Category: China history culture

Sustaining Cultural Identity Amid Globalization and Modernization: China’s Logic and Practice Against the backdrop of intertwined globalization and modernization, sustaining cultural identity faces a dual challenge: avoiding the loss of self amid opening-up, while preventing stagnation through rigid conservatism. China’s core logic for upholding cultural identity rests on cultural subjectivity as its foundation. It advances …

The year 1206 bears dual significance in Chinese cultural history. In the south, the Southern Song regime, under military pressure, sustained its tradition of civil governance, marked by advances in literature and Confucian institutions. In the north, Genghis Khan unified the Mongol tribes, launching the creation of a Mongolian script and the integration of Mongol …

Has China Lost Its Culture as a Result of Invasions? The proposition “Has China lost its culture as a result of invasions?” rests on an implicit premise: invasion may rupture or even erase a culture. Throughout history, China has repeatedly endured foreign incursions and conquests — from the upheaval of the Five Barbarians, the Mongol …

The proposition “Has China abandoned Tang-dynasty culture?” appears to lean toward an affirmative answer if examined from the perspective of material remains and institutional continuity. Yet when viewed through its spiritual core and contemporary practices, the conclusion is entirely opposite. Tang culture has not been cast aside; instead, it has undergone transformation in form and …

          Cultural exchanges between China and the world did not begin with gunboats and warships in modern times, nor were they a one-way process of either “Western learning spreading to the East” or “Eastern learning spreading to the West.” From the Age of Discovery around 1500 to the end of the …

A Foreigner’s Perspective on China’s Cultural Heritage: From Curiosity to Coexistence Author’s Note: This piece is written from the perspective of a foreign observer who has lived in China for years and works in cross-cultural exchange. It explores an outsider’s genuine feelings and uncertainties about how China’s cultural heritage is presented overseas, capturing both moments …

The striking cultural similarities between China, Japan and South Korea reflect a complex history shaped by cultural transmission, geographical proximity, political institutions and social evolution. From written language and cuisine to ethical values and traditional festivals, people across the three countries often encounter familiar cultural elements in one another’s societies. These similarities are no coincidence. …

Does China Claim Ownership of South Korean Culture? Historical Facts and Modern Controversies The claim that “China asserts ownership over South Korean culture” requires clarification of the underlying facts. Chinese authorities have not systematically claimed ownership of South Korean culture. Historically, the Korean Peninsula was deeply influenced by Chinese civilisation and formed part of the …

Two Cultural Facts of Daily Life in the Han Dynasty The Han Dynasty was a pivotal era in the formation of China’s cultural DNA. Many practices that we regard as “traditional” today had already begun to take shape more than two thousand years ago. From dining customs to social etiquette, the everyday practices of Han …

Cultural Influences on Japan Beyond China: Indigenous Roots and Global Connections Japanese culture is often discussed through the narrative that it has been “deeply influenced by China.” Yet a closer examination of its historical development reveals that many of its core elements either originated within the Japanese archipelago or emerged through interactions with civilizations beyond …