CultureofChina

　　TheCultureofChinaishometooneoftheworld'soldestandmostcomplexcivilizations.Chinaboastsahistoryrichinover5,000yearsofartistic,philosophical,political,andscientificadvancement.Thoughregionaldifferencesprovideasenseofdiversity,commonalitiesinlanguageandreligionconnectaculturedistinguishedbysuchsignificantcontributionssuchasConfucianismandTaoism.ConfucianismwastheofficialphilosophythroughoutmostofImperialChina'shistoryandstronglyinfluencedothercountriesinEastAsia.MasteryofConfuciantextsprovidedtheprimarycriterionforentryintotheimperialbureaucracy.

　　WiththeriseofWesterneconomicandmilitarypowerbeginninginthemid-19thcentury,WesternsystemsofsocialandpoliticalorganizationgainedadherentsinChina.Someofthesewould-bereformersrejectedChina'sculturallegacy,whileotherssoughttocombinethestrengthsofChineseandWesterncultures.

　　Chinaisaunifiednationconsistingofmanydifferentethnicgroups.Fifty-sixdifferentethnicgroupsmakeupthegreatChinesenationalfamily.BecausetheHanpeopleaccountsformorethanninetypercentofChina'spopulation,theremainingfifty-fivegroupsaregenerallyreferredtoas"ethnicminorities."NexttothemajorityHan,theMongolian,Hui,Tibetan,andUygurpeoplescomprisethelargestethnicgroups.AlthoughChina'sethnicminoritiesdonotaccountforalargeportionofthepopulation,theyaredistributedoveravastarea,residingineverycornerofChina.

　　ParticularlysincetheimplementationofChina'sopeningandreformpolicy,thecentralgovernmenthasincreasedinvestmentinminorityareasandacceleratedtheiropeningtotheoutsideworld.Thishasresultedinanupsurgeofeconomicdevelopmentintheseareas.EachofChina'sethnicminoritygroupspossessesadistinctiveculture.TheChinesegovernmentrespectsminoritycustoms,andworkstopreserve,study,andcollatetheculturalartifactsofChina'sethnicminoritygroups.Thegovernmentvigorouslysupportsthedevelopmentofminoritycultureandthetrainingofminorityculturalworkers,andfostersthedevelopmentoftraditionalminoritymedicine.

　　TherelationamongChina'sethnicgroupscanbedescribedas"overallintegration,localconcentration,mutualinteraction."ConcentrationsofethnicminoritiesresidewithinpredominantlyHanareas,andtheHanpeoplealsoresideinminorityareas,indicatingthattherehasbeenextensiveexchangesamongChina'sethnicgroupssinceancienttimes.Withthedevelopmentofthemarketeconomy,interactionamongethnicgroupshasbecomeevenmoreactiveintheareasofgovernment,economics,culture,dailylife,andmarriage.Linkedbyinterdependence,mutualassistance,andjointdevelopment,theircommongoalsandinterestscreatingadeepsenseofsolidarity,China'sethnicgroupsresembleagreatnationalfamily,togetherbuildingChinesecivilization.