The Soft Power of Chinese culture

   

If someone asks, "Where is China?" how would you respond? Perhaps you would say that China is located in East Asia, on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean. But I want to ask, is it only within national borders that you can find China, and is there no China beyond those borders?

   

The German poet Thomas Mann once said, "Where I am, there is Germany." He believed that culture can transcend national and geographical boundaries. Your words, actions, and way of thinking embody the culture of Germany. In fact, belonging to a certain country means you should possess the characteristics of that country's culture and uphold its core values. Just like us, we communicate in Chinese, value family ethics, and share common traditional festivals, so we are inevitably Chinese.

   

Do not underestimate the power of culture; it exists in the small details of life and is a form of "soft power." It subtly influences us and has a profound impact. For example, the heroism prevalent in American Hollywood films, Japan's "Pokémon," Studio Ghibli animations, and the music and love themes in Korean dramas have all influenced our values. The recently concluded Paris Olympics deliberately used historical buildings and landmarks like the Louvre and Notre-Dame Cathedral as backdrops for competitions. The opening ceremony visually included symbols of French culture, such as "The Little Prince" and "Les Misérables," all showcasing soft power. The Kowloon City District, where we currently are, itself carries a rich historical culture. Due to historical reasons, the Kowloon Walled City was once an area of no governance, which filmmakers captured in their perspective, creating " Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In," a box office success, its appeal stemming from unique cultural tension.

   

What about the soft power of Chinese culture? Chinese culture has long dominated East Asia. In today's East Asian countries, you can find elements of Chinese culture, even if you are not within the governance of China. You may feel a sense of familiarity because, before the 19th century, many East Asian countries regarded Chinese Confucian culture as a model. Japan adopted Chinese characters, and countries like Korea and Vietnam once followed the customs and systems of Chinese culture.

   

Chinese culture has experienced ups and downs through the late Qing Dynasty and modern times, having once declined. However, in recent years, as China's economic power has grown, cultural confidence has been regained. Chinese culture has actively showcased its charm on the international stage, such as in the music film "Open the Door to the World," which features the unique cultural history of Yunnan in a format loved by many. Additionally, films like "Kung Fu Panda" and the "Ip Man" series have successfully repackaged and exported Chinese martial arts culture to the world. Recently, an action role-playing game based on Chinese mythology, "Black Myth: Wukong," has become a global sensation, turning the classic Journey to the West into a worldwide classic—this is undoubtedly a successful cultural export.

   

Cultural arts and historical customs have an abstract yet gentle influence; they represent "intangible" spiritual assets. However, making everyone understand these "intangible" assets is challenging. For example, if you sell a pair of slippers, as long as they are "comfortable, beautiful, and good," others will buy them. But promoting a national dance, no matter how beautiful the movements, will not attract interest if people do not appreciate it. A touching poem or calligraphy, without sufficient cultivation, will only fall on deaf ears.

   

To cultivate an appreciation for the arts, a fertile ground for cultural reflection is necessary, as culture originates from life. Therefore, I hope you will observe and analyze life more closely. For example, during the New Year, notice whether “Fai Chun” are read from left to right or right to left, or consider how ancient buildings can support entire structures without a single nail. This year, the Chinese literature department will collaborate with the home economics department to hold reading and cooking activities, initially planning to present a snack from "Dream of the Red Chamber," allowing you to experience literature through food. Remember to participate! The school also plans to establish a Chinese Cultural Centre with the unique features of Kaiping watchtowers on the lower level of the hall next semester, where a series of cultural activities will take place, such as tea-making, wearing traditional Chinese clothing, and creating Kaiping mud chickens, a world cultural heritage.

   

Cultural identity requires time to cultivate and accumulate. I hope you can appreciate the excellence of 5,000 years of Chinese culture, extending your emotional connection from the personal and familial to society and the nation, ultimately living out, loving, and passing on culture. I hope that one day, when asked where China is, you can proudly say, "Where is China? China is right in front of you."

   

 

中華文化的軟實力

  

如果有人問：「中國在哪裡？」你會如何回答？或許你會說，中國位居亞洲東部，太平洋西岸。那我想問是不是在國界之內才找到中國，國境之外就沒有中國呢？

   

德國的詩人Thomas Mann就曾經說過，他在哪裡，德國就在哪裡。因為他認為文化能打破國界及地域限制，你的言行談吐，你的思維方式，活生生的活出德國的文化。事實上，你屬於什麼國家的人，就應擁有那個國家文化的特質，持守該國文化的核心價值。好似我們，用中文溝通，重視家庭倫理，又有共同的傳統節日，所以我們必然是華人。

   

大家不要看小這種文化的力量，它存在於生活小節，是一種“軟實力”，既是潛移默化，又是潤物無聲，富有感召力。例如美國荷里活電影瀰漫的英雄主義、日本《Pokémon》或宮崎駿的動畫、韓劇中的音樂和愛情觀，都對我們的價值觀產生了影響。剛剛落幕的巴黎奧運，競技比賽刻意用羅浮宮、巴黎聖母院等的歷史建築和地標為背景，開幕禮亦在視覺上著跡加入了法國文化的象徵，例如《小王子》、《孤星淚》等，這些均是軟實力的彰顯。就是我們現在身處的九龍城區，本身就承載著豐富的歷史文化，因歷史原故九龍城寨當年是三不管的地帶，電影人就用他們的視角拍成「九龍城寨之圍城」，票房大放異彩，其吸引力就是獨特的文化張力。

   

那中國文化的軟實力又如何呢？中華文化一直雄居東亞，你在今天的東亞國家都找到文化的中國，就是你未必身處在中國管治的範圍，然而你卻會有似曾相識的感覺，因為在十九世紀以前，在相當長的時間裡，東亞諸國皆以中國儒家文化為典範和楷模，日本用漢字，韓國越南等國的衣冠禮儀及典章制度曾皆以華夏文化為宗。

   

華夏文化經歷了晚清及近代中國跌宕起伏，曾經衰落，然而近年中國經濟實力不斷強大之下，終於重拾文化的自信。中華文化近年積極於國際舞台上展現魅力，例如音樂電影《打開世界的門》用東方獨特風彩，將雲南的人文歷史剪裁成大家都喜愛的影音材料。除此以外，《功夫熊貓》、《葉問》等電影系列亦成功將中國武術文化重新包裝輸出世界。而最近一款以中國神話為背景的動作角色扮演遊戲《黑神話：悟空》就更加風靡全球，讓中國的經典西遊記變成世界的經典，這無疑是成功的文化輸出。

   

文化藝術、歷史風俗，是抽象而又溫柔的影響力，它是「非物質」的精神財產，不過要讓人人也理解「非物質」的精神財產是有挑戰的。舉個例子，你推銷一對拖鞋，只要「平、靚、正」，別人便會買來穿上腳。但是，你要推廣一隻民族舞，就算舞姿多麼優美，別人不領情，便不學習！一幅動人的詩詞墨寶，如果沒有足夠的學養修為，也只會對牛彈琴，夏蟲語冰，看到呵欠連連。

   

要培養起文藝的修養，就需要文化思考的土壤，而文化源自生活，因此我希望各位多從生活觀察中及分析，例如新年的時候看看對聯由左邊讀起還是右邊讀起、在古建築物內可以想想它是如何不用一口釘撐起整個結構? 今年中國文學科將會與家政科合作舉辦閱讀和廚藝活動，初步計劃呈現《紅樓夢》其中一款點心，讓你們能從食品真實呈現文學作品，大家記得參加了。學校也計劃於下學期在禮堂下層建成具開平碉樓特色的中華文化館，到時就可以進行一系列文化推動的活動，如泡茶、穿華服、製作世界文化遺產開平泥雞等等了。

   

文化認同需要時間的沉澱和累積，我希望大家認識五千年中華文化優秀所在，將情感由個人及家庭推展至社會及國家，最終延伸至活出文化，喜愛文化及傳承文化。希望有一天，你們如果被人問到中國在哪裡的時候，你會自豪的說：「中國在哪裡？中國就在你的面前。」