The Dilemma of Chinese Cultural Nationalism: the Case of the TV Program 'General Shi Lang'

Abstract

With the rise of China's status on international stage as a result of its economic development there is an increasingly audible voice of Chinese cultural nationalism. More and more educators and intellectuals are calling for the revival of Chinese traditional culture values. However, the very issues of who are the Chinese and what are traditional Chinese cultural values present a huge dilemma. The debates on a recent a TV program "General Shi Lang" consist a good case to illustrate this dilemma. Shi Lang was a general of the last days of the Ming Dynasty, but had surrendered to the Manchu Qing dynasty invaders and fought for the Machus take over Taiwan from a Chinese ruler. The debates show that the dilemma has its cause in at least three issues. First, it is not at all obvious who should be categorized as Chinese. Secondly, it is not at all obvious what Chinese cultural values are. And finally it is the issue of evaluation of traditional values against the universal claim of the values of liberal democracy.