A Glimpse of the Chinese Culture: A Historical Approach.
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THE SARAWAK MUSEUM JOURNAL |
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Title :
A Glimpse of the Chinese Culture: A Historical Approach. |
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Author :
Fong Hon Kah |
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Abstract:
The earliest civilizations of the world were those of Chinese, Indians, Egyptians and Babylonians. The Chinese civilization originated in China proper and flourished at the vast alluvial tracts of Huang Ho (Yellow River) and its tributaries about six thousand years ago. The relics of recent excavations by the Chinese archaeologists showed that about five to six thousand years ago the cultural development at Chang Kiang (Yangtze River) region had already reached a high level. Ancient China was well protected by the natural barriers. On the east and the south there are Pacific Ocean and South China Sea; on the west there are almost unsurmountable mountain ranges; and on the north there are vast deserts and frigidzone. Thus the fertile tracts of land along Huang Ho and its tributaries provided the most favourable conditions for human habitation and became the cradle of Chinese culture; and because of the natural barriers and the vastness of the country, compared to the other three civilizations, Chinese civilization has been far less interrupted, and has been able to develop continuously until today. Under such circumstances, it is only natural for the Chinese people to become contented, peace-loving, humane, compromising, tolerant, conservative and introvert. In fact, China in the olden days was a world by itself. The Chinese believed that China was situated in the middle of the world, and thus they called their nation “Chung Kuo” (Middle Kingdom). The Chinese culture was so advanced, and was as beautiful and bright as a flower (hua), that China or Chinese was called “Chung Hua”.
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| DOI: XXXX |
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How to cite:
Kah, F. H. (1989). A Glimpse of the Chinese Culture: A Historical Approach. The Sarawak Museum Journal, XL (61): 111-134 |
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References
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