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Old 04-02-2013, 02:14 PM
 
Location: Chicago, IL
216 posts, read 312,467 times
Reputation: 485

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To the OP:

You mention that Chinese people have a reputation for being "worldly, pragmatic and business-like" rather than spiritual, which is sort of true in my experience, at least among the older generation. This is a direct result of the Cultural Revolution in the 70s which severely damaged the traditional values and religious beliefs of an entire generation. In the state-sanctioned informant culture that followed, people learned not to trust their neighbors and replaced the old values with pragmatic materialism and self-preservation. Hence you have the stereotype of mainlanders being more aggressive, hardheaded, pragmatic, and fixated on money and status.

You'll see the contrast if you ever visit Taiwan, which was spared the Cultural Revolution. You can't throw a rock without hitting a traditional temple of some kind, whether you're in the countryside or the capital. The people never had to survive under the pressures experienced by the mainland and are stereotypically more spiritual, soft-spoken and neighborly.

The urban 20-something generation growing up on the mainland right now has not known the hardship experienced by their parents, and values-wise are much more like their Taiwanese peers than the previous mainland generation.
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Old 04-02-2013, 07:24 PM
 
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,606 posts, read 55,881,767 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eating while walking View Post
To the OP:

You mention that Chinese people have a reputation for being "worldly, pragmatic and business-like" rather than spiritual, which is sort of true in my experience, at least among the older generation. This is a direct result of the Cultural Revolution in the 70s which severely damaged the traditional values and religious beliefs of an entire generation. In the state-sanctioned informant culture that followed, people learned not to trust their neighbors and replaced the old values with pragmatic materialism and self-preservation. Hence you have the stereotype of mainlanders being more aggressive, hardheaded, pragmatic, and fixated on money and status.

You'll see the contrast if you ever visit Taiwan, which was spared the Cultural Revolution. You can't throw a rock without hitting a traditional temple of some kind, whether you're in the countryside or the capital. The people never had to survive under the pressures experienced by the mainland and are stereotypically more spiritual, soft-spoken and neighborly.

The urban 20-something generation growing up on the mainland right now has not known the hardship experienced by their parents, and values-wise are much more like their Taiwanese peers than the previous mainland generation.
I have visited Taiwan and yes, it is indeed full of temples. I also felt the Taiwanese were a bit friendlier in general. That is true, most young Chinese lived in relatively prosperous times with comparative freedom compared to those who grew up in the 50s, 60s and 70s.
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Old 04-02-2013, 09:59 PM
 
Location: Czech Republic
2,358 posts, read 7,067,288 times
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In Shenzhen, there are no temples at all and I think people do not have any religion
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Old 04-02-2013, 10:29 PM
 
1,264 posts, read 3,853,506 times
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Here is one of them.

Shenzhen: Hongfa Temple
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Old 04-15-2013, 03:09 PM
 
5,052 posts, read 13,884,971 times
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I would overall categorize China as being very spiritual but not religious. Most Chinese people are spiritual and show that in unique and subtle ways. The spiritual energetic ideas of Feng Shui and Yin Yang is originally from China, and there is so many Chinese cultural customs and festivals that have a spiritual theme.

Is the modern economy, the quick economic changes in China, and negative forms of Americanization having any negative influence on China’s spiritual side?

I believe China is continuing the prominent spiritual and cultural side that is authentic and is able to easily maintain that identity in culture and spirituality.
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Old 04-15-2013, 03:31 PM
 
Location: State of Transition
102,099 posts, read 107,266,232 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Trimac20 View Post
But traditionally do you think Chinese culture is less spiritually minded than say, Indian culture? I actually consider the US also very un-spiritual, despite the fact it is more religious than Europe, because even the religious people there seem very worldly and materialistic. It does seem that the Chinese are kind of practical, I mean Confucianism was a fairly practical philosophy, while Buddhism, which originated in India, was more esoteric and abstract and not really as concerned with the here and now.
Well, almost anyplace is less spiritually-minded than India, but to answer the spirit of your question, no. Chinese culture is VERY spiritual, just go to Taiwan to see what Chinese culture was like before religion was purged on the Mainland. You can't judge Chinese culture by what's going on in China, that just doesn't make sense.
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Old 04-15-2013, 08:16 PM
 
Location: Raleigh
1,318 posts, read 1,528,734 times
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Christianity is growing by leaps and bounds in China. Much of it is underground. But there is also a Christian church sanctioned by the government. So, yes, I would say many in China are spiritual.
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Old 04-17-2013, 12:08 AM
 
4 posts, read 4,060 times
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i am a natural chinese, you are right The Chinese are not a very spiritual people. that is why there are so many problems in china now.
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