Wu Guangqiang

    VISITORS from home and abroad will be greeted by a new attraction in Tiananmen Square in Beijing: a 9.5-meter bronze statue of Chinese philosopher and educator, Confucius. The statue — standing to the north of the National Museum of China — was unveiled on Jan. 11. Of note, the height of 9.5 meters was not a random measurement: it stands for “jiu wu zhi zun,” or the imperial throne, designed to highlight Confucius’ overwhelming status and influence in Chinese history.

    The erection of the statue has been hailed by many, who see it as a sign of a renaissance of time-honored Chinese culture and ethical values.

    But opposition has also raised its head. A typical opinion questions whether a solemn and sacred location such as Tiananmen Square is appropriate for a statue of an ancient figure, whose status as a Chinese cultural icon is, to some, still undecided.

    Interestingly, Confucius seems to have won more reverence outside the Chinese mainland — in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao and in overseas Chinese communities. Even foreign countries, those in East Asia in particular, have never weakened in their enthusiasm for the sage. Confucius enjoys tremendous popularity in the Western world, too. It was a Westerner, Italian Jesuit Matteo Ricci, who introduced Confucius to Europe and was the first to Latinize the name as “Confucius.” The worldwide proliferation of Confucius Institutes is the result of a new surge of interest in learning about China and its culture.

    Sadly, in his homeland, Confucius has suffered many ups and downs.

    Over hundreds of years, he was honored by rulers of many dynasties as a saint. His teachings, mainly preserved in “Lunyu,” or “Analects,” have been studied by scholars, recited by children and followed by people in all walks of life as guidelines for life, work and character cultivation. Confucianism served as a de facto religion that bound together Chinese from different backgrounds. However, during the May Fourth Movement of more than 90 years ago, one of the slogans was “down with Confucianism.” Obviously, educated youth of that time attributed China’s decline and humiliation of being invaded by foreign powers to feudalism, and they saw Confucius as a symbol of feudalism.

    Confucianism took the worst hit during the “Cultural Revolution.” Books containing Confucius’ teachings were burnt and his pith of thought such as “benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, faith” was discarded as historical trash.

    The devastating aftermath is self-evident. Chinese culture has undergone prolonged “erosion” and “mutation.” Chinese people have long been culturally disoriented.

    Examining every malady that has eaten into our social structure, we can easily diagnose the causes of the illnesses. Violence of all forms is all in a day’s work in today’s China because benevolence has slipped from the minds of many long since. People in distress, injured lying in the street, are less likely to get a helping hand because righteousness has been long regarded as wrong. Cheating and neglect of obligations have been commonplace because faith or integrity has been seen as a trait of a fool. Even wisdom has been twisted to achieve untold goals such as credential forgery, plagiarism and product counterfeit.

    Shamefully, unlike Christians who have faith in God and Muslims who believe in Allah, when asked what their faith is, most Chinese fail to come up with an answer. Don’t take it as a joke if someone tells you his faith is money, which is often the case.

    After so many social vicissitudes, there is a consensus that China needs to identify the roots of its culture, and to establish an image that represents traditional Chinese values. No other ancient sage is more revered and more accepted by Chinese across the world than Confucius. He has the soul of the Chinese nation. And, what we lack in this material society is a soul. We are rich in terms of hardware and software, but we are poor in “heartware.” As a Western saying goes: the treasures of the heart are the most valuable of all.

    In this sense, the building of the statue of Confucius should be seen as a monument of a fresh effort to carry forward the fine traditions of Chinese culture. A great nation with profound thought will win genuine esteem internationally.

    (The author is an English tutor and a freelance writer. He can be reached at jw368@163.com.)