outdoor spaces, our brand positioning, and the role we hope to play in the community.”
“这一活动与我们对户外空间的承诺、品牌定位，以及希望为社区扮演的角色背道而驰”
zhè yī huó dòng yǔ wǒ men duì hù wài kōng jiān de chéng nuò, pǐn pái dìng wèi, yǐ jí xī wàng wèi shè qū bàn yǎn de jué sè bèi dào ér chí.
And with that, we have our Sinica Phrase of the Week.
What it means
“In direct opposition to” can be expressed in Chinese as the four-character idiom (背道而驰), which literally translates as “back faced to the road” (背道), “galloping” (而驰). In other words, going in the wrong direction at high speed.
The idiom was first recorded in Postscript to the Collected Writings of Official Yang (杨评事文集后序) by Liu Zongyuan (柳宗元, 773–819), a prominent Tang dynasty essayist, poet, and politician.
In the postscript, Liu writes:
“Other people each explore one niche, and if they go in opposite directions, their goals will be further apart.”
“其余各探一隅，相与背驰于道者，其去弥远。”
qí yú gè tàn yī yú, xiāng yǔ bèi chí yú dào zhě, qí qù mí yuǎn
This line reflects the idea that when actions or intentions diverge, even well-intentioned people will end up moving further apart.
In modern Chinese, the expression has evolved from that classical form to become a four-character idiom (背道而驰). It’s generally used in relation to morals or values, referring to behaviour that “runs counter to”, “goes against”, or is “in direct opposition to” principles or commitments.
For Arc’teryx, the irony is stark: an outdoor brand known for promoting “leave no trace” and environmental protection has caused lasting damage to the fragile Tibetan ecosystem with its ill-conceived PR stunt.
As the English apology suggests, this runs completely counter to the brand’s values. And what better way to make that point than with a Chinese idiom!
Andrew Methven is the author of RealTime Mandarin, a resource which helps you bridge the gap to real-world fluency in Mandarin, stay informed about China, and communicate with confidence—all through weekly immersion in real news. Subscribe for free here.
