Qufu is literally a fourth or fifth category city in China. Cities across the country are informally classified into bands according to their importance. However, in Qufu, Shandong Province, there is a very first-rate museum, which I visited recently. Confucius’ hometown, with just over 650,000 inhabitants, is tiny by Chinese standards, but increasingly symbolic for the country.
Confucianism has a history of ups and downs in China. Now, however, it has been rehabilitated by Chinese society and leadership. The Confucius Museum in Qufu, opened in 2018, is a sign of new times. It has more than 17 thousand square meters of exhibition area (Masp has 10.5 thousand square meters).
The thinker born in 551 BC is associated with the country’s traditional values, such as harmony, meritocracy, respect for hierarchy and authority, deference to the elderly, in addition to ethical behavior. Over time, Confucian values were incorporated into the country’s social fabric, serving as a moral substrate for a society lacking a strong religious base.
During the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), however, Confucianism took a heavy blow. It was seen as an obstacle to the intended social transformation. The philosopher’s thought has been classified as conservative, retrograde, bourgeois, and therefore counter-revolutionary — a lot. Fighting it was seen as essential to the communist cause. In Qufu, Confucius’ tomb and a temple named after him were destroyed by the Red Guards.
Today, the party has made peace with Confucianism. Its rehabilitation has taken place gradually since the 1980s, but it was in the last 15 years that Confucius regained prestige. Once cursed, the philosopher’s ideas began to appear in official speeches.
Not surprisingly, the Communist Party, in charge for more than 70 years, values respect for authority and social harmony. By associating these ideas with Confucius, however, the party gives them an extra dose of legitimacy and values the country’s political model. Furthermore, Confucianism, in addition to being millenary, is household silver —unlike Marxism, it is imported.
Not all Confucian ideas were equally rehabilitated. The thinker’s view of women, in particular, is from times past — and the party knows it.
The philosopher’s rescue is evident in the country’s foreign policy. It is not just on the basis of economic, technological and military power that China intends to project power. When, in 2004, Beijing decided to create centers around the world to spread the Chinese culture and language, it named them the Confucius Institute. No other name beats that of the ancient sage of potential soft power for the country.
Beyond the authorities’ view, just how Confucian China of 2021 really is? Much more than ever,” a Chinese teacher replied. Confucianism has been revitalized in society in the wake of the rise of nationalism in China and external tensions surrounding the country. It gains importance with the increase in self-esteem of the Chinese, with the appreciation of millenary history and traditional culture.
Young nationalists gladly embrace the idea of cultural self-confidence, which, incidentally, has other visible manifestations. For example, the “hanfu”, the traditional Chinese robe, is back in fashion. Patriotism favors Chinese personalities, ideas and even Chinese products and brands. It’s made in China, now on the rise.
The rebirth of Confucianism is symbolic of a China that thinks it has learned a lot from the rest of the world. Now, he also feels in a position to promote and teach. If the museum in Qufu is indicative of the Chinese’s new cultural self-confidence, it is monumental.
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