Recently, we had our third CID lesson and it was another lesson on culture forces. A part two, you could say. This time, however, it was more specifically about China.
There are five main cultural forces of China, and they are: Taoism, Confucianism, Ethnicity, Dynasties, Communism. So no! Confucianism is not the only cultural force, contrary to belief. We started off by learning how each of these forces specifically affected Chinese culture and history.
Taoism. Always thought Taoism was a religion. Apparently, it is a Chinese philosophy! It emphasises in the prospect of the world existing in perfect order, Yin-Yang and whatnot, and that human activities disrupt that order. This apparently appealed to ancient Chinese rulers as a basis of rule and governance as it made people believe that uprisings and rebellions would tip the scale of world order. Instilling that belief in its citizens, the government would be able to continue their hold on the country.
Confucianism was another philosophy that appealed to rulers. It stresses upon family and social harmony and obeying of the person of high position (the hierarchy, basically). The son must obey his father. The wife must obey her husband. The younger brother must obey his older brother. Therefore, the subject must obey his ruler. The people believed in Confucianism, so they believed in the fact that they had to obey those with higher status or power, the rulers. Again, this would decrease the amount of resistance and uprisings, allowing the government to rule successfully. Confucianism has not left our culture however, despite changes in times. Rather, it shows in our everyday activities. Sitting after elders have done so, eating after elders have done so, obeying our elders. Cultural forces.
There are fifty-six official ethnic groups in China. And the differences between each group are bound to cause some changes in the overall Chinese culture. The common saying, 不要可气, for example.
Communism was another. The Cultural Revolution took place for ten whole years, from 1966 to 1976. No longer were the people believing in religion, beliefs, philosophy or anything associating with pre-communist China, but rather, Communism. However, despite the will and actions taken to remove these ideas, they were never forgotten. Those who did not benefit from the cultural revolution turned back to the old ways. This saw increased wealth and self-confidence in the culture and resulted in a resurgence in interest in China's old traditions and culture. Today, this has caused interest in the things people buy that are related to the Chinese cultural.
These events and beliefs are milestones that have shown changes in China's culture. Different eras, beliefs, governance has truly and utterly shaped it into what it is today: The vibrant and cultural society that is China.
On another note.
At the beginning of the lesson, we were shown a video, 'Welcome of Beijing' ( 北京欢迎你 ), a clip made specifically for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Although the tune and the video itself were very familiar to me, it was not until today's lesson did I paid any attention to the backgrounds and the subtle references to the Chinese culture.
There were cameo shots of Chinese Calligraphy, Traditional Art, Peking Opera, Bird's Nest Stadium, The Great Wall, The Forbidden City and most obviously, many Chinese celebrities. These shots made references to the cultural arts, famous landmarks and the pop culture of China.
Taking on the perspective as the director of the video, I have shown different aspects of the Chinese culture, and these are the three.
Firstly, in the scene where two younger Chinese celebrities sit with an elder as she shows them the art of the traditional shadow puppets. The two celebrities then try to imitate her movements. The scene captures the bond between the traditional culture and the modern pop culture and how the old ways that represent the Chinese culture will not be lost if the old passes the traditional aspects to the young.
In another scene, a group of friends sit around a table as they have fun hanging out and making dumplings. It instils a sense of togetherness and belonging as the group of friends prepare food and chit-chat as they bond together over the traditional way of making dumplings by hand. This shows the world that the Chinese would always find their sense of belonging in China.
Lastly, a group of five celebrities of different ages and two children stands before an entrance as if seemingly a family and everyone has smiles on their faces and clapping together. This scene shows what is valued greatly by many Chinese: Family. While family may be just as important to the rest of the world, it is especially emphasised on in a Chinese family. Using this scene, we can show that Chinese are family-rounded people.
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