老外眼中的中国

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CHINA SomeChineseProverbs•Digawellbeforeyouarethirsty.•Onelashtoagoodhorse,onewordtoawiseman.•Kindnessismorebindingthanaloan.•Iftheupperbeamisawry,thenthelowerbeamswillalsobecrooked.(pertainstotheexampleofsuperiors) TheTaklaMakanDesertisoneofthefourlargestdesertsinChina.AgreenbeltalongtheHuangHebordersitssouthernedge.Morethanone-fifthofChina’sterritoryisdesert ChineseHistory EarliestChineseSpiritualBeliefsNatureWorshipAncestorWorshipStrongethicofFamilyFolkSpiritsAround500BCConfucianism,Taoism,andLegalismgotgraftedontotheseearlierbeliefs. ChineseCosmologyHeavenandEartharefundamentallylife-givingEverythinginlifeisrelational–heavenandearth,nightandday,maleandfemaleHarmonybasicallyprevailsamongthepartsofthecosmos.Eachpartworksforthegoodofthewholeandyieldstothenextattherighttime.ThecapacityofhumanstogivelifeisanawesomethingandfortheChinesethegiftoflifeatbirthwasthemostfabulousgiftparentsgivetotheirchildren.Forthatchildrenmusthonor,perhapsevenworship,parentsfortheirentirelives Confucianism5SacredRelationshipsWifeobeyshusband,Childrenobeyparents,Youngerchildrenobeyolderchildren,FriendisloyaltoFriend,allPeopleobeyEmperorAncestorWorshipWrittendowninAnalects TaoismFounderLaoTzu Taomeans“TheWayofNature”FirstWordsfromTao-Te-Ching“ThereisathingconfusedlyformedBornbeforeHeavenandEarthSilentandVoidItstandsaloneanddoesnotchangeItgoesaroundanddoesnotwearyItiscapableofbeingthemotheroftheworldIknownotitsnameSoI’llcallit‘TheWay’”TaoistsweresupposedtoobserveNature’swaysandtherebylearnhowtolive.TheTaoistsymbolistheYin/Yang LegalismFoundedbyHanFeiTzuBelievedinstrict,clearlawsandapowerful,authoritariangovernment.Favoredseverepunishments,andbelievedeveryoneshouldtakeresponsibilityforobeyingthelaw.Politicaldissentwasahighcrimepunishablebydeath. EmperorHuangDiChinDynasty(221-202BC)China’sfirstemperorRuledusingphilosophyofLegalism.Assistant,LiSi,mayhavebeenmoreheartlessandruthlessthanHuangDi.Theyimprisoneddissidents,killedscholars,andforcedpeopletoworkforthestate,andstartedtobuildtheGreatWallofChina.Standardizedcurrency,weightsandmeasures,andlanguageoftheempire. ImposingGreatWallofChinaTheGreatWallofChinawindsthroughthecountrysidenorthwestofBeijing.Thewallwasoriginallyaseriesoffortificationsthatwerejoinedtogetherinthe3rdcenturyBC.Hundredsofthousandsofworkerslaboredformorethanadecadetoconstructthestoneandmasonryramparts,whosewideexpanseswereusedasatransportationrouteaswellasfordefense.Overthecenturiesthewallhasbeenrebuiltandrestored.Today,itisregardedasoneofthegreatwondersoftheworldandisreportedlytheonlyhuman-builtstructurevisiblefromspace. ClayArmyofXi’anIneasternChina,nearthecityofXi’an,liesamagnificentarchaeologicaltreasurefromthe3rdcenturyBC.Archaeologistsandlocalresidentshaveexcavatedaterra-cottaarmyoftensofthousandsofsoldiers,horses,andchariots.Theserealisticlife-sizedfigureswereoriginallycreatedtoguardthetombofEmperorShiHuangdi,thefirstruleroftheQin(Ch’in)dynasty “TheEmperorandtheAssassin,”a1999movieaboutHuangDi.LiXuejianplaysHuangDi BuddhismSpreadstoChina BuddhistCavesofLongmenTheinfluenceofBuddhismisevidentinthecarvedandpaintedcavesofLongmen(alsocalledLung-menCaves)inHenanProvincenearthecityofLuoyang.Morethan1,300cavesherecontainnearly100,000stonestatuesofBuddhaand3,600inscribedstonetabletsdatingfromthe5thtothe7thcentury.AmongthegreatremainingmasterpiecesofBuddhistculture,thecontentsofthesecavesprovideawealthofinformationaboutChinesehistory. SITUATIONFORCHINESEWOMEN WhenChinaRuledtheSeasTreasureShipVoyagesofChengHo Beijing’sImperialPalaceAcollectionof800buildingsmakesuptheImperialPalaceinBeijing’sForbiddenCity.OncehometotwodynastiesofChineseemperors,theMingandtheQing,thepalaceisnowamuseum.Theoriginalstructurewasbuiltinthe15thcentury,butitburneddownnumeroustimesandhadtoberepeatedlyrestoredandrebuilt.Mostofthepalacebuildingsstandingtodaydatefromthelate18thorearly19thcenturies.