PM Wen talk about chinese culture

Catknight SG

I think with the rise of china in this century, more sporeans will go to China for further studies and business..so PM wen talk about preserving our chinese culture here...

Let's hope mainland china has a rich culture to draw and not jusr moneyed culture

LazerLordz SG

Our cultural practices have survived, whereas many Chinese in the PRC have lost theirs.

It's the same for the Overseas Chinese diaspora, we have kept more customs alive than the PRCs.

Arapahoe SG

it is not culture nor socialist idea, it is becoming clear that the influence of chinese policy come with Chauvinism.

ndmmxiaomayi SG

More of they need to preserve theirs first... they are losing it faster than us. Majority may be half pails or even one-quarter pail when it comes to their own cultures and languages, but at least we know something.

I've met enough mainland Chinese who don't even know their culture.

Edit: typo.

equlus84 SG

Actually we cannot blame them for this.........

Back in the late 60s and early 70s, PRC experienced culture revolution, whereby only Mao philosophy and teachings of marxism is considered the 'right' and 'truthful' teachings. During that era many highly educated Chinese and intelligentias were sent to the rural areas for 'ideological reformation and rehabilation'. Religion and various cultural believes and practises are viciously attacked by the Red Guards as "niu gui she shen", literally translated as dangerous and deviant thinkings.

When my grandparents passed away, when I was arranging some of their letters and stuff, I cam across letters from them written by relatives in PRC lamenting abt the suffering during ther culture revolution, this was written during the 90s. In the letter, quotes, many of their ancestral tablets were burnt and the ancestral halls were destroyed as the authorities then view such practises as not in line with Mao influences.

cairocks SG

This may be a case of the siege mentality syndrome. Outside small pockets of a culture/people grasping to any thing of the culture and view it as something not to be lost while the main population of the culture had moved on. I think it is even more evident to Chinese population in Hong Kong and Taiwan. One example is they still hold onto the complicated form of Chinese writing..

Another such case could also be seen in the French speaking population in Quebec, Canada. Heard from Canadian friends that the French Canadians' French is an older form of the language and is slightly different form the mainstream French in Europe. But I don't know French, so I will not further elaborate on it.

This syndrome tends to happen to small detached populations to the main body of a culture/people because under the constant influence of other cultures, they tend to hold on to what they have got as their identity.

Gun SG

So what did PM Wen said about Chinese culture during his visit?

Anyone?

Arapahoe SG

he is probably saying don;t be a western mind set.....just behaving like them.

Viper` SG

So what is culture? Is it something we rigidly hold on to and attempt to protect from change, or should it change with the times, as people do? It’s the chicken and egg question: does culture come from people or is it culture that defines a group of people?

Gun SG

Originally posted by Arapahoe:
he is probably saying don;t be a western mind set.....just behaving like them.

I am not asking for assumptions here. There is enough of hear-say and innuendo made about race and cultures.

So what DID the Chinese Premium say about Chinese culture during his visit?

Anyone? Any 1st hand source?

pinkish purple papayas SG

Well, he mentioned about Chinese history, and made reference to the current situation.

The Tang and Ming era thrived because opened herself to the world, no country is alone by themselves. Qing era pretty much declined chinese influence. Only through openess and interaction will one be successful.

He said that china will be continue to be opened to ideas mentioned by Singapore and the rest of the world.

Anyways, Mr. Wen is very popular in china, because he isn't an elite. He was actually from peasant background and rose up the ranks through hardwork and integrity.

Gun SG

yeah, read about his backgnd. If this is what Wen had said, it might also reflect how history influences Chinese's leadership and how it conducts itself globally in the coming future.

I am not surprised at some responses when ST used the phrase "Chinese culture" when reporting on his visit.

This can easily infer with negatively as observed.

rooki SG

5000 years of rich sociocultural heritage wiped out in a mere decade...

Damn the communists.

Arapahoe SG

Premier Wen isn't on a culture exchange trip, he is on a Asean state meetings trip and main tops naturally covers Myanmar. I do not believe u can extract his speech without reference to current context of myanmar with Asean position. Since SG is chairing the Asean that speech was definitely addressing to SG.

At the end of the day who do we see ourselve? An age old question since the start of SG.

Gun SG

Originally posted by rooki:
5000 years of rich sociocultural heritage wiped out in a mere decade...
Damn the communists.

Wip out can be too strong a word, but yeah, the cultual revolution is hardly consider the shining moment of communism in China. In fact, todays Chinese-national and gov consider that a disaster that could have been avoided.

No one looks back in fondness.

Gun SG

Originally posted by Arapahoe:
Premier Wen isn't on a culture exchange trip, he is on a Asean state meetings trip and main tops naturally covers Myanmar. I do not believe u can extract his speech without reference to current context of myanmar with Asean position. Since SG is chairing the Asean that speech was definitely addressing to SG. At the end of the day who do we see ourselves? An age old question since the start of SG.

Thanks for your remark, but those aren't key issue here.

pinkish purple papayas had already provided me the answer.

The takeaway here is PM Wen didn't come to talk about the "Chinese culture"
nor practice policy of "chauvinism" a some may had perceived here.

What I am interested in is some in-sight on how history had taught and shape a country's outlook and behaviour.

Arapahoe SG

and how far back do you review? perspective of history are different from Post WWII vs Pre WWII.

Gun SG

I sugguest you refer to my early post in this thread again.
That might help clarify your question.

As on how one's perspective/interpretation of historicals event changes with time, that is best left to future historians and individual.

But we cannot deny the Chinese do have long memories about their history.
And often this multi-millennium long recorded history are often used as reference/guide for today's changing world.

Whether it is pre or post-WW isn't a matter if history interpretation can be subjected to change overtime. Isn't that already mentioned in your above post?

Arapahoe SG

i am not sure how u look at a pattern of decision to trace back a cultural charactertics response, without considering major event in history that shape the pysche of its people. we are not talking about judging history. And i am not sure how Wen's remarks could justified Asean or our decision on Myanmar issue either.

But i would like to highlight in the context of Wen's visit. Its political justification of culture implies that if a given Race who grew up in a similar culture enviornment that share the same value suppose to derive to a similar conclusion or at least closely related.

But that is just a polical blackmail thru ethnic identity, politically its ignorance of other race that exist in our context and national identity.

Do u not find it disconnect when the main topic for that few days was Myanmar........ and 2nd topics for the day from LHL was a deepening economics relationship in China? there is really nothing culture here other than a relation blackmail.

Gun SG

Originally posted by Arapahoe:
i am not sure how u look at a pattern of decision to trace back a cultural charactertics response, without considering major event in history that shape the pysche of its people. we are not talking about judging history. And i am not sure how Wen's remarks could justified Asean or our decision on Myanmar issue either.

What remark?

Originally posted by Arapahoe:
But i would like to highlight in the context of Wen's visit. Its political justification of culture implies that if a given Race who grew up in a similar culture enviornment that share the same value suppose to derive to a similar conclusion or at least closely related.

Don't know what you are getting at.
Both China and ASEAN are hardly similar culturally but they do share same concern and support UN approach on the Myanmar issue.
e.g. from The Hindu (India's National Newspaper): http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/19/stories/2007111955361500.htm

Originally posted by Arapahoe:
But that is just a polical blackmail thru ethnic identity, politically its ignorance of other race that exist in our context and national identity.

Again, I am at lost with what you are getting here?
Political black mail? Ignorance? And that race-thingy? odd....
What exactly are you inferring? Rolling Eyes

Originally posted by Arapahoe:
Do u not find it disconnect when the main topic for that few days was Myanmar........ and 2nd topics for the day from LHL was a deepening economics relationship in China? there is really nothing culture here other than a relation blackmail.

errr..I am more disconnected with what you are trying to say... Laughing