the chinese seem to have retained the coherence of our identity largely through the preservation of the language and cultural system, specifically the confucian values. this is why the various foreign rulers of china have failed to strip the chinese of our chineseness, and instead have become sinified on various levels. the mongols, turks and other nomads came and went without causing much change in the chinese societal structure, while the manchus got assimilated into the chinese society themselves and are not to be distinguished from the general han population. i believe the reason why the chinese were able to do all these things was their wariness and on some level suspicion and hostility against the foreigners, which all resulted in a strong urge to maintain the cultural self. similar to the jewish identity that have been kept through the ages of banishment and insults. the more a group is against its enemies, the more the groups sticks together.

the embrace of foreigners by the chinese in recent years is going to change the situation. the new attitude is formed mainly due to the advances in the west and the contrasting backwardness of china's own economy. this is a reality learnt through harsh defeats and treaties. the people have come to wordship the affluent west and grown tired of the improverished motherland. this change in attitude breakes the cultural great wall and is going to bring an end to the lifeline of the chinese, its culture. the ernest study and proper use of the chinese language is already on a decline. traditional art forms struggles to keep alive and are failing more and more to do so. people's focus is more and more on the economical development and expansion, much like the west. the study of western languages with its obvious profitability rises in priority. and with the study of western culture, western values come to infiltrate the society with much ease, replacing the traditional values. maybe soon the word chinese will be merely a political term, describing things and people found within the current chinese border. much like egypt, whose content has nothing much to do with the original connotations of the name.

it's not that i'm emotionally attached to confucian values. such old principles are very very outdated and impedes the development of a healthy modern society. i just want to point out, the changed that occured in the last century seems to be the first time that the chinese are systematically abandoning the values that have held the country together for two thousand years and more. china and the chinese race seem to be on the verge of unprecedented and irreversible change. oh well, old things die and new things come. it's no big deal. and who knows. maybe in the process of developing a modern globe, all cultures would lose its original contents as a result of mixing sooner or later. my attitude on the issue of chinese culture is like that on any other thing. while i'm excited to see what's to come, such as all the modernity, freedom and fantastic possibilities, i can't help but feel a little pity for the old dying thing. because the interesting and beautiful half and the dull and ugly half necessarily die together.