Why the Culture You See in China Today Is Not Traditional Chinese Culture

What is presented as traditional Chinese culture in China today, from Olympic ceremonies to kung fu films to Confucius Institute programs, carries the surface of the tradition without its center. The Chinese Communist Party spent decades destroying what gave that culture its meaning: a tradition of spiritual self-discipline and veneration for the divine.

Since ancient times, Chinese people have believed that divine beings, throughout various dynasties, transmitted China’s rich culture to humans. In particular, the three main religions of Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism have been at the heart of this heritage. They have inspired spirituality and faith, while fostering reverence for values like benevolence, justice, etiquette, and wisdom.

With its atheist roots, however, the CCP has sought to undermine these values and beliefs, fearing that faith in the divine would weaken allegiance to the Party. It has launched various campaigns—most notably the Cultural Revolution—to destroy cultural and religious sites, while forcing Chinese people to adopt its philosophy of “struggling against heaven, struggling against the land, and struggling against man.”

As a result, in today’s China the CCP may sponsor performances or exhibits that superficially depict traditional costumes or legends, but the underlying essence is gone.

It is easy to misconstrue such displays as authentic representations of traditional Chinese culture, while mistaking Shen Yun’s performances—with their references to Buddhas, Daos, and Gods—as proselytizing religious beliefs.

But in reality, since belief in the divine is so central to Chinese culture, omitting it from the arts means not doing justice to its full glory and magnificence. It is this lost tradition, with all its profound inner meaning, that Shen Yun aims to revive.