My understanding of
Chinese Language
Globally, all but the Chinese characters are derived from the Mediterranean alphabet pinyin system, which makes them easier to master and use than The Chinese language. In other words, while the rest of the world only needs to learn a common and simple language for recording events, the Chinese spend more time mastering far more complex vocabulary. The Chinese must not only learn individual characters, but also the meaning of each word formed by the arrangement and combination of these characters. So the Chinese need to learn a lot from the classics of the past.
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In English and Russian-speaking countries, where the vocabulary of the language is highly irregular, literacy and reading levels vary from person to person. Their ability to read was closely related to their vocabulary. But for Chinese people, it takes more time to reach the same level of reading. The main learning item of Chinese literati scholars is how to read.
Because of the unique Chinese characters, and because of the educational system derived from those characters, it has become a hereditary tool for selecting talents. Those who meet the standards of this system will benefit, while those who don't will not get the opportunity to advance. Such an approach precludes the possibility of someone gaining power. This is a very powerful explanation. For example, the founding emperors of the Ming Dynasty instituted more stringent regulations based on the imperial examinations in the past, trying to attract Chinese literati to their court. However, the ancient classics seriously constrained Chinese thinking. Although the dynasties changed constantly, the literati class and the imperial examination system never changed.
The Chinese in the 7th century had reached a high level of civilization, and the English, though briefly brilliant in the 7th and 8th centuries, fell into silence and did not rise again until the 15th century. The Emergence of Islam gave the Arabs nearly 200 years of prosperity, but they have achieved nothing before or since. At the same time, we can find that there are a lot of scattered inventions, artistic progress, creative thinking in China, which had a great advantage over the Western world in the early days, but stagnated in the next few hundred years. All the wisdom of the Chinese people is constrained by a very complicated and difficult factor, that is, the whole nation needs to expend a lot of energy in learning the language. Chinese characters and the unique characteristics of the Chinese language have made Chinese philosophy, for the most part, a sealed book for Europeans.
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The Eight Trigrams of Tai Chi
One of the most important figures in Chinese history is the famous philosopher Confucius, who urged people to imitate the virtues of ancient sages. He imposed strict rules on everything in his life, so much so that men could not go out with women. When a person dies and is buried, the size of the coffin, the form of the grave and the location of the grave are strictly regulated. It's all very with Chinese characteristics, any other nationalities are not trying to standardize the behavior of social members to obtain the moral order and social stability, but the thoughts of Confucius in China has been a huge harvest, today, no one in the world other countries like China have self-discipline and the tradition of decorum.
Qin Shi Huang's funeral articles - The Terra Cotta Warriors
Some of the praisable virtues that westerners think they embody in pioneering and adventurous spirit have been revealed only at special moments over the long course of history.For most of the rest of the time, Westerners and Chinese are not fundamentally different, all are traditional and conservative.
It was not until the 16th century, 1,000 years later, that Western explorers completed their journey around the world, discovered America, popularized books and education, and made great strides in modern science, even opening the chapter of democracy. Yet some of the most thought-provoking topics in the history of civilization have emerged: why didn't a unified China maintain its world-leading position once? Why hasn't China's cultural and political strength lasted as long as it has?​
I hope that what I teach is not only to master the basic knowledge and skills of Chinese, but also to break through the limitation of thinking, see the historical truth and grasp the future.
