It is necessary to understand that not everything related to China can be seen as "Chinese culture". To cite an example, in China, any object with a long history, such as unearthed relics, would become a collectible item. Some of these objects, like certain religious paraphernalia, would fetch an astronomical price. However, while such items are now highly valued, they are only meaningful in specific situations and areas, and they belong to what is called "quasi-culture" rather than the actual "Chinese culture".
Another example is the tea culture. Chinese people are rather enthusiastic about tea, and likewise there is also a tea ceremony in Japan. However, tea culture does not equate to Chinese culture, rather it is a form of luxurious consumption. Since it lacks the sense of ritual and spiritual connotation that culture should have, it is thus also part of "quasi-culture". A further example is the notion of "courtesan" in China, which is also treated as having cultural meaning and is lengthily described in classic literature. In reality, it is also a "quasi-culture" rather than an integral part of the Chinese culture.
What then, is Chinese culture?
Chinese culture refers to a cultural category that can be connected and understood by cultures of all countries around the world. It can only be appreciated, accommodated, and shared by the world culture, and its cultural value is recognized when such a condition is met. Some examples are poetry, painting and calligraphy, novels, dramas, sculptures, architecture, philosophical classics, and so on.
Here I would like to particularly emphasize the cultural value of Chinese poetry. Chinese poetry relies on culturally specific Chinese artistic conception, and this is difficult to be translated. The appreciation of such conception therefore can only be done through the Chinese language. Precisely because of this reason, the value of Chinese poetry has always suffered underestimation by the world's cultural circles.
It would be apt to cite a similar example given by Gertrude Bell, a British cultural scholar who have achieved legendary status and hailed as the "Queen of the Desert". When confronted with British intelligence officials who represented the British crown and power, she sarcastically implied that the British may understand geopolitics and national interests, but they knew nothing about the beauty of Persian poetry. As a matter of fact, she had translated the Divan of Hafez, learning Persian while translating it. Even today, poetry is part of the everyday life of the Persians. Ancient poets are still being revered in Iran today, and all households in Iran would keep volumes of their poetry.
Of course, it is not just high culture like poetry that would be an important part of the world culture. There are also many cultural heritages cherished globally that are in fact, local and folk culture. Historians and anthropologists are both working on it, and the list of the UN's cultural heritage would be a good starting point for those who are interested.
Yet, what is the purpose of this discussion on Chinese culture?
My purpose here is not about cultural studies, but to clarify a real problem. Chinese people are found all over the world, and they will inevitably face a dilemma. Take the United States as an example, should the Chinese in there be "Americans with Chinese characteristics" or "Chinese people with American characteristics"? These are two completely different concepts. In the former, there is the need to define the "Chinese characteristics", because only Chinese culture derived from the roots that can be traced back to 3000 years ago can represent Chinese characteristics and earn the respect. Those "Chinese characteristics" that deviate from Chinese heritage as such could more often than not bring embarrassment to China itself.
China is an integral part of the world, and so are other countries; their heritage is the element that all countries in the world could cherish. This is then, about the shared wealth of humanity and its common foundation of dignity.
