Are you Chinese?

Author: Jiang Qingyue
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: With China's reform and opening-up and rapid economic development, a new century of China moving towards the world and greater openness has quietly arrived. Promoting and nurturing the national spirit and cultural traditions of the Chinese people, as well as strengthening the cohesion and unity of the Chinese nation and all its people, is a significant issue. The newly published Are You Chinese? by the China Zhi Gong Publishing House presents a unique perspective, profound emotions, fluent writing, and words, narrating thoughtfully. It delves into the philosophy of how contemporary Chinese view themselves, their country, and the world, as well as the thoughts and reflections on how to live as a Chinese person in personal, family, and societal contexts.
The author Jiang Qingyue uses a fresh and emotional, life-oriented language to distill the essence of traditional Chinese culture and outstanding human culture. With meticulous detail, she portrays the unique characteristics of outstanding figures such as Qu Yuan, Wen Tianxiang, Qu Qiubai, and Fang Zhimin in the spiritual world of the Chinese nation. This leads to the pragmatic assertion that "writing well about the history of every individual is writing well about the history of contemporary China, and writing well about the history of humanity." The aim is to awaken and rekindle the historical sense of responsibility among modern Chinese people. (From the Overseas Edition of People's Daily, December 2, 2005, Page 7)
This is a collection of humanistic essays on "China, the Chinese People, and Chinese Culture." Mr. Liang Shuming once said in Essentials of Chinese Culture that culture is the foundation of our lives, and Chinese culture is the way of life, values, and beliefs of the Chinese people. In traditional Chinese culture, what kind of ideal Chinese person should one be? The author Jiang Qingyue extracts the core of an ideal Chinese person from traditional culture. He should be someone who "understands the greater principles, is clear about matters, adapts to human emotions, is flexible in handling situations, seeks practicality, anticipates outcomes, and achieves results." First and foremost, he must recognize that the common happiness of all people is true happiness, and the common well-being and joy of all people is true well-being and joy.
An ideal Chinese person must constantly remind himself whether his actions align with the highest ideals and highest of the Chinese nation: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, trustworthiness, and loyalty. Therefore, the author specifically proposes the following stance: "Chinese people should have a Chinese perspective."