Ambivalence toward tradition rages on

A 300-year-old primer for youngsters has sparked a new blaze, embroiling several prominent scholars and their legions of supporters whose smoldering sentiments toward Chinese tradition are a reminder of the conflicts between efforts to reconnect with our past and the drive for modernity.

The ancient text in question is Di Zi Gui, which Yang Zao described in his Tencent online column as "spiritual smog". Literally "Standards for Being a Good Pupil and Child", its string of three-character verses was intended for children to learn by rote and used as instructions for daily behavior. In recent years, it was revived by some educators as a classic of Chinese culture.

Yang, a scholar with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, is not the first one to protest against the reinstatement. Some parents have been alarmed by the choice of this textbook even though it never received official sanction. The gist of their arguments is, this booklet teaches children to be docile and obey authorities, not to question them and develop independent thinking.