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Rediscovering wisdom of the ages and sages
By Fu Shuangqi and Tian Ying |
September 15, 2009, Tuesday
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FORTUNE'S wheel is ever turning. Despite an education background of computer science and business, 33-year-old Wang Suifeng is following in his grandfather's footsteps to be a fengshui master.
His parents, however, did not support the decision. "They thought fengshui is superstition," he said. But, ever since he was a teenager, Wang has shown great interest in fengshui knowledge.
"I prefer not to call it occult. Fengshui is a set of knowledge that regulated people's living environment in ancient China. And you will find scientific explanations for some fengshui theories," he said.
Citing a real estate project, he said, fengshui arrangements to buildings and their interior decoration help visitors feel comfortable. "Instead of leaving this knowledge to collect dust, we may study this ancient knowledge from a new perspective," he said.
Wang has friends who share the same interest. They meet on the Internet, exchanging ideas about arcane ancient literature such as Yi Jing, or Book of Changes, believed to be written in the 11th century BC, and Zang Shu, or Book of Burial, by a fengshui master in the fourth century.
Only about three decades ago, the country's young people, calling themselves Red Guards, had broken into heritage buildings, smashed antique furniture and burned old books, trying to get rid of everything considered "old."
Beijing boy Wang Shengquan, 5, has been taking a weekly class on Confucian classics for two years. Every Saturday morning, he sits for two hours in a classroom inside the Guozijian, which was the Imperial College 100 years ago, with about 15 classmates of his age.
They chant the teachings of Confucius as ancients did in their childhood for centuries. But the teacher does not ask them to sit still and they can ask questions freely as in any modern nursery.
"He can recite several simple classics, such as Three-Word Chant, though he can not write a character," said Wu Yuxiang, the mother.
Besides classes for kids, the Guozijian provides instruction in traditional music instruments, tea ceremony and tai chi chuan, which caters to adults. "It is quite common that parents and kids attend classes here together," said Ji Jiejing, director of the traditional education school of the Guozijian.
Old is in
"Old" things have suddenly become fashionable in today's China. Professor Zhang Yiwu, of the Peking University's Department of Chinese Language and Literature, is not surprised to see the increasing interest in traditional culture.
"It is a natural outcome of China's economic and social development," said Zhang who has studied Chinese culture in the age of globalization for years.
Since the 19th century, the country had been on the edge of collapse, facing repeated attempts of foreign invasion. People blamed cultural traditions, which they had carried on for 5,000 years, for holding the country back from being strong and modern, he said.
"In fact, we did not deny every part in our tradition. For example, we have always honored ancient intellectuals who devoted themselves to the country and never succumbed to power or profit," Zhang said. "What many revolutionists denounced since the May Fourth Movement in 1919 was the mainstream culture centered on Confucianism."
After the founding of New China, great efforts were made in academic fields to research and protect traditional culture, but in daily life tradition was considered quite the opposite side of modernization, he said. Some cultural symbols, such as rituals, etiquette and traditional techniques, were neglected.
"After fast economic development in the past 30 years, the country regained its self-confidence. Time has come that people want a stronger and more convincing identity," Zhang said. "But where does it come from?"
Obviously, iPod and Louis Vuitton are not enough. As a musician playing a seven-stringed zither (guqin), an old Chinese musical instrument, Yang Qing prefers to wear a long robe with broad sleeves and a high hat at his concerts, the costume of intellectuals and poets 1,000 years ago.
"Chinese are feeling the impulse to show the world the uniqueness we have and the special contribution we made to the world," Professor Zhang Yiwu said. "In addition, in the face of globalization, every country including China needs not only to open to the world but also to highlight its own characteristics."
After more than 150 years of harsh reflection and criticism against tradition, Zhang believes Chinese today have a different perspective from their ancestors who lacked knowledge about the outside world.
"We all have an understanding about the negative side of traditional culture. I don't think today's people will return to that," he said.
(The authors are Xinhua writers.)
His parents, however, did not support the decision. "They thought fengshui is superstition," he said. But, ever since he was a teenager, Wang has shown great interest in fengshui knowledge.
"I prefer not to call it occult. Fengshui is a set of knowledge that regulated people's living environment in ancient China. And you will find scientific explanations for some fengshui theories," he said.
Citing a real estate project, he said, fengshui arrangements to buildings and their interior decoration help visitors feel comfortable. "Instead of leaving this knowledge to collect dust, we may study this ancient knowledge from a new perspective," he said.
Wang has friends who share the same interest. They meet on the Internet, exchanging ideas about arcane ancient literature such as Yi Jing, or Book of Changes, believed to be written in the 11th century BC, and Zang Shu, or Book of Burial, by a fengshui master in the fourth century.
Only about three decades ago, the country's young people, calling themselves Red Guards, had broken into heritage buildings, smashed antique furniture and burned old books, trying to get rid of everything considered "old."
Beijing boy Wang Shengquan, 5, has been taking a weekly class on Confucian classics for two years. Every Saturday morning, he sits for two hours in a classroom inside the Guozijian, which was the Imperial College 100 years ago, with about 15 classmates of his age.
They chant the teachings of Confucius as ancients did in their childhood for centuries. But the teacher does not ask them to sit still and they can ask questions freely as in any modern nursery.
"He can recite several simple classics, such as Three-Word Chant, though he can not write a character," said Wu Yuxiang, the mother.
Besides classes for kids, the Guozijian provides instruction in traditional music instruments, tea ceremony and tai chi chuan, which caters to adults. "It is quite common that parents and kids attend classes here together," said Ji Jiejing, director of the traditional education school of the Guozijian.
Old is in
"Old" things have suddenly become fashionable in today's China. Professor Zhang Yiwu, of the Peking University's Department of Chinese Language and Literature, is not surprised to see the increasing interest in traditional culture.
"It is a natural outcome of China's economic and social development," said Zhang who has studied Chinese culture in the age of globalization for years.
Since the 19th century, the country had been on the edge of collapse, facing repeated attempts of foreign invasion. People blamed cultural traditions, which they had carried on for 5,000 years, for holding the country back from being strong and modern, he said.
"In fact, we did not deny every part in our tradition. For example, we have always honored ancient intellectuals who devoted themselves to the country and never succumbed to power or profit," Zhang said. "What many revolutionists denounced since the May Fourth Movement in 1919 was the mainstream culture centered on Confucianism."
After the founding of New China, great efforts were made in academic fields to research and protect traditional culture, but in daily life tradition was considered quite the opposite side of modernization, he said. Some cultural symbols, such as rituals, etiquette and traditional techniques, were neglected.
"After fast economic development in the past 30 years, the country regained its self-confidence. Time has come that people want a stronger and more convincing identity," Zhang said. "But where does it come from?"
Obviously, iPod and Louis Vuitton are not enough. As a musician playing a seven-stringed zither (guqin), an old Chinese musical instrument, Yang Qing prefers to wear a long robe with broad sleeves and a high hat at his concerts, the costume of intellectuals and poets 1,000 years ago.
"Chinese are feeling the impulse to show the world the uniqueness we have and the special contribution we made to the world," Professor Zhang Yiwu said. "In addition, in the face of globalization, every country including China needs not only to open to the world but also to highlight its own characteristics."
After more than 150 years of harsh reflection and criticism against tradition, Zhang believes Chinese today have a different perspective from their ancestors who lacked knowledge about the outside world.
"We all have an understanding about the negative side of traditional culture. I don't think today's people will return to that," he said.
(The authors are Xinhua writers.)
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