Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism -- The Origin and Development of Aesthetic Thought

Author: Zhang Wenxun / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-01
Features: The origin of ancient Chinese culture is not limited to the Three Dynasties culture in the Yellow River Basin. From modern archaeological findings, it is evident that the Yangtze River Basin and the vast areas south of it and along the coast also created their own cultures in ancient times. The ancient term "Jingchu" and "Ba Yue" referred to the vast southern regions and the indigenous peoples living there. Although, after the Zhou and Qin dynasties, the Huaxia ethnic group in the Yellow River Basin gradually merged with the "Jing Man" tribes south of the Yangtze River, they still retained distinct local cultural characteristics, such as the Chu culture, which formed a significant cultural system. These phenomena indicate that due to natural geographical conditions, different regional cultures emerged. From the perspective of cultural anthropology, this is a natural occurrence. The influence of natural conditions is multifaceted, with the most significant factors being the following:
Firstly, the influence of geographical features. Across China's 9.6 million square kilometers of land, there are plateaus, plains, hills, basins, and various other geographical features. These differences in geographical features result in vastly different natural conditions, leading to significant disparities in the lifestyles, psychological states, and even physiological and personality traits of people in different regions, thereby shaping variations in cultural and aesthetic awareness. Generally speaking, high-altitude and cold mountainous areas have harsh natural conditions and low levels of production development, resulting in relatively underdeveloped cultures. In contrast, plain areas have more favorable natural conditions, where people rely on the soil, water resources, and climate to develop agriculture from ancient times, creating splendid ancient cultures. Due to the complexity of geographical features and the crisscrossing mountain ranges, China is divided into numerous smaller and larger regions. In ancient times, when transportation was underdeveloped, these regions were often isolated from one another, and even when there was interaction, it was not frequent or extensive. As a result, it was easier for multiple ethnic groups, political systems, and cultural forms to emerge.
Secondly, it is worth noting that different geographical features have different climates, such as significant temperature differences, variations in air humidity, differences in rainfall, and variations in wind strength. China is vast, with a complex and diverse climate. Overall, most regions belong to the temperate and subtropical climates, but some areas have distinct four seasons, others have a spring-like climate year-round, some have long summers without winters, and others have no summer at all. All of these directly affect the production and lifestyles of different regions and also directly influence the lifestyles, physiological, and psychological qualities of the residents. The desolation of vast deserts, the fertility of grasslands, the richness of plains, and the abundance of lakes and rivers—all are closely related to the influence of climate, and all directly affect the formation of regional cultures.
Lastly, we must pay special attention to the fact that the Yellow River and the Yangtze River are directly related to the origin and development of Chinese civilization. This is proven by a wealth of archaeological, historical, and literary and artistic evidence. As mentioned earlier, we cited a long passage by Qian Mu, which explained the formation of the Three Dynasties culture and its influence from a regional perspective. The cradles of ancient Chinese civilization were not just one or two places but multiple sites. From the perspective of cultural anthropology, the Beijing Man at Zhoukoudian in Beijing, the Yuanmou Man in Yunnan, and other archaeological discoveries of ancient hominid sites all indicate that the cradles of ancient Chinese culture were not singular but plural, and they also demonstrate that the origins of ancient Chinese culture were diverse rather than singular. However, from a historical perspective, based on historical records, the vast majority of ancient Huaxia culture originated and developed in the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins, as well as other regions with rivers and lakes of various sizes. This is also a historical fact.
From the perspective of water conservancy, the Yellow River has been known as the "river of a hundred evils" since ancient times, but its numerous tributaries have irrigated vast areas of land. Due to the natural advantages and disadvantages of the Yellow River, it promoted the development of agriculture in the vast areas along its banks thousands of years ago. Under the influence of an agricultural-based production and lifestyle, the culture of the legendary Yellow Emperor and Yan Emperor emerged early on, as well as the cultures of the later Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties. It can be said that ancient Chinese social systems, ethical norms, customs, and aesthetic awareness are all closely related to agricultural culture and have distinct characteristics. The vast areas of the Yangtze River Basin are even more suitable for agricultural development, with natural conditions different from those of the Yellow River Basin. Therefore, the culture that originated in the Yangtze River Basin has its own unique features while integrating into Huaxia culture. However, some fundamental characteristics of its agricultural culture share an intrinsic connection with the agricultural culture of the Yellow River Basin, which reflects the structural feature of China's millennia-old culture being both diverse and unified.
In summary, we have briefly discussed how natural conditions in China have influenced the emergence and development of culture, which is one of the important reasons for the formation of Chinese culture. These natural conditions undoubtedly have a significant impact on the formation of the national characteristics of traditional Chinese culture. However, we cannot say that they are the decisive factor determining the nature of traditional Chinese culture. What truly plays the decisive role are the production and lifestyles, social and political conditions, as well as the thoughts and worldviews of people in different eras and regions.
P9-P11