| Which is the most renowned cultural city in China? | |
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| Jul 27, 2007 02:33 |   |
 | China is a country with a history of 5000 years civilization.Therefore. there are many historical and cultural cities such as Xi'an, Beijing, Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Shaoxing, Yan'an, Guangzhou, Quanzhou. However, have you ever thought that which city is the most renowned cultural city? Which city has the most cultural elements? Some of my friends believe that Xi'an is the most renowned cultural city in China, since Xi'an was the capital for over 13 dynasties, and the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum and the Terra Cotta Warriors are the best evidence. Some regards Beijing as the most renowned cultural city in China, and maintains that Beijing is the cultural center of China at present, hence the most renowned cultural city in China. What do you think? Xi'an ? Beijing? Nanjing? Shanghai? Guangzhou?Or others ? |
| Jul 27, 2007 12:32 | #1 |
| China is in the people, JimmyB, not the historical sites. When the Jesuits came to China they re-wrote the bible to align with Chinese philosophy because they could not get any converts. Historian John Fairbanks wrote that this aggravated the feud between the Franciscans and the Jesuits and the Franciscans complained to the Pope. Fairbanks also wrote that the Chinese absorbed invading forces making them Chinese. Seeing a man entertain/teach his grandchildren to clean eels; seeing children practice their calligraphy at little desks on the sidewalks in the evening; seeing adults playing like children in the parks; hearing people singing in the morning; feeling the common joy of a people whose history was hard and harsh...all these things are China to me. If cultural erosion kills those attributes, the historic sites will lose all meaning even in a city such as Xi'an or Beijing. |
| Jul 29, 2007 21:50 | #2 |
| GRIZ326 , you are quite knowledgeable,and particularly concerned about "cultural erosion" in China.. Can you define cultural erosion? Could you please list some manifestations of "cultural erosion"? Does it happen in USA? |
| Aug 1, 2007 18:45 | #3 |
| Rather than attempt to define cultural erosion, I'll give a few examples: * Traveling around Ireland and never hearing Irish music in a pub (actually happened to me in 1992) * Individual microwave meals rather than a home cooked family dinner * Divorce rather than life-long marriage * Amish people with telephones and automobiles * Buddhist monks talking on mobile telephones while climbing Emei Shan The picture is a fair example too.... MIRANDAZHAO, even today the USA has almost no culture of its own. We used to have the cowboy culture but that is almost gone even here in Montana. The erosion was caused by barbed wire fences & cross fences, hunting & fishing regulations, Jeeps & 4x4 trucks and the growing, moving population consuming all of the ranch land. Perhaps the reason there is so little unique culture in the USA is because the United States has such a short history. Maybe part of it can be attributed to the rate of economic and social change here. If the United States does have a culture, perhaps it is a belief that all "progress" is good; I doubt the bison and native Americans would agree with that cultural perspective.  |
| Aug 1, 2007 19:06 | #4 |
| That picture above could have been taken in New York City's Chinatown. Does skin color and facial characteristics make a person Chinese? I think being Chinese has much more to do with a person's heart and spirit. |
| Aug 1, 2007 20:33 | #5 |
| GRIZ326, you are quite right. "Being Chinese has much more to do with a person's heart and spirit. " Skin color and facial characteristics don't make a person Chinese. Have you ever heard of "Bananas", which refers to those Chinese Americans who have a yellow skin, but internally they are white. They grew up in US and received the typical American White people's culture. In appearance, they look exactlly Chinese, but in ways of thinking and behaving, they are Americans. They don't have any traces of Chinese national identity. Are they Chinese or Americnans? |
| Aug 1, 2007 21:03 | #6 |
| " Cultural erosion " is a very serious question for any historical countries with its dinstictive feauture in the past days. people traveled here and there and spread their own ideas of values, customs, cutures, this have surpassed the mere individual border line, the fantacy and myth in our mind about a strange and exotic land have disappeared gradually, the local culture absorbed this influences little by little. This culture erosion have surrendered to the " ecnomic erosion " as a matter of fact. The naive country girl had so much make up just want to please her guests, she was popular afterwards but also lose her own marks. Is this a tragedy ? Develope is the only choice for us to get better and better, but how can you maintain your own nature at the same time ? The beauty view is just in your imaginations, in your deep heart. Alice lee hotmail.com|aliceleeguide |
| Aug 30, 2007 22:34 | #7 |
| with our words. you can see 30 years history in Shenzhen city 100 years history in Shanghai city 600 years history in Beijing city 2000 years history in Xi an city 5000 years history in Shan xi province. |
| Aug 30, 2007 22:44 | #8 |
| It should be 5000 years history in Shaanxi Province, not Shanxi. |
| Sep 3, 2007 07:29 | #9 |
| There are many countries in the World that have managed to hold on to their rootes. Italy, France just to name a few. China will continue to be China untill it's people decide that there is a better way..But theree is not IMO. Dodger. |
| Sep 7, 2007 02:49 | #10 |
| As long as there are Chinese, Chinese culture will never be forgotten. |
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