ultural Exchanges Are the Only Way to Promote Peace and Development

Sun Tianqing

Culture is the material and intellectual wealth accumulated in the long process of human history of practice. Its connotations are extensive----manufacture, everyday life, science and technology and literature and art. The culture handed down was regarded as advanced historical accumulation and accretion that have been refined by history. Throughout the world, every country and every nation all have their own splendid cultures; therefore, we can say that culture al all kinds of pass-on are all well known for their unique national styles. Every country and people have been assimilating, digesting, fusing the cultures of other peoples continuously in order to develop themselves into a higher civilization. That fully proves that cultural exchanges play an important role in the advancement of human beings.

Throughout history, we could find that all peoples advanced with joint hands in a prosperous atmosphere when the cultural exchanges of mankind were flourishing; on the other hand, the development of mankind was slow and the culture was at a standstill when the contacts of peoples were hindered. During the times of ancient Egypt and Babylon, the widespread culture exchanges animated the economy and everyday life of all peoples all countries of Arab World and Europe. During the ancient Rome times, some great development science and technology arised from riparian areas along the Mediterranean and European peoples. During the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period of China, production, science, philosophy and ethics were unprecedented prosperous and advanced. During the flourishing---Tang period, the cultural exchanges among countries and peoples were unprecedented and could compare with former periods. Therefore, the Tang Dynasty scored outstanding achievements in productive standards, science and technology as well as living condition. In literature and art, the Tang Dynasty was exceptionally grand, even the 'Poet Immortal' Li Bai and 'Sage Poet' Du Fu, the great poets arising in that period, are still be praised by people nowadays.
In the 13th period, Marco Polo went east along the Silk Road and later completed 'The Travels of Marco Polo'. His travel exerted lasting an profound influence on t he westerners' understanding of the East, pushes forward the intercontinental exchanges and development of production, techniques, culture, even religion, bridged the Oriental and Occidental cultures. In terms of strengthening understanding, spreading friendship, and encouraging production, the 13th century is still called the most brilliant period in the history and circulated as an anecdote worthy of emulation among countries.
At any rate, peoples must contact with each other and cultures must develop. Unavoidably, cultural exchanges will be more and more frequent Peace and development became the mainstream after the Cold war. In this major trend, some unstable mailers appeared from time to time, but common understanding of an peoples is, only through exchanges can these insecurity element be solved, became nowadays all peoples have watered into the advanced cultural solute and they expect mutual understanding and cultural exchanges in order to accomplish the common goal - peace and development and build advanced human civilization.

The peoples of Western Countries highly praise Chinese culture and civilization. They respect us very much and treat us as guests from an ancient land of ceremony and propriety. The westerners, who enjoy a higher level of education, regard knowing the customs and morals of Chinese people as a refined taste. Moreover, westerners like collecting some Chinese historical relics in order to mark the education of the family or the individuals. They deem some folk handiwork, as are treasures. They are enthralled by the Chinese music and highly praise the Chinese folk songs. Although the Chinese garments aren't in Western styles, they often use them as formal attire when they attend some important ceremonies. The tea etiquette has become a life-style of Western people, who habitually have habits of morning tea and moon tea every day. They regard Chinese tea as product of excellent quality. And deem sipping tea as a great enjoyment. It is a great event to invite Chinese to a western home, for they cherish the contacts with Chinese people who hare profound Chinese cultural background.

As a carrier of spreading the Chinese culture, www.travel-silkroad.com is of far-reaching importance. The splendid history of the Silk Road itself is a colorful rainbow bridging the Asia and the historical ruins and natural landscape not to fascinate the Europe. Probably we should recognize the event literatures of peoples on the Silk Road. A lot of poems written about the Silk Road have become the Zenith in history. The songs and dances on the Silk Road are very exquisite. The delicious food on the Silk Road is excellent. Even the spring water of the Silk Road is exceptionally clean and fragrant and sweet. To construct this website well. The website will be a treasure house of cultures of all peoples throughout the world and will bring new imagination of new times for the mankind.

Sun Tianqing
March, 19, 2002, Beijing

Brief Introduction of the Author

ui Tianqing.
Professor, Linguist, Male, Han, Former head of Department of Foreign Languages of the Northern Communications University.

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