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Article: Cultural China: the periphery as the center.
- Article from:
- Daedalus
- Article date:
- September 22, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The inscription of the Tang's basin reads, "If one day you truly renew
yourself, day after day you will renew yourself; indeed, renew yourself
every day." In the "Announcement to the Prince of Kang" it is said, "You
shall give rise to a renewed people." In the Book of Poetry it is said,
"Though Zhou is an old state, the Mandate it holds is new." For this
purpose, the profound person exerts himself to the utmost in everything.
--The Great Learning (1)
China, one of the longest continuous civilizations in human history, "may be visualized as a majestic flowing stream." (2) Chinese culture, the generic term symbolizing the vicissitudes of the material and spiritual ...