Why is national identity so important to the Chinese?

Ms. G
Last Thursday, I woke up to find my Wechat inundated with my contacts’ updates about the national day celebrations. In my family chat groups, members of the my extended family back in China are busy working out their own celebratory programs. I turned on the TV and saw thousands of Chinese huddle together in the wee hours to watch the flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen square. Joyous activities were held across the country to mark the special day—1 October, the 71st anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.

I cannot help but ask myself, why are the Chinese so attached to their national identity? In a world where lines are easily drawn along colors of skin, ideologies, and interests, why do the Chinese seem oblivious to their now heterogeneity?

The Chinese philosophical history is not a linear process, but rather a big pot in which schools of thought, including Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism, Buddhism and Mohism, bubble and interact with one another, producing a combined unique flavor that shapes the Chinese society for thousands of years. Yet, thanks to its own strong influence and with some help from the emperors, Confucianism established itself as the orthodox thinking.

Some basic tenets of this school of thought are critical to the general embrace of the Chinese identity.

First, responsibilities over freedoms. As early as 2,500 years ago, Confucianism was already a well-developed school of philosophy; its most important moral injunctions include, piety to one’s parents, respect for one’s elder brothers, loyalty to one’s monarch, and faith to one’s friends, all pointing to the responsibilities one should honor towards others and his community. Confucianism believes individuals can only exist in relation to others. These relations are not formed on rights, but on responsibilities. In this network of relationships, one must not be self-centered; personal interests are secondary to responsibilities. Mencius, a lead philosopher in this school, observes, “A virtuous man sees all those under heaven as his overriding responsibility.” Fan Zhongyan, a famous writer 1,000 years ago notes, “A virtuous man worries about the troubles of the world before the ordinary people, and is the last one to rejoice at their happiness.”

Second, community over individuals. The Chinese humanism, which emerged about 2,700 years ago, is quite different from the Western concept. It place the emphasis more on the community, because this is believed to be the basis for individual survival. Everyone lives in a set of concentric circles, with families being the first layer, then the clan, the village, and, following the various levels of administration, all the way up to the nation. Ancient Chinese thinkers do not interest themselves in concepts like ethnic and societal groups. Their discussion revolve around “family”, “state”, “country”, and “all under heaven”. The Analects of Confucius includes a very famous quote, “All men are brothers.” The Book of Rites, another Confucius classics, says, “All under heaven are but one family.” The concept of family in ancient Chinese philosophy goes beyond blood relations to be a more abstract, generalized definition of grouping, one that can be used interchangeably with country or nation.

Third, harmony over difference. Throughout its five-thousand year history, the land we call China today changed hands many times among rulers from different ethnic groups, most notably Han, Mongolia, Manchuria. China’s last imperial dynasty, the Manchu Qing, lasted almost 300 years. These ethnic groups had very different lifestyles and cultures. But the Chinese identity was maintained throughout, thanks to the cultural value of harmony. 2,700 years ago, before the times of Confucius, a Chinese philosopher observed, “Harmony generates vitality, while sameness stifles it.” Music is a pillar concept in Confucianism  because it is seen as bringing social order and individual and communal harmony. It is an often used metaphor to describe the desired state of the world; musical harmony becomes an eternal cultural pursuit. The ancient Chinese narrative history Zuo Zhuang commends the leadership of an outstanding noble in uniting all the other nine local rulers “like a musical piece without no hint of discord”. Musical harmony regulates how people handle relations between individuals, groups of individuals, and man and nature. The Book of Rites: Music says, “Between heaven and earth, music is the harmony and rites are the order. Harmony breeds all life, and order gives them their differences.”

While there may be other cultural, historical, and emotional explanations for the strong sense of a common identity among the Chinese, these fundamental philosophical values certainly provide the most important framework for understanding how the Chinese view themselves as individuals and as part of something bigger.

For those of us scattered around the continents, celebrating the national day is even more important. It provides a sense of belonging, a feeling of home, and a renewed sense of who we are and where we are going.