| Abstract |
Chinese traditional culture is ancient, profound, and extensive. It is by no means a collection of scattered cultural phenomena, but an organic system composed of multiple cultural elements. This article aims to systematically explain the basic forms and core characteristics of Chinese traditional culture. The article introduces the theory of "three levels of culture," dividing traditional culture into three major forms: material culture (represented by traditional food, clothing, and historical artifacts, carrying the wisdom and aesthetics of our ancestors), institutional culture (framed by political systems, social etiquette, and festival customs, maintaining the orderly operation of society), and spiritual culture (with national spirit, ethics, governance concepts, literature and art, historical experience, and ways of thinking as its core, embodying the nation's value pursuits). Building upon this foundation, the article further refines five key characteristics of traditional Chinese culture: its longevity and continuity (uninterrupted, a rarity in the history of world civilization), its ethical and moral nature (the isomorphism of family and state based on "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness"), its holistic and collectivist nature (emphasizing the realization of individual value within group relationships), its openness and inclusiveness (the integration and mutual learning between foreign cultures and diverse internal ideologies), and its agrarian and self-reliant nature (originating from an agrarian economy and shaping national character). The study argues that traditional Chinese culture, with its unique form, structure, and spiritual characteristics, constitutes the cultural genes and spiritual bloodline of the Chinese nation. A dialectical understanding of its essence and limitations offers important insights for contemporary cultural development.
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