Why has Chinese civilization never ceased?
He particularly pointed out that Chinese civilization has outstanding inclusiveness, which fundamentally determines the historical orientation of communication, exchange, and integration of the Chinese nation, determines the harmonious pattern of diverse coexistence of various religious beliefs in China, and determines the open mindedness of Chinese culture towards world civilization.
Millions of years of human history, ten thousand years of cultural history, and over five thousand years of civilization history... It is difficult not to feel the warmth and respect that Mr. Qian Mu once said when we open the history of the Huanghuang country. British historian Toynbee was also amazed that in nearly 6000 years of human history, there have been 26 forms of civilization, and only Chinese culture has continued to this day and has never been interrupted. This rare continuity comes not only from the endogenous development of civilization, but also from the openness and inclusiveness towards the outside world.
Chinese civilization has been known for its openness and inclusiveness since ancient times. Returning to the city of Chang'an in Tang Dynasty, Hu Ji, a Tang envoy who sailed across the sea and a wine seller who sold wine, "mixed and matched" the unique appearance of this ancient international metropolis; In Quanzhou during the Song and Yuan dynasties, diverse cultures and beliefs coexisted, and it was no longer surprising for people at that time to be "half Tibetan merchants with bare feet and tangled heads.". It is in the process of exchanging and learning from other civilizations that the Chinese civilization has formed an open system, constantly radiating new vitality.
In fact, curiosity about "others" beyond oneself naturally exists in the psychology of every individual and nation. The way this curiosity is transformed into interacting with others varies depending on civilization. In a study of imported goods from the Tang Dynasty, the author takes "Golden Peach from Samarkand" as an example to emphasize, "What kind of fruit is Golden Peach and what its taste is? We can no longer speculate. Various wonderful legends have cast a dazzling and charming halo on this fruit, making it a symbol of all the foreign goods that the Tang people crave and all the unknown things they hope for."
From this, it can be seen that Chinese civilization often treats new cultural factors with a respectful and inclusive attitude, while absorbing and integrating beneficial elements, thereby enriching and enriching its own culture. The reason why foreign cultures have not caused the rupture or even disappearance of local culture is not only due to the role of the "soft landing" mechanism of inclusiveness, but also because of the confidence and self-improvement of the Chinese nation built on the foundation of more than 5000 years of civilization inheritance.
When criticizing the education of the Republic of China, the late Professor Yang Renjiao from Peking University mentioned that some schools were renamed and restructured to cater to European and American fashion, resulting in the school gate plaques being repeatedly stripped of their old names, becoming thinner and less formal. Education is the most fundamental cause of a nation. The experience of history tells us that being complacent and arrogant is not worth advocating. Abandoning tradition and blindly promoting and imitating foreign cultures can also lead to national crises. The complete connotation of openness and inclusiveness should also include cultural confidence. Only by strengthening cultural confidence can we inherit and develop excellent traditional Chinese culture and promote the localization of foreign cultures.
When it comes to the great significance of combining the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific realities and excellent traditional Chinese culture, he said, "Integration is not a patchwork, not a simple physical reaction, but a profound chemical reaction, creating an organic and unified new cultural life.". The sinicization and modernization of Marxism is itself a clear proof of the openness and inclusiveness of Chinese civilization, and a new chapter in the new journey. With openness and inclusiveness as the unchanging foundation, Chinese civilization will cross mountains and rivers, from ancient to modern times, and achieve a profound chemical reaction with various excellent foreign cultures, forging a new culture that belongs to our era.
