9.Traditional Chinese Culture Makes A Solid Rebound

Study of national culture has caught on in China over the past few years. In 2005, Beijing-based Renmin University opened its College of National Culture Study (Guoxue in Chinese), the first of its kind in China since the founding of the People's Republic. In addition to universities, some old-style private schools for kids were established across the country. There, the Confucian theory dominates the curriculum.

In December, 2007, the Chinese government officially announced it scrapped one of the country's three "golden week" holidays and introduced three new one-day public holidays. The new national public holiday plan adds three traditional festivals -- Tomb-Sweeping Day, Dragon-boat Festival and Mid Autumn Festival -- to the list of public holidays.

Underlying reasons

Traditional Chinese culture has regained great popularity after about a hundred years of marginalization. Experts believe it has something to do with China’s current situation.

With the rapid economic growth in China, many people, especially the young, find themselves lost as far as cultural identity. Thus, they turn to the vast sea of traditional Chinese culture for spiritual support. Chinese scholars agree that China is now experiencing an economic takeoff and is getting more and more involved in the world. This is quite similar to the early 20th century, when western cultures crowded into China and exerted pressure on traditional cultures. Chinese scholars are now seeking some spiritual support from traditional Chinese culture in order to facilitate modern China's development.

Discussions

At the same time, discussions as to how to best promote Guoxue, or the study of traditional Chinese philosophy, literature, and history abound.

Zhou Liming, a columnist with China Daily, points out that in a time of peace and prosperity like ours, we should not be cynical about Guoxue, but appreciate it for its wealth and beauty of civilization. Our education should include the mandatory teaching of a sampling of the Guoxue classics. But, as they say, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Some who are recently exposed to Guoxue tend to place it on such a high pedestal that even normal criticism and academic analysis is seen as heresy. In essence, they want to revert to the old days when Guoxue was a force of suppression rather than a source of inspiration.

Many people get their Guoxue inklings from such channels as CCTV's Lecture Room, where eloquent speakers like Yu Dan offer a “chicken-soup-for-the-soul” interpretation. There is nothing wrong with this populist methodology, but hers is far from a definitive account. Instead, it is more of an appetizer that should be followed with the main entree, or the original work with all the complexities and subtleties that her feel-good preaching could not possibly incorporate.

People who revere Guoxue as God Almighty do not really understand how civilizations evolve. They believe it is this rigid thing that must be crammed down the throat of youngsters and never accommodate their questions. Most traditional style schools (si shu) that have sprung up in recent years resort to this gorging-without-digesting approach.

What the Guoxue fundamentalists have ignored is something preached by Confucius - understanding and tolerance.

Editor: Lency