The Chinese classics can be found in China, Japan and Korea. In the Sinosphere, Japan was particularly influenced by the culture of the Tang Dynasty, before which Korea was already under the influence of the Han Dynasty. Confucius once said, when the etiquette and rites (of the tradition of the core states) are lost, one may seek them in the wild.
Today, it would be easier to find Chinese classics in Japan and Korea.
When Tunghai University was established near Dadu Mountain, many Taiwanese thought its buildings resembled Japanese architecture. The university campus was designed by a team of architects, including I.M. Pei (貝聿銘) and Chen Chi-kwan (陳其寬), who said that they were inspired by the style of the Tang Dynasty. The Tang style reminded the public of Japan precisely because Japan’s Taika reform was heavily influenced by the Tang Dynasty. The Taika reform laid the foundation for the Meiji Restoration, both of which are integral to Japanese culture today.
Throughout history, Korean dynastic kingdoms were often tributary states of Chinese dynasties. Hence, in comparison to Japan, Korea is more deeply impacted by Chinese culture. More than once, Koreans have asserted the association between Korean and Chinese traditional festivals.
It is thought that the word “China” is derived from the name of the Qin Dynasty. After a series of wars, the Qin state unified other states and its duke became the first ruler of a unified China as First Emperor of China Qin Shihuangdi (秦始皇帝). Subsequently, China went through several dynasties, including the Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing.
Of course, China was never a purely Han Chinese empire, nor has Chinese culture been an entirely unified one. In modern times, the Republic of China (ROC) and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have carried on Han Chinese traditions, but Chinese culture has evolved.
Similarly, although Chinese culture has played a significant part in the development of Japanese and Korean cultures, Japan and Korea have also learned from Western countries, rather than merely adhering to Han Chinese traditions. Japan and Korea also developed their own writing systems.
To govern to the benefit of its citizens, a state should not place sole emphasis on the material aspect of life, rather, it should highlight the consciousness as well. A state should learn from the cultures of other ethnic and national groups, enhancing itself without harming others. This is how a country progresses in the modern world.
The ROC and the PRC have also taken in other ethnic and national cultures. Nevertheless, over the past few decades, the PRC has made an effort to destroy Chinese culture, as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has transformed the Chinese people and society through Marxism-Leninism. Consequently, the PRC has become a desinicized China. On the other hand, ruled by the Chiang family, the ROC government consolidated its martial law regime by being anti communist. Yet after Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) and Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) died, several Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) members turned to communist China.
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) had been well protected by Chiang Ching-kuo, and was able to obtain and use all the resources of the KMT. Ma adheres to the principle of “one China.” Once an anti-communist patriot, he has become a CCP supporter who despises Taiwan. Ma’s case shows the dark side of Chinese culture.
One of the notorious aspects of Chinese culture is that one’s words do not match one’s actions. The disparity is often easily observable. When the KMT lost the Chinese Civil War, its party members occupied Taiwan, yet they claimed that they were the legitimate rulers of Taiwan. These KMT members were shameless, and yet they talked about integrity and shame louder than anyone.
Some say that the KMT and the CCP have different cultural essences: The former is a hypocrite and the latter a true villain. Why? The KMT talks about the ancient saints and sages, teaching others how to behave righteously and morally, but its own conduct demonstrates a lack of benevolence and ethics. As for the CCP, it believes in Marxism-Leninism, and governs its populace with brutality, not even trying to hide it.
It might be that Taiwan is where true Chinese classics can be found, given that Taiwan shares some ancient connections with China. The ancestors of the Taiwanese crossed the rough waters of the Taiwan Strait to develop and settle the land. They were people of the Sinosphere, and they must have brought with them the simple culture of the common people. Such a Chinese culture is different from the one claimed by the KMT or the CCP.
Afterward, Taiwan was colonized by Japan, which brought in European culture. In this sense, Taiwan is closer to Japan and South Korea — where the Chinese classics have been preserved, but mixed with other cultural elements.
Moreover, now that Taiwan has its own writing system, Chinese culture in Taiwan and China are not necessarily the same. Like Japan and South Korea, Taiwan is a part of the Sinosphere, but Taiwan is not China.
Lee Min-yung is a poet.
Translated by Emma Liu
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