The Culture of the People's Republic of China is a blend of traditional Chinese culture with communist influences, and lately, Western consumer culture.^{[citation needed]} Chinese culture has roots going back over five thousand years. ... Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization based on common ownership of the means of production. ... Consumerism is a term used to describe the effects of equating personal happiness with purchasing material possessions and consumption. ...

Early years

For some years after the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, traditional Chinese culture was tolerated to some extent. The main changes concentrated on attempts to remove traditional social inequalities, such as sexism, racism, and serfdom. A form of Standard Mandarin known as Putonghua was promoted by the Central People's Government in Beijing as the lingua franca in a continuation of the Kuo-yü of the Republic of China (ROC), but the various local spoken variants and the languages of the numerous ethnic groups of China were tolerated. Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... Culture (from the [[Latin)) cultura stemming from colere, meaning to cultivate), generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. ... It has been suggested that Sex discrimination be merged into this article or section. ... Manifestations Slavery · Racial profiling · Lynching Hate speech · Hate crime · Hate groups Genocide · Holocaust · Pogrom Ethnocide · Ethnic cleansing · Race war Religious persecution · Gay bashing Movements Discriminatory Aryanism · Neo-Nazism · Supremacism Fundamentalism · Kahanism Anti-discriminatory Abolitionism · Civil rights · Gay rights Womens/Universal suffrage · Mens rights Childrens rights · Youth rights... Costumes of Slaves or Serfs, from the Sixth to the Twelfth Centuries, collected by H. de Vielcastel, from original Documents in the great Libraries of Europe. ... Standard Mandarin is the official Chinese spoken language used by the Peoples Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Singapore. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with State Council of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Lingua franca, literally Frankish language in Italian, was originally a mixed language consisting largely of Italian plus a vocabulary drawn from Turkish, Persian, French, Greek and Arabic and used for communication throughout the Middle East. ... Motto: Three Principles of the People (三民主義 San-min Chu-i) Anthem: National Anthem of the Republic of China Capital Taipei (de facto)  Nanking (de jure)1  Largest city Taipei Official languages Mandarin (GuóyÇ”) Government Semi-presidential system  - President Chen Shui-bian  - Vice President Annette Lu  - Premier Su Tseng-chang... Spoken Chinese The Chinese spoken language(s) comprise(s) many regional variants. ... The Peoples Republic of China officially describes itself as a multi-ethnic unitary state and as such officially recognizes 56 ethnic groups or Mínzú (民族), within China: the Han being the majority (>92%), and the remaining 55 ethnicities being the national minorities. ...

As the Soviet Union was an ally of the PRC at the time, the culture of Russia, especially the Russian language, was quite popular; but this trend was halted when a border dispute ended the Sino-Soviet alliance in 1961 - the Sino-Soviet split.^{[citation needed]} The culture of Russia is a hybrid one created from the cultures of the nationalities of this multinational state and the result of development over several distinct epochs. ... Russian ( , tr. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... The Sino-Soviet split was a major diplomatic conflict between the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), beginning in the late 1950s, reaching a peak in 1969 and continuing in various ways until the late 1980s. ...

The Cultural Revolution

Chinese propaganda poster saying: "Shatter the old world / Establish a new world." Classical example of the Red art from the early Cultural Revolution. Worker crushes the crucifix, Buddha and classical Chinese texts with his hammer; 1967

When the Cultural Revolution began in 1966 all forms of traditional culture, Chinese or Western, were suppressed. Temples and churches were vandalized by the Red Guards; Confucian morality was frowned upon; and a cult of personality surrounding Chairman Mao Zedong was promoted. The Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong (or the "Little Red Book") achieved sanctity equivalent to a holy text as part of Maoism, or "thoughts of Mao Zedong", which became the national ideology. Simplified Chinese ideograms were also officially introduced at the time, though many such simplified characters have existed for hundreds of years. Image File history File links Destroy_old_world. ... Image File history File links Destroy_old_world. ... The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ; literally Proletarian Cultural Great Revolution; often abbreviated to 文化大革命 wénhuà dà gémìng, literally Great Cultural Revolution, or even simpler, to 文革 wéngé, Cultural Revolution) in the Peoples Republic of China was a struggle for power within the... Temple of Hephaestus, an Doric Greek temple in Athens with the original entrance facing east, 449 BC (western face depicted) For other uses, see Temple (disambiguation). ... St. ... In the Peoples Republic of China, the Red Guards (Chinese: 紅衛兵; Hanyu Pinyin: Hóng Wèi BÄ«ng) were civilians who were the frontline implementers of the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1960s-1970s). ... Confucian temple in Jiading district, Shanghai. ... Billboard of Joseph Stalin. ... A Chairman is the presiding officer of a meeting, organization, committee, or other deliberative body. ... Mao redirects here. ... Cover of Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong with Chinese words Supreme Directives Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong (毛主席语录 Pinyin: Máo ZhÇ”xí YÇ”lù), better known in the West as The Little Red Book, has been published by the Government of the Peoples Republic of China since 1966. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Simplified Chinese characters (Simplified Chinese: 简体字; Traditional Chinese: 簡體字; pinyin: jiǎntǐzì; also called 简化字/簡化字, jiǎnhuàzì) are one of two standard character sets of printed contemporary Chinese written language. ...

The artistic community was particularly affected by the Cultural Revolution. Initially only eight "Sample Acts", or propaganda performances, were allowed, along with the "Loyalty Dance", posters that deify Chairman Mao, and a large number of revolutionary songs such as The East Is Red. The East Is Red (Chinese: 东方红; Pinyin: Dōngfāng Hóng) is a song that was the de facto anthem of the Peoples Republic of China during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s. ...

See also: Mao suit

Zhongshan suit The Mao suit, also known as Chinese tunic suit or tunic suit, is the western name for the style of male attire known in China as the Zhongshan suit (Traditional Chinese: 中山裝; Simplified Chinese: 中山装; pinyin: Zhōngshān zhuāng, or Chinese: ; pinyin: Zhōngshān fú); named after...

Contemporary

After the Maoist era, there has been a renaissance of traditional Chinese culture. Maoism or Mao Zedong Thought (Chinese: 毛澤東思想, pinyin: Máo Zédōng Sīxiǎng), also called Marxism-Leninism–Mao Zedong Thought or Marxism-Leninism-Maoism (MLM), is a variant of communism derived from the teachings of Mao Zedong (1893&#8211...

Local religions including Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism have flourished. These are not mutually exclusive, and many people practice a combination of the three along with elements of various folk religions. There has also been a revival of Chinese Islam and Christianity, although religious institutions remain under the control of the government. The Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) and the China Christian Council (CCC) are Protestant groups. The Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CCPA) and the Chinese Catholic Bishops Council (CCBC) are subordinate to the government in Beijing, instead of to the Holy See. Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, which is also a philosophy and a system of psychology. ... Taoism (pronounced and often written as Daoism (dow-ism) is the English name for a cluster of Chinese religious and philosophical traditions. ... Confucian temple in Jiading district, Shanghai. ... Folk religion consists of beliefs, superstitions and cultural practices transmitted from generation to generation. ... Islam has a rich heritage in China. ... Christianity in China has developed since at least the 7th century AD. The introduction of Nestorianism, a Christian sect, around 635 is considered by some to be the first entry of the Christian religion into China. ... The Three-Self Patriotic Movement (officially 中国基督教三自爱国运动委员会, China Christian Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee; colloquially 三自教会, the Three-Self Church) and the China Christian Council (中国基督教协会) are two pro-government (patriotic) Christian organizations in the Peoples Republic of China. ... The Three-Self Patriotic Movement (officially 中国基督教三自爱国运动委员会, China Christian Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee; colloquially 三自教会, the Three-Self Church) and the China Christian Council (中国基督教协会) are two... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (Chinese: 中国天主教爱国会, pinyin: Zhōngguó TiānzhÇ”jiào Àiguó Huì), abbreviated CPA, CPCA, or CCPA, is a division of the Peoples Republic of Chinas Religious Affairs Bureau, and has oversight over mainland Chinas Catholics. ...

Traditional Chinese arts have also re-emerged from the Cultural Revolution, but their developments have been hampered by the Chinese society's ready acceptance of outside cultural influences,^{[citation needed]} particularly the popular culture of Hong Kong, which has a huge following inside the PRC. Nevertheless the television stations in the PRC have in recent years produced numerous quality drama series, covering everything from imperial history to modern-day police actions, and gaining immense popularity in mainland China. Chinese art is art that, whether ancient or modern, originated in or is practiced in China or by Chinese artists or performers. ... Chinese people in Hong Kong have adopted many western folkways, but a substantial number of them still adhere to traditional Chinese traditions on various aspects of social living; for instance family solidarity, “courtesy and face” in interpersonal relationship. ...

The official enforcement of the One-Child Policy has created a generation of "Little Emperors" doted upon by their parents, made more so by the development of a Western-style consumer culture within the PRC. This initially revived a sense of xenophilia among the mainland Chinese population that originated in the colonial days of the late 19th century. However, as mainland China became an economic power in its own right, the PRC government has intentionally fostered a sense of patriotic pride amongst the mainland Chinese population, which some critics see as a resurgence of Chinese nationalism. ^{[citation needed]} Poster of Chinese birth control policy under the slogan Sweet Achievement. ... Consumerism is a term used to describe the effects of equating personal happiness with purchasing material possessions and consumption. ... A philia is the love or obsession with a particular thing or subject. ... Pith helmet of the Second French Empire. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... The May Fourth Movement in 1919 marked a turning point in the history of Chinese nationalism. ...

Beginning in the late 1980's and early 1990's mainland China became exposed to more western elements, notably pop culture. American cinema is popular. Young people gather late at night in bars and nightclubs. There is a growing obsession with brand names. Teen slang is incorporating western language. China has also developed a unique cell phone culture, as it has the most mobile phone users in the world. Popular culture, or pop culture, is the vernacular (peoples) culture that prevails in a modern society. ... Categories: American cinema | Cinema by country ... Motorola T2288 mobile phone A mobile phone is a portable electronic device which behaves as a normal telephone whilst being able to move over a wide area (compare cordless phone which acts as a telephone only within a limited range). ...

See also

• Chinese house church
• Education in the People's Republic of China
• History of China
• List of universities in Mainland China
• National College Entrance Examination
• Social issues in the People's Republic of China

External links

• Chinese Ministry of Culture, P.R.
• Business cultural considerations in China
• The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China, 1966-1976