Reflection

Reflections on Insights into Chinese Culture After finishing reading the English version of Insights into Chinese Culture, I have gained a brand-new and systematic understanding of profound and splendid Chinese civilization. This book is not a rigid collection of historical materials, but a vivid window leading readers to explore traditional Chinese culture with simple language, rich content and unique perspectives. It combines ancient philosophy, traditional art, folk customs and modern cultural inheritance, presenting the essence of Chinese culture to readers all over the world in authentic and standard English expressions. Before reading this book, my cognition of Chinese culture was fragmented and superficial. I only knew some common cultural symbols such as the Great Wall, traditional festivals and Chinese tea, but never deeply realized the spiritual connotation hidden behind these daily cultural phenomena. This reading experience has repaired my scattered cultural knowledge and greatly strengthened my sense of national identity and cultural confidence. The core charm of this book lies in its interpretation of traditional Chinese philosophical thoughts, which run through the whole Chinese nation and affect people’s ways of thinking and living. The book elaborates on Confucianism and Taoism, the two most important ideological systems in China. Confucianism advocates benevolence, propriety, loyalty and filial piety, emphasizing harmony among people, family affection and social order. The thought of "Do not do to others what you do not want others to do to you" has become the basic moral criterion of Chinese people for thousands of years, guiding interpersonal communication and social operation. Different from Confucianism focusing on human society, Taoism pursues the unity of human and nature, advocating following natural laws, keeping inner peace and living in harmony with all creatures on the earth. These two kinds of thoughts complement and blend with each other, forming the most fundamental spiritual root of Chinese culture. Reading these contents in English enables me to accurately understand how to spread traditional Chinese philosophy to foreign friends and carry out cross-cultural communica