Chinese Culture文档格式.docx
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That’sforsure!
Historically,Chinesecalligraphyandpoliticswerecloselyintertwined.Over2,000yearsago,EmperorQinShihuang,thefirstEmperorinChinesehistory,establishedtheofficialChinesewritingcharacters.Thenew,simplifiedcharactersmadewritingcalligraphylesscomplicated.Itallowedpeopletousecharacterswithmorestraightstrokes,thusmakingiteasiertowritewithbrushes.ThiscreatedtheLigenre.Overtime,othervariationswerealsodeveloped,whicheventuallyleadtotheformationofthefivegenresinChinesecalligraphy.TheseweretheZhuan,Li,Kai,XingandCaogenres.
I’veheardthatmostemperorsweregoodatcalligraphy.TheTangDynastyEmperorLiShiminwasanavidcollectorofWangXizhi’swritings.
That’sright.QingDynastyEmperorQianLongplayedakeyroleincompilinganauthoritativecollectionofcalligraphy.Tosomeextent,preferencesoftheEmperorshadaninfluenceontheriseandfallofcertaincalligraphygenres.
OrdinaryChinesepeoplealsoseemedtolikecalligraphyalot.
PartofthereasonwasthesponsorshipbytheEmperors.AnotherreasonwastheImperialCivilServiceexaminationsthatstartedinthe7thcentury.Thoseexaminationswerefocusedonwritingandprovidedawayforordinarypeopletoachieveabetterlife.Asaresult,calligraphybecamewidelyaccepted.Calligraphyalsohaditspracticalvaluesbecauseitwasagoodwaytomakefriendsandwasmorepresentableasagiftratherthanjewelryormoney.
Doescalligraphystillhavethesepracticalfunctionsnow?
Yes.Manypeoplepracticecalligraphyasawaytoraisetheirculturalaccomplishment.Olderpeopleusecalligraphicwritingasamethodtokeepfit.Theybelievethatwhenapersonconcentratesonwritingcalligraphy,hisinnerwellbeingisstimulated.
IhadthoughtcomputerswouldleadtothedisappearanceofChinesecalligraphy.NowIunderstandthat’snotlikelytohappen.Howcanyougiveyourbosscomputer-printedcalligraphyasagift?
Youdon’t,unlessyouwanthimtofireyou.
02.TheSignificanceofChinesePaintings
It’sinterestingthatChinesepaintingscanbecreatedonthespot,eventhoughmostofthemhavesimilarsubjects.Peony,plumblossoms,mountains,creeksorcottagesareverypopular.Thereareoftenpaintersatsignificantcelebratoryandcommemorativeevents.
Theireducationalfunctionis,infact,auniquefeatureofChinesepainting.Humanprofileswereusedasamethodtoeitherglorifyheroesorcondemntraitors2,000yearsago.TangDynastyofficialseventriedtobringpaintingintoConfucianideology.TheCourtoftheSongDynastypublishedanofficialguidetopaintings.Thisraisedcriterianotonlyforhumanprofilesbutalsoforlandscapeandobjectpaintings.
Oh,whatwasthat?
Itclassifiedpaintingsintotencategoriescoveringreligiousbeliefs,Confucianismandstatepower.Thisclassificationgaveanofficialdefinitionofthevalueandsignificanceofthepaintings.Thepurposeoflandscapepaintingswastoportraythefivemountains,whilefruitandbirdswereusedtoexemplifyoreulogizetheGods.Inthiscase,thesubjectswereusedasreferencestopeopleinordertodelivermoralmessages.Forexample,peonyandpeacocksrepresentedwealthandfortune;
pinetrees,bamboo,plumblossomsandorchidsrepresentedeleganceandaccomplishment;
andpinetreesandcypressessymbolizedloyalty.
AsfarasIknow,painterswhodidnothavetomakealivingbypaintinguseddifferentskillstothosespecifiedintheguide,eventhoughtheypaintedthesamesubjects.
Artistsareusuallyagainstpragmatism.Theyliketogivemeaningtothesubjectstheypaint.Bamboosymbolizesintegrityandpinetreessymbolizenevergivingup.Artistsalsolikelandscapes.Itdoesn’ttakealotoftrainingtopaintlandscapes.Italldependsonthepainter’spersonalityandability,aswellashisuniquetouch.Mostoftoday’snon-professionalpaintersfollowthelandscapestyle.Theobjectiveofthesepaintersispurelyentertainmentandself-satisfaction.Themoresuccessfulartistshavetheopportunitytoexhibitatpublicfunctions.Thatisprobablytheclimaxoftheirpaintingcareers.
Whatareprofessionalpaintersdoing?
Someofthemmakeagreatefforttoimprovetheirpaintingskills.Theywanttodevelopnewandinnovativepaintingmethodsbyborrowingfromothergenres.Othersarebusymakingmoney.Theyhavefoundwaystoproducecommerciallyattractivepaintings.Somepeoplesaytheyarenolongerartists.Insteadtheyhavebecomemanufacturersofpaintings.
03.RediscoverConfucius
DidyouseethestatueofConfuciuslaunchedbytheChinaConfuciusFund?
Yes,Idid.Itdoesn’tquitematchtheConfuciusimageinmymindthough.Iheardtherearemanydifferentopinionsaboutthisso-calledofficialstatue.But,tobefair,it’sanimpossiblejobtocreateanofficialstatueofsomeonewholivedmorethan2,500yearsago.Nooneknowswhathelookedlike,justlikenooneintheWestknowswhatPlatolookedlike.Nevertheless,Confuciuswasagreatphilosopher,aneducator,apolitician,aswellasthefounderofConfucianism,whichstillhasatremendousinfluenceoverpeopletoday.
Confucianismseemstobebackinfashionagain.AsfarasIknow,aboutfivetosixmillionChinesestudentsarecurrentlystudyingTheanalectsofConfucius.SomecompaniesareusingConfucianismasamanagementtool.ThegovernmentisalsopromotingtheConfucianvaluesofethics,fairness,andhonesty.Theyseeitasawaytoaddressthesocialproblemsthathaveemergedasaresultoftheacceleratedeconomicgrowth.
ConfucianismisthebackboneofChineseculture.Confuciusdevelopedhisphilosophyaroundtheconceptofbenevolence.TheAnalectsofConfuciusisarecordofhispoliticalviews.Confucianismrepresentsasetofmoralprinciplesbecauseitstressesfairnessandharmonyinhumanrelationships,aswellastheindividual’ssocialresponsibilityfortheircountry.ForConfucius,politicalhonestyisbasedonindividualethicalintegrity.
SomeAmericanscholarsdidacomparativestudyofConfuciuswithGreekandRomanphilosophers.TheirconclusionwasthatthereismorepracticalvalueinConfucianism.Whyitthat?
WellithasextensiveapplicationinChinesesociety.Confuciuswasalsoanaccomplishededucator.Hetreatedhisstudentsashisequalbyteachingthemdemocraticandopen-mindedideas.InthewordsoftheAmericanscholars,Confuciuswantedtotrainhisstudentstobecomemoreunrestrainedandadaptabletoexternalinfluences.
ThereisalsoanincreasingawarenessofConfucianisminotherpartsoftheworld.Thismaybearesultofvariouspolitical,cultural,andenvironmentalchallengesduetoChina’sgrowingeconomicimportance.Asaresult,theriseofindividualisminthecommunityhasbecomeaseriousthreattosocialharmonyandprogress.Adifferentsetofvaluesareneededasacounterbalance.Confucianismemphasizes"
courtesy"
and"
respect"
whendealingwithpeopleornaturesoitshouldbeverybeneficialforbuildingharmonyinanysociety.
Youareright.AscholaroncesaidthatanswersconcerningoursurvivalcanbefoundinthewisdomofConfucius,eventhoughhelivedmorethan25centuriesago.
04-DifferencesbetweenChineseandWesternMedicines
Formanyyears,therehavebeenrepeateddiscussionstogiveupChinesemedicine.It’srecentlybecomeahottopiconceagain.AndbecausebelievetheChinesemedicineisnotscientificallybasedincomparisontoWesternmedicine.
AlthoughitisdebatablewhyChinesemedicineisscientificallysound.Youcannotdenyithasarichphilosophicsignificance.ThisisverydifferentfromWesternmedicine.Usually,aChinesemedicinepractitionerapproachesonthehomeandabroadperspective,emphasisitsentiretyanddialecticalimplications.Thisiswhysomepeopleviewitasaholisticmedicine.Incontrast,aWesterndoctordealstorecipewithsymptoms.Forinstance,ifsomeonehasasorethroat,aWesterndoctorwilltreateditasathroatproblemwhileaChinesedoctormaylinkittothedisorderofthepatient’sstomach.
What'
sthedifferencebetweenChineseandWesternmedicines?
AChinesedoctorexaminesitspatientsbyusingmethodslikeobserving,smelling,askingandfeeling.HisWesterncounterpartsrelyonsymptomsorevidence,likebodytemperatureandlabtests.AChinesedoctordeterminestheproblemofpatient’sinteriororgansbyinfluencethroughobservingveryexteriorsignssuchascomplexionorthetongue.AWesterndoctor,ontheotherhand,makeshisjudgmentbasedontheresultsoflabtestsontheinternalorgans.Hethenreinforcesitsjudgmentbyexaminingexteriorsymptoms.AWesterndoctoruseschemicalbasedmedicinesandsurgery,butaChinesedoctorreliesonsomeherbmedicinesandacupuncture.
Forpatient,whichispreferable?
Itdepends.UsuallyaChinesedoctorwillrecommendWesternmedicineforintensivetreatmentandChinesemedicinefortherecovery.Infact,Chinesemedicineisprobablymoreeffectiveintreatingsomefunctionaldiseases,whilethecauseisdifficulttodiscover.
WhatwillhappenifChinesemedicineisindeedabandoned?
Noidea,butforpeoplewithterminaldiseases,Chinesemedicinemaybethelastresult.Chinesemedicinecannotonlyalleviatepainbutalsoofferstheoptionofdifferenttreatment.
05-TheRoleofOperas
Inhisbook,