Why did the regional culture of “starry sky” and “double petal flowers” based on agriculture in the Neolithic Age end up with only the Erlitou culture standing out when the moon was bright and the stars were sparse?
What is civilization? What are the symbols of civilization? What are the relationships and differences between civilization and culture? How to define the relationship between the origins of civilization? How to view the relationship between civilization creation and development and human evolution and development?
Is Chinese civilization “integrated” or “diverse”? What are the symbols of the formation of Chinese civilized society? What are the differences and connections between civilization and a country? What is the origin and formation of the early Chinese nation and its relationship with the “Great Central Plains”?
Before and after this, a discussion on the origin of civilization was held in the online academy of CPPCC members. More than 50 committee members and experts conducted more than 10 online discussions on these topics, exchanging speeches totaling over 200000 words. Through tracing the origin of Chinese civilization, they led the research on the history of Chinese civilization to depth and also stimulated the cultural power to advance in the new era.
The tradition of “great unity” is the fundamental guarantee for the “longevity and greatness” of Chinese civilization
In the long historical process, the Chinese nation, with the determination and will to strive for self-improvement, has gone through a development process that is different from other civilizations in the world.
Why does Chinese civilization have a long and extensive history of energy in this process, maintaining good continuity and inclusiveness? The committee members believe that the tradition of “Six Contract Winds, One Country, One Country” and “Great Unity” is the fundamental guarantee for the “longevity and greatness” of Chinese civilization. “Unification” has become one of the key words in this discussion.
“‘Great Unification ‘is not only a geographical concept, but also a cultural concept; it is not only a concept of political system, but also a concept of political morality. Only when political power is unified, can there be the so-called’ China ‘. Only when civilization is unified, can there be the so-called’ Chinese civilization ‘.” Li Yonggang, director of the Chinese Traditional Culture Teaching and Research Office of the Chinese Culture Teaching and Research Department of the Central Socialist University, believes that it is based on the tradition of’ Great Unification ‘, China has formed an impressive super large community in its long history. The strong patriotism and global concept of the Chinese people have become an important psychological foundation for strengthening the awareness of the Chinese nation’s community and promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind today.
China has a vast territory and diverse environment, constantly exchanging and integrating with each other. About 6000 years ago, it officially formed a “unified” pattern, known as the “early Chinese cultural circle”, which later developed into “cultural China”. In the view of Professor Han Jianye from the Department of Archaeology, Literature and Museum at the School of History of Renmin University of China, “Cultural China” is “Political China”. During the division, there is a yearning for unity and a need to maintain unity.An important foundation for unity. Chinese civilization is different from the “city-state civilization” of West Asia and Greece, and from the highly homogenized Egyptian civilization. Due to its “monistic” worldview, it essentially tends to be “integrated” and “unified”. Due to its “multiple branches” and “diversity” and the possibility of multiple development and changes, it not only continues the mainstream tradition for a long time but also is open and inclusive, making it a super stable giant cultural structure.
“This’ monistic ‘cosmology and’ multi branch integration ‘pattern are the fundamental way for Chinese civilization to survive in the world and the foundation for the great rejuvenation of Chinese civilization,” said Han Jianye.
Ye Xiaowen, Deputy Director of the Cultural, Historical, and Learning Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and Deputy Leader of the Reading Activity Guidance Group, also agrees that “Great Unity” is a mainline that runs through China’s historical and political landscape and ideological culture. It is a cultural gene that maintains the great unity of the Chinese people, an internal driving force for building China as a super large scale civilized country, and an important link to maintain the sense of community of the Chinese nation.
Culturally inclusive, economically interdependent, emotionally close, and blood related, it has forged, maintained, and consolidated the basic pattern of the Chinese nation’s unity of diversity (or multiple branches). Ye Xiaowen believes that no matter how intertwined, turbulent, or flowing from multiple sources, they will eventually merge into a unified “Chinese nation”. “By firmly holding the center of the” unity “and extending the radius of inclusive diversity (multilinear), we can draw the largest concentric circle and forever consolidate the great unity of the Chinese people.”.
Establish a discipline system, academic system, and discourse system for civilization research with Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese style
To establish a discipline system, academic system, and discourse system for civilization research with Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese style, providing strong theoretical support for the practice of new forms of human civilization.
In this discussion, more than 50 members and experts from the fields of archaeology, history, humanities, and natural sciences answered major questions about the origin, formation, and development of Chinese civilization from multiple disciplines, perspectives, levels, and aspects, including the basic picture, internal mechanisms, and evolution paths of regional civilizations.
How to use the latest technologies from cutting-edge disciplines such as biology, molecular biology, chemistry, and physics to analyze ancient Chinese relics and expand our understanding of China’s over 5000 years of civilization history? Zhang Fuming, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, chairman of the Shanxi Provincial Committee of the Democratic Revolution, and deputy governor of the Shanxi Provincial People’s Government, believes that the tracing of civilization should be combined with archaeological evidence and scientific analysis methods. From the aspects of settlement and settlement patterns, agricultural tools and cultivation methods, land use, calendars and solar terms, seed domestication, wild animal domestication, and livestock breeding, the source, evolution, and spatial diffusion patterns of Chinese civilization should be more deeply revealed, This is more convincing and has international influence..Le He depicted a magnificent picture of the origin, formation, and development of Chinese civilization, demonstrating China’s million year human history, 10000 year cultural history, and over 5000 years of civilization history. Wang Wei, member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and director of the History Department, introduced some of the research achievements of the Source Exploration Project over the past 20 years. The project team condensed the criteria for entering a civilized society into three aspects from archaeological discoveries at sites such as Liangzhu, Taosi, and Shimao, namely the development of production and the emergence of cities with an increase in population; Social division of labor and social differentiation continue to intensify, resulting in the emergence of classes; The continuous strengthening of power has led to the emergence of monarchy and the state – with the emergence of the state as a symbol of entering civilized society.
We not only need to “explore the source”, but also “observe the flow”. Professor Li Shoukui from the Chinese Department of the School of Humanities at Tsinghua University proposed that once Chinese civilization was born, it had tremendous vitality. We attach great importance to the cultural core of Chinese civilization, as well as the technological conditions for its dissemination. “Chinese character research is a part of Chinese civilization research, and there is an urgent need to establish China’s own discourse power and system for Chinese character research.”.
Drawing strength from the source of Chinese civilization to move forward
More than 100 years ago, modern archaeology laid the first foundation in Yangshao Village, and the magnificent journey of Chinese ancestors traversing the vast land of China to the center of the civilization stage became increasingly clear.
Chinese civilization is an open system formed through continuous exchange and mutual learning with other civilizations. From the historical spread of Buddhism to the East and the integration of Confucianism and Confucianism, to the modern spread of Western learning, the New Culture Movement, Marxism, and socialist ideas into China, and to the comprehensive opening up to the outside world since the reform and opening up, Chinese civilization has always been constantly evolving through inclusiveness.
Philosopher Feng Youlan once wrote in the monument inscription of Southwest Associated University: “Although it is new and not ancient to conquer the world’s great powers, Greece and Rome have ancient times but not present. However, our country is both new and old, as the saying goes, ‘Although Zhou is an old country, its destiny is to be renewed.'”
Li Yonggang explained that the saying “ancient and modern, both new and old” means that Chinese civilization has undergone changes and changes, and the old and new continue. It is neither stagnant nor broken, but rather the subjectivity of continuing its own civilization in a state of change without being centered. From a starry sky to a clear and sparse moon, this transformation itself reflects the deepening of cultural exchanges and integration between different regions, demonstrating the inclusive and absorptive capacity of Chinese civilization.
From trickling streams to confluence of rivers, civilizations in various regions thrive, influence each other, and move forward hand in hand. Wang Zhenzhong, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and deputy director of the History Department, believes that our research on the spiritual characteristics and development forms of the source stage of Chinese civilization is very beneficial for elucidating the profound cultural heritage and unique spiritual symbols of China’s path, drawing cultural confidence from the source of civilization, and for contemporary cultural construction..Rich and fertile soil. Zhang Lianqi, a member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Vice President of the China Taxation Society, stated that early Chinese civilization had a civilized form of ancient sages governing the country and consultative democracy. This provides a fundamental discourse system for specialized consultative institutions to establish strategic thinking, dialectical thinking, innovative thinking, rule of law thinking, and unity thinking, and for civilized and institutional competition.
To make the world understand China, one must first understand oneself. Yang Chaoming, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and director of the Confucius Institute in China, stated that “when it comes to cultural confidence, we must start with cultural self-awareness.” Understanding the length of Chinese civilization is to understand the height and width of Chinese civilization, so as to truly understand the depth of Chinese civilization, lead the study of Chinese civilization deeper, and walk out of the blind era of doubting the past.
(Reporter Yu Haiping from this newspaper)