Yellow River Culture Series: Religious Volume

Author: Wang Zhiyuan et al
Publisher:
Publishing Date: Not available
Features: Mountains have roots, and rivers have sources. Everything in the world has its own origins. And why should the nation be an exception! The root of our Chinese nation is the Yellow River. This is a historical fact that no one can deny. In recent years, Chinese archaeology has made rapid progress and achieved remarkable results. In summary, I believe there are two things worth noting: one is that the ancient history of China cannot be capped; the other is that the origins of Chinese culture may be pluralistic. First, let me talk about the second point. For many years, we have been accustomed to saying "five thousand years of Chinese civilization." Five thousand years is already a very long time. However, archaeological work has proven that our history is actually even longer. Originally, there were doubts about the existence of the Xia Dynasty. Now, reliable remains of the Xia Dynasty have been found. As a result, many people believe that those who previously doubted ancient history were completely unfounded in their skepticism. With each archaeological discovery, the history of the Chinese nation and the origins of Chinese culture continue to extend further back, possibly six thousand or even seven thousand years. Therefore, I say that the ancient history of China cannot be capped. As for the second point, with the expansion of archaeological work, splendid remnants of civilizations have been found in remote areas that were once considered barbaric, such as in Yunnan and other regions. A little further north than Yunnan, in ancient regions like Jingchu, there are even more and richer cultural sites. Sometimes, the discoveries are truly astonishing. Places like Zhejiang and Guangdong also fall into this category. I cannot list them all here. Therefore, I believe that the splendid and diverse Chinese culture was produced through pluralistic origins and was jointly created by all the ethnic groups of China. Understanding this can further enhance the cohesion of our great national family and promote ethnic unity. When we study the history of Chinese literature, with just a little attention, we can see that Chinese literature in the pre-Qin era was actually divided into two major systems: the northern and southern systems. The Chu Ci of the southern Jingchu region represents southern literature and can also be seen as a symbol of the Yangtze River culture. Its characteristic, in simple terms, is a strong romanticism. The north, on the other hand, is represented by the Book of Songs, a concrete manifestation of the Yellow River culture. Its characteristic is a greater inclination toward realism. These two are the sources of Chinese poetry for thousands of years, and their influence cannot be underestimated. Since Chinese culture and literature have pluralistic origins, is there a central axis or foundation? I believe there is. This axis or foundation must undoubtedly be Yellow River culture. "The Yellow River rises among the white clouds," is a famous line that everyone knows. "The Yellow River's waters flow from the heavens," is even more widely quoted. In China, the Yellow River is like the Ganges River in India. In the eyes of Indians, the Ganges River flows from the heavens, and it is the source of Indian culture and the sacred water of India. The Yellow River, though balanced by the Yangtze River in China, plays a supplementary role in culture. The sacred water in the hearts of the Chinese people remains the Yellow River. This is why, at times of national life and death, the Yellow River still inspires the Chinese people to move forward and boosts their morale. Today, who, upon hearing Xian Xinghai's Yellow River Cantata, does not immediately feel invigorated and full of spirit? However, while Yellow River culture is the axis and foundation, it is by no means closed off or exclusive. The ancient Chinese said, "Only with tolerance can one be great." The vastness of the sea lies in its ability to embrace all rivers, making it great. The Chinese culture centered around Yellow River culture also possesses such a vastness. Over thousands of years of development, it gradually incorporated the cultures of all Chinese ethnic groups and even foreign cultures without resistance, ultimately forming a great culture with a long history and diverse virtues. Our culture has influenced the world and has played a positive role in the progress and development of humanity for millennia, enduring through time and remaining ever-present in the future. This is a pride of our entire Chinese nation. Our great country, with such a glorious culture, would any descendant of Yan and Huang not feel genuine love for it? In the current high tide of patriotic education across the nation, the leaders and publishers of several provinces and cities have jointly written this Yellow River Culture Series, which truly resonates with the people. It is both an embellishment and, in a way, a timely gift. It is certain to be warmly welcomed by people of all ethnic groups in China and scholars from around the world. Therefore, I am delighted to write this preface.
Postscript: The development of culture is influenced by both changes in time and differences in geography. The evolution of any cultural phenomenon is always constrained by time and space. Religion is a form of culture, so the study of religious phenomena must also not overlook the characteristics formed by the interaction of time and place. To fully showcase the human and geographical landscape of the Yellow River Basin, Ningxia People's Publishing House, with foresight, included the presentation of religious culture in the editorial plan of the Yellow River Culture Series. As early as 1992, they invited us to organize the compilation of the Religion Volume, aiming to explore the patterns and characteristics of the birth, distribution, spread, and evolution of religious culture in the Yellow River Basin. They also required the writing style to reflect both the origins and the developments, combining academic rigor with readability, making it both an academic work and one accessible to a broad audience. This concept is very much in line with the current needs of readers. According to this requirement, starting from September 1992, Professor Wang Zhiyuan, the chief editor, formulated the main purpose, structural framework, chapter outline, and basic content of the book. He personally wrote the Introduction, which concisely explains the fundamental characteristics of religious culture in the Yellow River Basin and briefly contrasts the significant differences and general features of northern and southern religious cultures. Guided by the main ideas of the Introduction, Professor Wang Zhiyuan, along with associate editors Bian Qian and Feng Jinyuan, invited over a dozen scholars and graduate students specializing in Chinese philosophy and religious studies to jointly complete the writing of the book. These contributors include Wu Rui, Yang Shengping, Sha Zongping, Chen Peng, Peng Yongjie, Shang Jiuyu, Yu Xueming, Tan Mingran, Ren Zefeng, Pei Yong, Yang Lihua, Zhang Yangsheng, Zhao Xinfeng, Liu Wei, and Sun Xingguo, among others. Most of these contributors have now become experts in the study of religious culture. After the initial drafts were completed, Professor Wang Zhiyuan, Bian Qian, and Feng Jinyuan reviewed and revised the manuscript from different perspectives, making multiple revisions. Some chapters were assigned to the original authors for major revisions or to new contributors for significant improvements. Professor Bian Qian then carefully proofread the unified manuscript. This book took seven years to complete, with the effort of the publisher, editors, and contributors, demonstrating an unwavering spirit and a responsible attitude. Due to the large number of contributors, the quality may not be entirely uniform, and errors are inevitable. Moreover, it did not fully meet the fundamental requirement of highlighting regional characteristics. We sincerely hope for corrections and suggestions from experts in various fields. The publication of this book is made possible by the strong support of Ningxia People's Publishing House and Shandong People's Publishing House. Here, we especially thank Mr. Liu Dejiu, General Editor of Shandong People's Publishing House; Mr. Wang Wenqing, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Ningxia People's Publishing House; and Ms. Shen Bin, the editor responsible for this book.
Wang Zhiyuan, Bian Qian, Feng Jinyuan
July 1999, Beijing