Thinker | Ge Jianxiong: How can culture be confident? Why is China more confident today?

In order to deepen the promotion of cultural prosperity in Xinjiang and enable people of all ethnic groups to enjoy high-quality cultural meals at their doorstep, this year, the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China Propaganda Department, the Shanghai Municipal People's Government Cooperation and Exchange Office, and the Kashgar Regional Committee of the Communist Party of China served as guiding units. The Shanghai Front Command for Supporting the New Xinjiang Work, the Liberation Daily, the Kashgar Regional Committee Propaganda Department, and the Kashgar Social Science Federation jointly hosted the "Shanghai Kashgar Cultural Lecture Hall" to visit the beautiful Xinjiang. Senior Professor Ge Jianxiong from Fudan University was invited to give a wonderful speech on the theme of "How culture is about confidence".

It is an honor to have this opportunity to share with you my own learning and research experience: "How can culture be confident?".

When it comes to "culture", I think it is important to clarify what "culture" is.

After Marx's death, Engels delivered a famous speech in front of his tomb, stating that "Marx discovered the laws of human historical development, that is, a simple fact that has always been concealed by the rich and diverse ideology: people must first eat, drink, live, dress, and then engage in politics, science, art, religion, and so on.". This is the basic logic of Marxist historical materialism.

This also tells us that "culture" is the lifestyle, behavioral norms, ideology, values, and corresponding material and spiritual wealth formed by a specific human group in a specific geographical environment during long-term survival, living, and production processes. The individual is the specific culture, while the overall is civilization.

So, when we talk about "cultural confidence" today, it is essentially confidence in our own civilization. When we talk about cultural confidence in China, it means confidence in our Chinese civilization. It should be pointed out that Chinese civilization is not specific to every aspect of our civilization, nor is it necessary to affirm that every specific culture of our own must be the most advanced, or to believe that every specific culture of ours must be the best. Cultural confidence is for the whole.

So, what is Chinese civilization? That is the total amount of material and spiritual wealth created by the Chinese nation over the past 5000 years. Next, I will first talk about Chinese civilization.

Does Chinese civilization really have a history of 5000 years

Regarding the 5000 year history of Chinese civilization, some people at home and abroad have raised doubts. The reason is simple, because for a long time, there was no physical evidence that could prove 5000 years of civilization. For example, in the Babylonian civilization, those bronze artifacts and stone tablets are still there; For example, in Egyptian civilization, pyramids and sphinxes are still present. Both Greek and Roman civilizations can find physical evidence reflecting their historical length. But besides the records of later generations, there is indeed no concrete evidence for Chinese civilization. What is the reason for this?

This is because our ancestors adopted civil construction from the beginning. In the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, some are made of loess. Early buildings compacted or dried the loess, and then burned it into bricks. The basic material of buildings is soil, which is then supported by wood and bamboo. This kind of building, not to mention 5000 years, cannot be maintained for 500 years. Liang Sicheng, the architect of that year, once said that he must find the earliest building, but it was not easy to find a wood structure building in the late Tang Dynasty in Mount Wutai. But how can this less than 1000 year history prove that Chinese civilization has a history of 5000 years?

Other civilizations, such as Egypt, Babylon, Rome, and Greece, mainly had stone buildings, so they can still be seen today. I once saw a pyramid with a history of over 6000 years deep in the desert south of Egypt. Similarly, although the temples and ancient buildings in Greece and Rome have collapsed, the pillars or fallen beams still exist. And we in China cannot find it.

So, the central government made up its mind to organize and implement a project to explore the origin of Chinese civilization. Unable to find on the ground, search underground through archaeological excavations. After years of investigation and research, the project has come to a clear conclusion.

The first conclusion is that around 5800 years ago, signs of civilization appeared in the Yellow River Basin and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, such as Hemudu in Yuyao, Zhejiang, Taosi in Xiangfen, Shanxi, Shimao in Shenmu, Shaanxi, and Niuheliang in Liaoning. Since 5300 years ago, various regions have gradually entered the stage of civilization. About 3800 years ago, the Central Plains region formed a more mature form of civilization, represented by the Erlitou Site in Henan Province, radiating cultural influence to all directions and becoming the core and leader of the overall process of Chinese civilization. This makes it very clear that our civilization not only has 5000 years, but in reality, it has more than 5000 years.

So, where does the evidence come from?

Mainly obtained through archaeological excavation and identification. Although those buildings are all underground now, they can be excavated; Although the surface is no longer there, it is clear which places are rammed earth, wall foundations, column foundations, buildings, roads, city walls, workshops, sacrificial sites, tombs, embankments, etc. Stones, tools, handicrafts, pottery, jade, bronze ware, burial objects, sacrificial supplies, oracle bone inscriptions, etc. may also be found, and their dates can be determined using the carbon-14 method. The basic principle of carbon-14 identification is that carbon atoms will gradually decay in the air, and the amount of time required for each decay cycle is fixed. Once it is pressed underground and isolated from the air, its decay stops. So, as long as carbon containing substances are found in the site, such as a piece of wood, an animal or a human skeleton, which contains carbon atoms, as long as it is underground, it must be isolated from the air. Take it out and use specific instruments for carbon-14 detection, and you can measure the time very accurately. Through this measurement, it has been proven that these sites were over 5000 years ago.

For example, the Taosi Site in Xiangfen, Shanxi, with a total area of 4 million square meters, indicates that it is already a city with streets, public buildings, palaces, workshops, sacrificial sites, and high-level tombs with a large number of accompanying burial objects. These proofs indicate that at that time, people not only had a considerable production capacity, but also experienced social stratification. And class differentiation is an important symbol of humanity's transition from barbarism to civilization.

So, after the results of this project were announced, there was basically no controversy in the world, and it fully proved that Chinese civilization indeed has a history of 5000 years. And this is just a lower limit. In the future, as research deepens, I think this time can definitely be advanced.

The second conclusion is that in the process of its formation, Chinese civilization has extensively absorbed the influence of foreign civilizations.

For example, it has been proven that wheat was first domesticated by the Babylonians and became a food crop that humans could cultivate. It's not that the Babylonians were more intelligent than the ancestors of the Chinese nation, it's also determined by natural conditions. Because although there are many wild crops on Earth, there are no more than 20 species that can be domesticated into food crops by humans, and most of them are distributed in Mediterranean climate zones. Most parts of China have a monsoon climate. The Mediterranean climate has a characteristic that winter is not very cold and there is relatively abundant precipitation, which provides conditions for plant domestication and reuse during the winter. So, the Babylonians domesticated wheat relatively early.

The earliest domesticated crops in China were millet and soybeans in the north and rice in the south. Rice is also very good, with a high starch content, but the conditions for rice cultivation are relatively complex, requiring a large amount of water and flat land. Compared to wheat, the cultivation conditions are relatively simple, especially in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, which is very suitable for wheat cultivation, and wheat has a high protein content. So, after wheat was introduced, it gradually expanded and played a significant role when it spread to the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. In Chinese history, before the Xia Dynasty, the country was still "under heaven", and tribal leaders were elected or formed through other means. However, by the time the son of Emperor Yu began to become hereditary, what was the reason for this? This indicates that the rulers at that time had already gained greater power. And this power largely comes from agricultural production, the foundation of material wealth generated after the large-scale promotion of wheat.

For example, bronze. Bronze is not natural, but requires a certain proportion of tin to be added to copper, and some even require a little lead to be smelted. It has been proven that this was also invented by the Babylonians. So, now in Babylon, the discovery of bronze artifacts dates back earlier than the discovery of bronze artifacts in China.

However, our ancestors did not simply accept other people's technology and knowledge, but had their own innovations. For example, bronze was mainly used as a production tool and weapon in Babylon, but gradually became a tool for making ritual vessels in China. When we talk about ancient civilization of ritual and music, where is this "ritual" reflected? One of them is reflected in the objects cast with bronze. They represent a certain level, status, and etiquette system. For example, "ding" was originally made of clay and used to hold food. The arrival of bronze ware led to the production of a bronze tripod with three legs. At this time, it was no longer just a tool, but symbolized different levels from the emperor to the feudal lords to the nobility. Strict regulations were imposed on the size of the tripod used by the feudal lords and the emperor, as well as the patterns used on the tripod and the level it represented, thus becoming a symbol of the system. It can be seen from this that Chinese civilization has been paying attention to absorbing foreign civilizations from the beginning and transforming them into an important part of our local civilization.

The third conclusion is that the history recorded in oracle bone inscriptions dates back to 3800 years.

History may not always be recorded through words, but written records of history are more accurate and specific. The exploration project for the origin of Chinese civilization has conducted a widespread investigation and research, and the current conclusion is that only oracle bone inscriptions constitute writing, dating back 3800 years.

Some scholars have also proposed that oracle bone inscriptions are already very mature. Is there no other writing system before them? Of course, it is entirely possible. But when we study history and talk about it, we must have evidence. Those who have not found evidence cannot draw conclusions casually. The conclusion drawn now is that our recorded history began 3800 years ago. Some people always feel a bit regretful, like Babylon, Egypt, and the surrounding Mediterranean, where words have been discovered and can be cracked much earlier than us. But I think it's normal that no ethnic group or group can be the most advanced or earliest in everything.

We have learned about the three main characteristics of Chinese civilization and affirmed that the Chinese nation did indeed create Chinese civilization over 5000 years ago, which is a foundation for our cultural confidence.

On October 22, 2014, bronze artifacts were displayed in the Luoyang Bronze Museum. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Ang Lee

Chinese culture is the culture of 56 ethnic groups

After understanding Chinese civilization, we also need to have a correct understanding of the true meaning of "Chinese culture".

In history, Chinese culture includes not only the culture within China, but also the culture of some vassal states. The culture of these vassal states was also spread from the Central Plains dynasties, and these cultures should also be a part of Chinese culture. Today, when we talk about Chinese culture, it should be the culture of all 56 ethnic groups, not just the culture of the Han ethnic group, not just the culture of China.

Even when it comes to the Han ethnic group, the history of "Huaxia" and Huaxia culture itself is diverse. When we talk about the descendants of Yan and Huang, and when we talk about the Yellow Emperor, we do not refer to the roots of bloodline, but to the roots of culture. Everyone identifies with culture and civilization. So, the reason why the Han ethnic group has become the most populous single ethnic group in the world today is not because the birth rate of their ancestors is particularly high, but because their ancestors continuously integrated with other ethnic groups. So, the traditional culture of China is actually mainly based on agricultural ethnic culture, constantly absorbing the strengths of pastoral ethnic groups, including those who collect and hunt.

If this statement is too abstract, I can provide a few examples.

For example, music and dance. If you want to showcase your musical and dance talents, some ethnic groups with relatively small populations can often express heartwarming forms of music and dance. In history, it has also been the case that pastoral ethnic groups often have higher levels of music and dance skills and richer forms of expression than agricultural ethnic groups.

The ancestors of the Han ethnic group invented writing relatively early, and it is a unique square Chinese character in the world. One characteristic of square Chinese characters is that different characters can form many vocabulary. Through the combination of different Chinese characters, many rich emotions can be expressed through words. For example, most of the poems in the Book of Songs express emotions, including love, family, and friendship. However, upon closer inspection, it is difficult to find a literal word for "love". Often, it is expressed through describing scenery and climate, using a series of parallelism and duality, etc., to deepen the expression of love. This is the charm of words and the charm of language.

However, most pastoral ethnic groups have had no written language for a long time, and some even did not have written language until modern times. Because there is no writing, their language is also relatively monotonous. However, people always have seven emotions and six desires, and they also need to express their love and family affection. So, through what? It is expressed through physical movements, dance, and sound. At the beginning, it may be an unaccompanied solo or choir, but gradually it is accompanied by percussion and plucking music. In addition, each group must have some talented individuals who summarize and improve in a timely manner, thus forming a rich and colorful, heart stirring music and dance.

For example, the tea horse trade.

Regarding tea, there are some claims that it was first produced in Zhejiang and some claims that it was first produced in Sichuan, but regardless, it is all produced in agricultural areas and has been produced in these areas for a long time. However, since drinking tea, pastoral ethnic groups can no longer do without it, because drinking tea is suitable for their dietary habits and beneficial to their health.

I remember the first time I went to Tashkurgan, Xinjiang in 1982, accompanied by a Tajik comrade. I said that you have inconvenient transportation on the Pamir Plateau now, what do you need most? He said he needed wine and tea the most. I said, why? When did you start drinking this tea? He said we didn't drink before, but now we don't drink for a day, feel uncomfortable all over, don't drink tea all day, and feel dizzy. After tea arrived in pastoral areas, it not only became a daily commodity but also integrated into their culture. What important ceremony they hold cannot be separated from offering tea and tribute tea, which has become their etiquette.

And horses were originally in pastoral areas, and some Han ethnic areas also learned to raise horses, but horses cannot be raised well if they leave certain areas. I thought only China was like this, but later I asked a French friend who loves horseback riding, and he said that France is also like this. These are the only places where horses are raised, and other places cannot be raised well. So, Han ethnic areas must buy horses from the northern pastoral ethnic groups. So, tea and horses exchanged with each other, becoming a mutually beneficial trade and also a part of their respective cultures.

After arriving in the Han region, horses were not only used as tools, but also became a part of the etiquette system of the Central Plains dynasties. For example, after the Western Zhou Dynasty, it was explicitly stipulated that the emperor's carriage must be pulled by six horses, which later became part of the hierarchical system. The Twenty Four Histories record such regulations, such as who uses what horses, how many horses are used in different occasions, what colors, and how they are arranged. Tea and horses were originally produced by both parties, but through communication, they have become part of their spiritual and cultural heritage.

These examples illustrate that in the process of the formation of Chinese civilization, not only the Han and agricultural ethnic groups made contributions, but all ethnic groups, including the pastoral ethnic groups, also made their own contributions. The Chinese culture and traditional Chinese culture we are talking about now include the inventions, creations, and successful practices of various ethnic groups in their development process.

On October 12, 2005, an audience member visited the ruins of the official organization "Tea Horse Market" in the Southern Song Dynasty, "Tea Horse Division", to see murals reflecting the grandeur of the Tea Horse Ancient Road. The "Tea Horse Department" in Mingshan County, Ya'an, Sichuan Province is the only existing ancient institution in China that managed tea and horse trading. It was built in the seventh year of the Xining reign of Emperor Shenzong of Song Dynasty and was responsible for the tea and horse trading affairs. It was under the command of Chengdu Prefecture Road, handling the collection of border tea and submitting it to Chengdu Prefecture Road. At the same time, it undertook the official duties of exchanging tea and horses with various ethnic groups, mainly Tibetan. During its heyday, it reached the peak of "annual transportation of famous mountain tea with a load of 20000", accounting for more than half of the official total tea production. At that time, the Tea Horse Company received a team of ethnic tea horse trade merchants, sometimes reaching over 2000 people per day. Photo by Qin Qing, journalist from Xinhua News Agency

The Tang Dynasty was open but not open, and today Chinese culture can truly go global

In summary, I believe that we have ample reasons to uphold cultural confidence. In summary, there are three main points:

The first point is that Chinese culture is the most suitable for our national and ethnic conditions. Chinese civilization was created on this land by dozens of ethnic groups, and of course, it is in line with our own national conditions and people's conditions. We can naturally have full confidence. Secondly, Chinese culture is constantly evolving and has strong vitality. Article 3: The Chinese nation is good at learning, absorbing the strengths of other cultures, and innovating on the basis of absorption.

It is worth emphasizing that Chinese civilization also has a characteristic of always respecting the cultures of other countries and ethnic groups. When we talk about cultural confidence now, some people are quite one-sided, believing that cultural confidence is only present in China. This view is one-sided.Of course, we also hope that other civilizations can see that Chinese civilization also has areas worth learning from. This is the mutual learning of civilizations.

So, when it comes to cultural confidence, it is never exclusive. We respect the confidence of other countries and civilizations, and they should also have their cultural confidence. We should respect each other. As Mr. Fei Xiaotong pointed out, different cultures should first and foremost have their own beauty, and also sincerely appreciate the beauty of people. All cultures have the right to confidence. A significant civilization that can exist to this day, with such a large population, must have its advantages and reasons, and of course, we should also respect it. Our respect for other civilizations is not only based on diplomatic etiquette, but should be sincerely understood, appreciated, and praised.

Lastly, I would like to say that through reform and opening up, Chinese culture and the Chinese nation are moving towards the world.

Here, I would like to correct a long-standing misunderstanding when we talk about Chinese history. We have always praised the Tang Dynasty for being open and the Han Dynasty for being open. Compared to other eras, the Tang Dynasty was indeed the most open, but is this openness in line with what we are talking about today? That's not necessarily true.

The Tang Dynasty was actually open but not open.

On the one hand, it was indeed "open". According to expert research, almost half or even more of the people in Chang'an City during the Tang Dynasty were foreigners and outsiders. For example, after the Tang Dynasty conquered the Eastern Turks, the upper echelons of the Turks were relocated to the mainland, and many people settled in Chang'an. During the Tang Dynasty, many foreign merchants even settled in Yangzhou, Mingzhou, Quanzhou, Guangzhou, and other places for a long time, which can be said to be "open".

But has it been released? Not really. Even Xuanzang had to illegally cross the border when he arrived at Guazhou to obtain scriptures, and Tang Dynasty people were not allowed to leave the country casually. Is there any mention of where Tang Dynasty people migrated from around the world now? No, in history, Chinese people were able to go to foreign countries by chance, and there were also very few who sent envoys abroad.

Moreover, the Tang Dynasty also allowed foreigners to come and learn, but never actively sent people to spread their own culture. Like Japan, they sent their own batches of "envoys to the Tang Dynasty" to learn, rather than the Tang Dynasty sending people to teach. Why is China's traditional culture not as influential in the world as we imagine today? One of the reasons is that, including the Tang Dynasty, it has always been passed down but not broadcasted. For example, I have traveled to Central Asia twice. But unfortunately, I haven't seen any influence of ancient Chinese culture. Isn't the territory of the Tang Dynasty extended there long ago? But the Tang Dynasty did not spread culture. The only screen found in Central Asia is one of the world cultural heritage sites in Samarkand. This screen was originally placed behind the throne, with three screens, one of which depicts a ship with several women on board. The tour guide said that the person in the middle was Wu Zetian, and some people on the shore were riding horses, saying that her husband, Tang Gaozong Li Zhi, was riding a tall horse in the middle. That's all the evidence. Moreover, it is fortunate that this screen can be preserved because the building collapsed and was buried underground, otherwise even this would not have been possible.

As soon as Tsarist Russia occupied Central Asia, it promoted Russian, which became the official language there. Central Asian countries have been independent for over thirty years, but they cannot change their official language to their own national language because there are fewer people who can speak their own national language than those who can speak Russian. It can be seen from this that the results of spreading and not spreading are completely different.

Only today, through reform and opening up, can Chinese culture truly go global, and we can confidently and legitimately spread Chinese culture according to the needs of others. It can be said that it is today that we have a more confident reason for Chinese culture.

Biography of Thinkers

Ge Jianxiong is a senior professor at Fudan University, a member of the History Department of the Social Science Committee of the Ministry of Education, a librarian at the Central Museum of Culture and History, and a librarian at the Shanghai Museum of Culture and History.