A Chinese Renaissance?

[SinoChallenger]

The Chinese leadership now stresses that China needs to become a cultural superpower like we once were hundreds of years ago (maybe last time in 18th century). This could be a pivotal moment in modern Chinese history: the closest analogy in the West is the 15th century Renaissance when the West became much more self-aware and united ideologically. A Chinese Renaissance could also be compared to the Meiji Restoration period in Japan (late 19th century) when modern Japan was born out of feudal Japan.

People's Daily

刘云山：肩负时代赋予的崇高使命和历史责任 为推动文化大发展大繁荣贡献智慧力量

　　党的十七届六中全会是在全面建设小康社会关键时期和文化改革发展重要阶段召开的一次十分重要的会议,对我国文化建设从全局和战略上进行了部署。在刚刚闭幕的九次文代会、八次作代会上,胡锦涛总书记发表重要讲话,就学习贯彻十七届六中全会精神、推动文学艺术事业繁荣发展作了新的动员,对广大文化工作者寄予殷切期望。学习领会好十七届六中全会精神和胡锦涛总书记重要讲话精神,最重要的是要解决好以什么样的视角认识文化、以什么样的态度对待文化、以什么样的思路建设文化,也就是文化自觉、文化自信、文化自强问题。必须以新的理念、新的视角来认识文化的地位作用,切实担负起推动文化繁荣发展的历史使命、历史责任。

　　1.文化是凝聚人心的纽带、是引领前进的旗帜。文化最大的特质,就是具有极强的渗透性、持久性,像空气一样无时不在、无处不在,能够以无形的意识、无形的观念,深刻影响着有形的存在、有形的现实。对于一个国家、一个民族来说,文化始终是血脉和纽带,铭刻着一个民族的集体记忆,寄托着一个民族的共同追求,民族和国家的认同从根本上说就是文化的认同。我国的历史文化传统源远流长、博大精深,积淀着中华民族最深层次的精神追求,包含着中华民族最根本的精神基因,代表着中华民族最独特的精神标识。中华民族历经磨难而绵延不绝、生生不息,一个重要原因就是我们有深厚的文化传统、有高度的文化认同、有共同的精神家园。历史和现实还告诉我们,文化是引领国家和民族前进的旗帜和号角,民族的觉醒首先是文化的觉醒,社会的进步总是以文化的进步为先导。近代欧洲一批国家的崛起可以说是源自于文艺复兴,正是这场思想启蒙运动,将欧洲推向了世界文明发展的前列。近代中国重新踏上民族复兴之路,也正是从文化的觉醒、新文化运动的兴起开启的。当代中国所以能够创造令人瞩目的发展奇迹,很重要的就在于我们始终坚持和发展马克思主义,不断以思想上的新解放、文化上的新进步推动了事业的新跨越。事实证明,文化深刻体现着一个民族和国家的创造力生命力,是民族生存发展、国家繁荣兴盛的精神支柱和力量源泉。没有先进文化的积极引领,没有全民族精神力量的充分发挥,一个国家不可能兴盛强大,一个民族不可能屹立于世界民族之林。

　　2.文化是社会发展的动力、是文明进步的标识。物质财富和精神文化共同繁荣是社会文明进步的重要特征,经济、政治、文化、社会协同发展是现代化国家的必然要求。随着改革建设实践的不断深化,人们对文化功能定位的认识大大提升,越来越多的人认识到,文化不仅是现代化建设的重要保证,而且是经济社会发展不可或缺的重要内容和重要目标。实现科学发展、全面发展,需要文化有一个更大的繁荣进步。从文化在经济发展中的作用看,文化不仅直接贡献于经济增长,而且在提升发展质量中发挥着越来越重要的作用,文化资源日益成为经济发展的基础资源,文化消费日益成为拉动经济增长的重要引擎,文化产业日益成为经济结构调整和转变经济发展方式的重要着力点。只有当文化表现出更强大力量的时候,当发展具有更多文化含量的时候,经济发展才能进入更高层次、更高水平。从文化对社会和谐稳定的影响看,文化是“润滑剂”、“减压阀”,实现人与社会、人与自然、人自身的和谐,都离不开人文精神的培育、离不开优秀文化的滋养。特别是在经济转轨、社会转型加速期,如果不重视培育理性和谐的理念和精神,不注重人文关怀、心理疏导,就不可能有社会的和谐稳定。从文化在全面建设小康社会中的地位看,全面建成惠及十几亿人口的更高水平的小康社会,既要有发达的经济,也要有繁荣的文化,既要让人民过上殷实富足的物质生活,又要让人民享有健康丰富的文化生活。物质贫乏不是社会主义,精神空虚也不是社会主义。实现全面建设小康社会奋斗目标,顺利推进社会主义现代化,加快文化建设是题中应有之义。

　　3.文化是民生幸福的要义、是美好生活的保障。人创造了文化,文化也塑造着人。文化对人来说,是一种精神上的内在需求、普遍需求,也是终生相伴的需求。人们需要通过文化来启蒙心智、认识社会,获得思想上的教益,也需要通过文化愉悦身心、陶冶性情,获得精神上的满足和依归。精神文化上的充实和丰盈,始终是幸福生活和美好人生的内在要求。随着生活水平的不断提高,人们不再仅仅局限于吃饱穿暖等物质方面的需求,对丰富精神文化生活的期待更加迫切、愿望更加强烈,文化越来越成为保障和改善民生的重要内容。现在,各地都很重视改善民生,社会上也在热议生活质量、幸福指数,实际上离开了文化,民生的改善就是不全面的,生活质量和幸福指数也难以得到保障和提升。这些年,我们在改善文化民生方面采取了许多措施,大力实施文化惠民工程,加快构建公共文化服务体系,广大群众得到了实实在在的好处。但城乡、区域文化发展还不平衡,一些地方群众看书看报难、看电影电视难的问题仍然存在。实现人们的“文化温饱”,更好地保障人民基本文化权益,满足日益多样化、个性化的文化需求,让人们过上更加幸福美好的生活,需要把文化民生放在更加突出的位置,需要我们付出更大努力。

　　4.文化是竞争优势的重要因素、是综合国力的有力支撑。当今世界,各种思想文化交流交融交锋更加频繁,文化在综合国力竞争中的地位和作用更加凸显,文化与经济相融合产生的竞争力越来越成为一个国家最根本、最持久、难以替代的竞争优势。有人认为,如果说过去国与国之间的竞争主要是经济、军事的较量,未来将以文化论输赢。现在,许多国家都把提高文化软实力作为重要战略,利用文化展示本国形象、拓展国家利益。美国制定了《国家战略传播构架》,欧盟20多个国家发表了各自的文化政策官方文件,日本和韩国也都提出了文化立国的战略。目前,一些发达国家文化产业增加值已占到GDP15%以上,不仅给他们带来了丰厚的经济利益,而且传播了他们的价值观念,文化软实力成为实实在在的硬实力。经过多年发展,我国已成为全球第二大经济体,文化建设也取得了巨大成就,但我国文化的国际影响力与我国深厚的文化底蕴还不相称,与我国的国际地位很不相称。对于我们这样的发展中大国来说,如果没有自己的文化纲领、文化设计、文化理想,没有强大的文化软实力,要成为富强民主文明和谐的社会主义现代化国家是不可能的。只有树立高度的文化自觉和文化自信,加快构筑我们的文化优势,才能在激烈的国际竞争中赢得主动,维护国家利益和文化安全。

 

[pluto]

now i believe that Santa claus exists.

 

[no_name]

Public standards and education levels needs to be increased first, especially in rural areas.
We focus too much on technical knowledge nowadays that the good ol proper way of being a person is being ignored.

Also it is much more than just red banners or adopting a monolithic sanctioned culture.

But I liked how Beijing was not afraid to get out during the likes of the Olympics and the world expo.

 

[beijing consensus]

we need all aspects of power from economic, military, political, technological, cultual, information and resource.

only then can we have pax sinica!

 

[SinoChallenger]

Meiji Japan faced a similar problem as today's China: how to keep a nation proud of itself and united in the face of domineering Western culture. There are three elements. Japan strengthened the religious bond of the nation by emphasizing Emperor worship and Shinto. Japan developed its economy with zaibaitsu industrial groups. Japan emphasized military power and Bushido to defend itself from Western firepower.

In contrast, Qing's religious authority collapsed because late Qing failed to modernize but instead oppressed the Han Chinese majority population for the benefit of the imperial clan. ROC let the rich aristocrats and bourgeouis run amok, looting the lower classes for their benefit. The only thing that brought China's century of humiliation to an end was emphasis on military power as represented by Mao Zedong and PLA.

Mao's PRC was strong in military but not so strong in economy. "Religious" fervor was replaced by ideological fervor (i.e. cultural revolution). It was due to the basic inefficiency of a state-owned economy that Deng reformed China after 1978.

So today's China has a relatively good economy holding the nation together. We are also growing in military power (thanks to Jiang Zemin and Xi Jinping, no thanks to Deng Xiaoping and Hu Jintao), so PLA's strength helps keep the nation together as well. What we are missing is a religious / ideological bond. Without any sort of religious or ideological bond, rampant money worship will undermine social cohesion and citizen's confidence in the social system.

The FLG problem in the 90's was an early warning of the fact that people need to "believe in something" if they are to bond together as a nation. It's very dangerous for China to be a spiritual / ideological wasteland.

Now CCP has finally realized the problem (should have realized this 10 years ago) and is making an effort to build China as a cultural superpower like we were once before. It is a strong common culture that will bond Chinese people together into a nation, and then we will be a whole nation again with the three elements (religious, economic and military) working in harmony.

China's historical problem is we did not transition into the modern world smoothly from an internal POV like Feudal Japan --> Meiji Japan --> Imperial Japan --> Post-War Japan. Once we regain our cultural sovereignty and integrity, we would finally mend the problems that all started in the late Qing and restore the fullness of the Chinese nation's internal harmony.

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

Keep China red forever, stop making the same mistake as the USSR.

 

[no_name]

Meiji Japan faced a similar problem as today's China: how to keep a nation proud of itself and united in the face of domineering Western culture. There are three elements. Japan strengthened the religious bond of the nation by emphasizing Emperor worship and Shinto. Japan developed its economy with zaibaitsu industrial groups. Japan emphasized military power and Bushido to defend itself from Western firepower.

In contrast, Qing's religious authority collapsed because late Qing failed to modernize but instead oppressed the Han Chinese majority population for the benefit of the imperial clan. ROC let the rich aristocrats and bourgeouis run amok, looting the lower classes for their benefit. The only thing that brought China's century of humiliation to an end was emphasis on military power as represented by Mao Zedong and PLA.

Mao's PRC was strong in military but not so strong in economy. "Religious" fervor was replaced by ideological fervor (i.e. cultural revolution). It was due to the basic inefficiency of a state-owned economy that Deng reformed China after 1978.

So today's China has a relatively good economy holding the nation together. We are also growing in military power (thanks to Jiang Zemin and Xi Jinping, no thanks to Deng Xiaoping and Hu Jintao), so PLA's strength helps keep the nation together as well. What we are missing is a religious / ideological bond. Without any sort of religious or ideological bond, rampant money worship will undermine social cohesion and citizen's confidence in the social system.

The FLG problem in the 90's was an early warning of the fact that people need to "believe in something" if they are to bond together as a nation. It's very dangerous for China to be a spiritual / ideological wasteland.

Now CCP has finally realized the problem (should have realized this 10 years ago) and is making an effort to build China as a cultural superpower like we were once before. It is a strong common culture that will bond Chinese people together into a nation, and then we will be a whole nation again with the three elements (religious, economic and military) working in harmony.

China's historical problem is we did not transition into the modern world smoothly from an internal POV like Feudal Japan --> Meiji Japan --> Imperial Japan --> Post-War Japan. Once we regain our cultural sovereignty and integrity, we would finally mend the problems that all started in the late Qing and restore the fullness of the Chinese nation's internal harmony.

It's the same question everyone asks themselves. What are your values? And what do you live for?
Some people need more encouragement and dependency than others.
If we don't have our own set of values we will end up adopting other people's.

If people don't have their own will/value, then money, women, substance abuse, partying till wasted etc are the only things they look for.

But one thing is certain and that is materialism and uncontrolled consumption is definitely not the way forward.

 

[S10]

No free express, no transparent government, no renaissance.

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

It's the same question everyone asks themselves. What are your values? And what do you live for?
Some people need more encouragement and dependency than others.
If we don't have our own set of values we will end up adopting other people's.

If people don't have their own will/value, then money, women, substance abuse, partying till wasted etc are the only things they look for.

But one thing is certain and that is materialism and uncontrolled consumption is definitely not the way forward.

How about the ideology of surviving the 21st century?

 

[Oy.vey]

The last Chinese renaissance as such, was during the Song period before the Mongol expansion put a stop to it. The Ming could have pushed to China toward exploration; had they done it maybe China would have rode the Industrialisation wave along with the Europeans, but alas they didn't. I think we've reached a energy ceiling, and in order to break it, we would need something like or equivalent to nuclear fusion.

 

[Rusty]

The last Chinese renaissance as such, was during the Song period before the Mongol expansion put a stop to it. The Ming could have pushed to China toward exploration; had they done it maybe China would have rode the Industrialisation wave along with the Europeans, but alas they didn't. I think we've reached a energy ceiling, and in order to break it, we would need something like or equivalent to nuclear fusion.

The reason China didn't industrialize is that they had enough manpower, and the output from pre-industrial china was actually more then the early industrial European countries. So China saw no reason to industrialize. Only now that we are in more advanced industrial age, has the advantages of industrialization become apparent.

 

[Oy.vey]

The reason China didn't industrialize is that they had enough manpower, and the output from pre-industrial china was actually more then the early industrial European countries. So China saw no reason to industrialize. Only now that we are in more advanced industrial age, has the advantages of industrialization become apparent.

That's true to a certain extend. During the Song, China made extensive use of new technologies and was in many ways ready for industrialisation. There are also arguments that the world simply couldn't produce enough to support a industrialised China in the 1900s, i.e If China were to consume as much as 19th century England/per capita during the same period, the world would have needed two Americas.

 

[no_name]

In a way that is a blessing in disguise. China's coals has hardly been used and her other natural resources were relatively abundant. People had been using natural gas from pipes made from bamboo since long ago (but not in large scale). Coal was known before Jesus was born. The emperor was curious about it and inquired a monk from the western region, who told him that it was the animal ash remains from the previous kalpa.

Green/alternative energy industries may provide the transition impetus that is needed.
Fusion opens up a whole new possibilities. Especially in weapon systems where in the future it becomes a matter of how much energy you can supply and how densely you can pack it.

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

The reason China didn't industrialize is that they had enough manpower, and the output from pre-industrial china was actually more then the early industrial European countries. So China saw no reason to industrialize. Only now that we are in more advanced industrial age, has the advantages of industrialization become apparent.

Wrong, China was at the forefront of industrialization, but couldn't move past because of energy constraints. Wood only gets you so much, and hydropower is not mobile.

Coal in China is located in the middle of the desert and deep underground. Needless to say, it is far away from water sources. But early coal mining used alot of water for tunneling and labor. Britain was lucky to have coal mines near the surface and near water; China wasn't.

Most economic changes before the advent of railroads were strokes of luck from geography.

 

[Fantasy]

Wrong, China was at the forefront of industrialization, but couldn't move past because of energy constraints. Wood only gets you so much, and hydropower is not mobile.

Coal in China is located in the middle of the desert and deep underground. Needless to say, it is far away from water sources. But early coal mining used alot of water for tunneling and labor. Britain was lucky to have coal mines near the surface and near water; China wasn't.

Most economic changes before the advent of railroads were strokes of luck from geography.

Or just plainly poor leadership, ignorance, and overconfidence from success and prosperity translating into arrogance and triumphalism, then self indulgence and malaise especially among the ruling class and elites, total lack of ambition and Isolationism which leads to ignorance, dogmatism and the lost of the ability to compete and progress technologically and failure to adapt fundamentally with an ever changing world. Precisely what happened since the fall of the Ming Dynasty, the failure to adapt to a rapidly changing world, arrogance as well as dogmatism to progress, isolationism, triumphalism, and lack of competition, along with a crumbling sense of security and national identity later on all leads down the path of destruction. Sad that it have to come to a devastating war and genocide to wake an entire nation out of slumber.