Five Characteristics of China Traditional Culture

What is the traditional culture of China? On this question, netizens often ask online, and the answers to the questions are varied and have their own emphases. When I posted on the Internet, I often encountered such heckling in the message area, which left a deep impression on me. After work, friends and colleagues talk about the traditional culture of China, and the author will also think of the problem of leaving messages online.

As the year is approaching, China's traditional cultural problems are resurgent. The author sorts out some opinions of Ge, a senior professor at Fudan University, a member of the History Department of the Social Science Committee of the Ministry of Education and a librarian in central research institute of culture and history, in the article "Inheritance of Traditional Culture" for the reference of netizens, which may bring us new thoughts.

What is the traditional culture of China?

As the saying goes, there are different winds in a hundred miles, and different customs in a thousand miles. It is said that when the distance between the two places is 100 Li, the "wind" will be different, but when the distance is 1000 Li, their "customs" will change. This shows that "wind" and "vulgarity" are two different concepts. Professor Ge believes that "wind" is fashion and popularity. Although it spreads quickly, its existence time is relatively short and its scope is relatively small, so its influence is relatively limited. "Custom" is relatively stable, with a long existence, a large scope and a lasting influence.

For example, in the ancient Central Plains, once people's clothing formed a basic form, it would last for a long time, which is "vulgarity". In the same form of clothing, people in some places like this color, and people in some places like that color. This is the "wind".

Professor Ge Xiongjian believes that if "vulgarity" persists for a long time, it will become a tradition, which is often reflected in thoughts, systems, theories and even beliefs. Tradition takes a long time to form, and within a certain time and space, it occupies the main position and is the mainstream. Therefore, not all cultures that existed in the past can be called "traditional culture". The "traditional culture" we are talking about today should be the mainstream culture of the past. It has existed for a long time, been recognized by most people and played a significant role.

The Inheritance Crisis of China Traditional Culture

At present, the central and local governments are advocating the inheritance of China traditional culture. So, what makes the country pay so much attention to the inheritance of China's traditional culture? The fundamental reason is that traditional culture has encountered a crisis of inheritance today. Professor Ge believes that with the change of social foundation, the correct cultural concept in the past may not be correct or only partially correct today. In the past 40 years, great changes have taken place in contemporary China that have never happened in 3000 years. Most of the social foundations on which traditional culture depends have changed, and some even disappeared. Therefore, the traditional culture of China, which stirs up social changes, is facing an unprecedented severe inheritance crisis.

"Inheritance" of China Traditional Culture

Because of the crisis, it is necessary to inherit the traditional culture of China. "Chuan" and "Cheng" are two concepts, and "Chuan" is an unconditional and complete reservation. For China's traditional culture, Professor Ge believes that we should first preserve it unconditionally and not let it disappear, including backward, conservative and even reactionary traditional culture. Traditional culture is a part of human memory and history, and it may contain wisdom unknown to people today. In addition, it is facing the crisis of extinction because it has lost its material foundation. Therefore, we should first try our best to preserve traditional culture unconditionally, which is the "inheritance" in the modern inheritance of traditional culture.

"Inheritance" means inheritance and development, which should not only be preserved, but also be carried forward. Professor Ge believes that "inheritance" is not simply to carry forward, but to meet the needs of today and the future, that is, to innovate on the original basis, which is called "inheritance". In other words, we should be selective when inheriting, carry forward the essence, correct and useful things of China traditional culture in modern China, and throw away the dross. China's traditional culture is dynamic, complete and developing. For thousands of years, it has been absorbing the essence of foreign culture and developing continuously in the process of eclecticism.

As China people, of course, we should give priority to inherit and carry forward the excellent traditional culture of China. For example, some people now propose to restore Hanfu. In this regard, the author's point of view is that Hanfu can be used as a dress to appear in the right occasion at the right time, and should not be worn unprincipled in order to restore Hanfu. Generally speaking, clothes are for people to wear, and you can't wear a dress all year round regardless of the occasion. As Professor Ge said, inheriting traditional culture is not an empty recitation of traditional classics, nor is it an imitation of some traditional costumes. That kind of inheritance is actually formalism, without appreciating the essence of traditional culture.

The key to the modern inheritance of China traditional culture lies in the innovative transformation of cultural connotation and form.

We can't copy the tradition, but innovate and transform the connotation and form on the basis of modern society. In this regard, Professor Ge believes that it is a major difficulty and the most critical point in the inheritance of traditional culture.

Ge proposed that "essence" and "dross" should not be confused when inheriting traditional culture. If a culture can exist for a long time, it must have its rationality. For the reasonable part, we naturally have to inherit and carry forward. Otherwise, it is far-reaching to abandon the excellent elements of traditional culture and focus entirely on foreign culture. Some people go to the other extreme and label some simple knowledge and even some dross as "Chinese studies" and regard it as "essence". For example, The Holy Amethyst and Disciples Rules are ancient literacy textbooks. Although people can "enrich" many of them when reading them, it doesn't show how suitable they are for today's children.