"Go believe", gad, that barely means anything!

The explanation for the name that I'd always heard is that it's one of those horrible-sounding names that Chinese people used to give to their kids so that evil spirits wouldn't bother them. The idea was that the spirits were easy fooled, and if a child was named "even dogs won't touch it", they'd look for more worthy targets to harass. It all seems pretty apocryphal, though.

Hope they don't translate their dumplings' stuffings phonetically, as well. Leave the 'zhu' alone.

The name Gou Bu Li has an awesome back story. To think that laowai are too stupid to get it.. I guess that is spot on.

Is`t not "gouzhai",its pinyin pronunciation is "gouzai"

I totally agree with that the 'Gou Bu Li' has a long and brilliant history.
BESIDES, you outsiders (whatever your nationalities) should respect the china's cultures, and don't pretend to know the culutures cuz you just understand a little part of them.

Andy: Like many barbarian outsiders before me, I do respect Chinese culture. I agree with Yan Xishan that the name has some wonderful stories associated with it. It's a great Chinese name. Only a great steamed bun with a great past could have a great name and such a great steamed bun with such a great name will surely have a great future.

Which makes it all the more of a shame that they chose an English name that sounds like the name of a profiteering evangelist cult from Texas, or perhaps a Hong Kong pop band.

Thanks for investigating the back story, I was always curious about the name, figuring it was something along the lines of "with a name like Smuckers, it has to be good."
Apropos of Gouzai, a Beijing artist friend Huang Miaozi was originally called Maozai (kitten). When he grew up, they lopped off the radicals of the two characters and the name became Miaozi.

Wow, us stupid outsiders eh?

What makes you such insiders, Andy and Yan? Amaze me.

It is an amazing example of how brands of commodities can be "translated" effectively. Culturally-loaded brands in particular defy translation, not to mention to achieve the effect of "positive and meaningful" associations. I hope "Go Believe" would find an echo among English consumers.

Go believe, hey!
Very yellow, tasty!
Just Do IT!

What's wrong with "Goubuli"? I thought it's the coolest name for the delicious bun. Why is it OK for Chinese youth to mix English words in their daily vocabulary but uncool to let foreigners try to learn a new imported word or two? Nobody calls dimsum "dip heart".

Well...if it weren't for stupid outsiders preserving Chinese culture and history for researchers worldwide at such places as the Harvard U. Library, the British Museum, the East-West Center and Taiwan's National Palace Museum, then I guess China would have nothing to show for all those years of "civilization and culture".

And by the way, "Go Believe" does smack way too much of an offshoot of the Branch Davidians...

“Go Believe” is now also a grammatically dubious name for a hotel:

---
Tianjin - The city’s famous Goubuli hotel had adopted an English name “Go Believe”, Xinhua reports. A spokesman for the Go Believe group said the name enabled foreigners to remember the brand and echoed the group’s recent campaign for fighting against shops that operated with their name illegally.
---

It’s part of the assets now owned by another laozihao - Tianjin Tongrentang.link

It strikes me as a little odd this is news now. I remember the name was suggested back in October: link

“the name has received high praise from an expert evaluation group.”
“the meaning is also in accordance with the honesty [of] the group, it is very suitable for this hundred–year-old brand”

Often, I find, you get news stories when something like this is going to happen but then when it actually does happen nobody does a story on it. I can’t help thinking that a few journalists got some hongbaos in order to cook up as many stories about the brand as possible. What the Chinese call “stirfry”.

<tongue in cheek>
Did you get a little something, Jeremy? I’ve heard it said you know which side your bread is buttered on...
</tongue in cheek>

I'm a little confused about what Andy is worked up about... is it bad that we're trying to learn about Chinese culture here? Just because you grew up in a culture doesn't mean you understand it. I've heard plenty of Americans say stupid things about American culture, as well as Chinese say stupid things about Chinese culture.
Anyway, so far as "go believe", I simply cannot understand why Goubuli needs an English name. Maybe they're thinking that since McDonalds has to be changed to Maidanglao in Chinese, they have to do the same with Chinese brands. The name they chose makes me think they didn't consult any native English speakers... meaningful names may sound good in Chinese, but in English it just sounds pretentious.

Chinese do seem to find it incredibly surprising that laowais use Chinese words in their everyday speech. "Mafan", "guanxi", "fuwuyuan" and let's not to forget "gongbaojiding", of course.

In fact it's probably MORE common to use the original words for food. "baguette", "paella", "borsch". And I don't think I've ever heard anyone say "glutinous rice dumplings" as a preference to "zongzi".

Brand names too are often kept. "Hitachi", "Voltswagon", "Gucci" - I can see people drifting off now.

It's the kind of thing you have to explain right before saying "Yeah, you know what? I CAN use chopsticks after four years in China"

Joanna: What makes me an insider? Read my blog and be amazed.

Jeremy, now please tell us the history of goupigaoyao, the "dog skin plasters" -- they are used for aches and pains, sort of a Chinese Ben-Gay.

"What makes me an insider? Read my blog and be amazed."

Yeah your blog is cool but not "amazing" enough to call others stupid.

Dear Yan Xi Shan, :

Wow. Pat on the back, you did get me to open that page. Thanks for the link, it was interesting and entertaining, although I’m not sure how pretending to be a warlord with an army of big booty women adds to your insider-ness.

Hope you know that in the 50 odd years that have passed since your recorded death (don‘t worry, I‘m sure the dental records didn‘t match), Chinese people have made some progress in not assuming other peoples’ intelligence based on their non Chinese-ness. Way to fall off that bandwagon though! I’m going to stop writing now, the giggles make it infuriating to type :D

Go believe? Go where? Believe what? That there's no cardboard inside?

I would have went with "Gobble Buns", the Tianjin treat so delicious that tourists gobble them up.

Why stop there? Let's rename the famous Peking Duck restaurant chain Quan Ju De 全聚德
with my English suggestion: "Chewin' Jew Duck"
and Kao Rou Ji 烤肉季 can easily be translated as "Cow Row G" as well.

I also think Lao She Cha Guan 老舍茶馆 should be renamed "Lousy Teahouse" for foreigner's convenience.