From The New York Times:
China spent the greater part of the last century struggling to become a modern nation. But after so many years spent looking outward and forward, some Chinese are once again looking inward and back ” way back, to the golden age of philosophers like Confucius (551-479 B.C.) and Zhuangzi (369-286 B.C.).
The current rage for things ancient ” known as “national-studies fever” ” has led in several cities to a revival of private schools known as si shu, where children bow to statues of Confucius and memorize ancient texts about benevolence and obedience under the tutelage of teachers wearing Han-dynasty-style robes. Contemporary analyses of classic novels have become best sellers, and televised lectures in which professors expound on esoteric areas of Chinese culture and history draw tens of millions of viewers. [Full Text]
