The comeback of Confucius - Ian Johnson

Ian Johnson

Mao Zedong and his followers have tried to eradicate cultural icon Confucius, from China's history. But with some help from current president Xi Jinping, Confucius is making a comeback, reports journalist Ian Johnson, author or The Souls of China: The Return of Religion After Mao for the New York Times.

Ian Johnson:

Promoting these old ideas has been a priority for President Xi Jinping, who has rekindled enthusiasm for traditional culture as part of a broader push to fill what many Chinese see as their country’s biggest problem: a spiritual void caused by its headlong pursuit of prosperity. 

And when China’s most powerful leader in 40 years endorses a philosopher, even a long-dead Confucian one, people rush to take action.

The epicenter of Wang’s revival has been this city of four million people perched on a plateau in China’s mountainous south. When (Confucius-promoter) Wang (Yangming) spent three years in exile here in the early 16th century, Guiyang was a remote outpost on imperial China’s southern border. 

Today, as the capital of one of China’s poorest provinces, it has high-speed rail service to the coast and is trying to position itself as a center of big data— and traditional culture.

Since Mr. Xi began promoting the philosopher three years ago, officials in and around Guiyang have built a Wang Yangming-themed park, constructed a museum to showcase his achievements, turned a small cave into a shrine in his honor and, yes, commissioned a robot to bring him to life.

More in the New York Times.

Ian Johnson is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you looking for more experts on cultural change at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

Related articles

• China to cooperate with other nations on climate change
• Xi Jinping to emerge as China's most powerful leader since Mao at Communist Party congress
• China blocks WhatsApp messages
• It's a 'new era' of Chinese power, President Xi Jinping says at Communist Party meet