Modern Chinese Culture

The economic growth which took place after the 80s decade is one of the greatest factors influencing the culture of China. Specifically speaking about today's China, the mainstream culture is influenced by many different cultures of the world as a whole.

The modern Chinese culture is a blend of Communism, economic changes and the old traditions of China. The urban life of Hong Kong also is quite popular among the Chinese youth; it has influenced the music and cinema of China.

Even if the modern influences have changed the face of China, this nation stills draws on from the values of ancient Chinese traditions and culture.

It is very difficult to pin-point the exact cultural changes which took place in China. There were many forces that influenced the social life in China. Therefore, an exhaustive study would be required to put a proper picture of modern Chinese culture. Let us pick out some important details through this write up.

The beginning of Cultural Revolution (1966) saw an end to the traditional practices, belief systems and thought processes of old China. The ideology propagated by Mao Zedong had a deep impact on the Chinese society. The art movement was suppressed and people were not allowed to express themselves freely. Zedong tried to paint China in red.

In the early part of 20th century, vernacular prose started replacing the literary writing. This change triggered a chain reaction of a series of changes. Poetry, fiction and many other forms of literature flourished in China.

The literature of post-Mao period presented before readers, the misery and pain experienced by masses during the Cultural revolution. The side-effects of Cultural revolution were discussed in this literature.

The poetry, articles and novels that came up in post-Mao period are also known as literature of the wounded. It was in this period that people's interest in foreign literary works grew.

The 80s decade brought a lease of life for Chinese music which was greatly suppressed during the earlier period of Cultural revolution. The revival of music in China after the 80s decade saw musicians touring foreign countries. Western musicians also toured China. Western music became popular in China.

The modern history of painting and calligraphy can be traced back to the period when People Republic of China was formed. It was during this period that Western painting techniques were introduced to China; oil painting was one of these.

The trend of mass-produced paintings followed till the beginning of Cultural revolution. During the Cultural Revolution, arts like painting and calligraphy suffered a lot with art schools being closed down. The number of exhibitions too dropped considerably.

The Chinese artists became familiar with motion pictures in the early part of 20th century. Popularity of cinema grew thereafter. It was however, in the period of Cultural Revolution that cinema, just like other forms got suppressed. The period immediately after the Cultural Revolution saw some growth. Later on, the film industry faced losses owing to competition from other entertainment media.

Today's China is a prosperous nation which has made progress in military and economic fronts. The age-old perceptions about the Chinese culture and society are fast changing. Interaction between the Chinese and people from other countries is on a rise.

It is one of the important reasons behind China undergoing a fast change. It has been observed that culture of a particular region flourishes after it is nurtured by economic growth. A prosperous society takes greater interest in literature, music and different art forms.

By this logic, we should wait and watch for some great literary works from Chinese authors, expect a few Nobel laureates and also a new 'Cultural Revolution' in the times to come.