Cheung Ya-hwan: Why does Malaysian Chinese culture continue to pass on?
China News Service Kuala Lumpur, December 26 Title: Cheung Ya-hsien: Why does Malaysian Chinese culture continue to spread?
China News Service reporter Chen Yue
The Malaysian Chinese Cultural Association recently presented the 9th Cultural Award. The triennial Chinese Culture Award is considered to be an important symbol of the inheritance of Chinese culture in Malaysia and the continuous innovation and development of innovation. Zhang Yahuan, president of the Chinese Cultural Association, said in an interview with China News Agency's "East and West Questions" that the fruitful fruits of Chinese culture in Malaysia not only reflect the characteristics of Chinese cultural diversity and inclusiveness, but also depend on the persistence of generations of Chinese cultural workers. He believes that under the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese culture in Malaysia and all countries in the world will better coexist in harmony with the cultures of all ethnic groups and develop in diversity.
The interview transcript is summarized below:
China News Service: In your opinion, what are the biggest characteristics of Malaysian Chinese culture, and what factors contribute to these characteristics?
Zhang Yahuan: The biggest feature of Malaysian Chinese culture is that it not only inherits the essence of Chinese culture and adheres to the chinese cultural background, but also takes root and develops in malaysia, integrating with other ethnic cultures and inclusive development.
The unique fruit of MCA culture in Malaysia's banana wind and rain forest is inseparable from two factors: one is the diversity and inclusiveness of Chinese culture itself; the other is the persistence and efforts of generations of Malaysian Chinese, especially cultural workers, to inherit Chinese culture.
Malaysian Chinese cultural worker Zhang Ji'an (left) collects the hometown stories of elderly people from different nationalities. China News Service issued Zhang Ji'an courtesy photo
China News Service: How can the diverse and inclusive characteristics of Chinese culture promote the integration and development of Chinese culture in Malaysia?
Zhang Yahuan: In the course of its historical development, Chinese culture has embraced, been open and inclusive, and while maintaining its own national characteristics, it has tolerated, learned from, and absorbed various civilizations, and has vigorously advocated advocating "harmony while being different" and "seeking common ground while reserving differences," and advocating the harmonious development and peaceful coexistence of different civilizations.
It is precisely because of these characteristics of Chinese culture that after the Chinese came to the land of Malaysia several generations ago, under the insistence of generations of Chinese, they adapted to the local environment and produced spiritual and material achievements, resulting in Malaysian Chinese culture.
The Malaysian Chinese Museum is the first museum to comprehensively display the history and development of Chinese people in Malaysia, and the museum recreates the real scene and "restores" the old Chinese street in the museum. China News Service reporter Chen Yue photographed
When the Malaysian Chinese Cultural Association was established in 1977, the founder, Lee Sam Chun, listed the coexistence of various religious temples in Penang, Malaysia, and pointed out that this showed the scene of the chinese culture and the cultural diversity and symbiosis of various ethnic groups in the process of Malaysia's historical development. "This is the epitome of Malaysian social culture, leaving a deep mark on the lives of people in the land of different cultural influences."
On April 22, 2019, Chinese Malaysians displayed the "Mazu Hair Bun Dressing" that will be unveiled at the Queen Hall of the South Selong Hainan Association (Tin Hau Temple) in Kuala Lumpur. China News Service reporter Chen Yue photographed
After the establishment of the Chinese Cultural Association, it has also made the preservation and development of Malaysia's cultural heritage one of its goals. The Association positions itself as: first, to study, maintain and develop Chinese culture, making it an important part of Malaysia's national culture; second, to promote communication and understanding among various ethnic groups, as an important bridge for the integration and communication of Chinese culture and friendly culture, to create a fair, harmonious and brilliant Malaysian culture; third, to hold cultural activities and publish books related to Malaysian culture. In the course of more than 40 years of the Association, it has not only continued to promote and introduce Chinese culture to friendly compatriots, but also continuously absorbed the essence of friendly culture to enrich and develop Malaysian Chinese culture.
The cultural activities such as singing and drama held by the Cultural Association are always open to all ethnic groups in Malaysia, and in addition to Chinese culture, the excellent culture of each ethnic group is displayed, so that the various ethnic groups can understand each other's cultural traditions, blend with each other, influence each other and promote each other. Malaysia's world-famous lion dance and 24-season drum are the results of the integration and development of Local Culture on the basis of Chinese culture.
On November 30, 2019, Malaysia's first International Water Jumping Lion King Championship was held in Kuala Lumpur. The competition moves the high-staked lion dance to the water, which is ingenious. China News Service reporter Chen Yue photographed
China News Service: How do Malaysian Chinese insist on continuing to pass on Chinese culture? In the more than 40 years since its establishment, how has the Malaysian Chinese Society been guided and united to make unremitting efforts to spread Chinese culture?
Cheung: In addition to pluralistic symbiosis, The Malaysian Chinese have been working hard and insisting on passing on the essence of Chinese culture, which I summarize as "rooted quality, cultural salary".
For Chinese culture to be passed on in Malaysia, it requires a deep Chinese education or a foundation in Chinese literature. In the Malaysian educational environment, Chinese primary schools and independent secondary schools and universities have Departments of Chinese Culture or Chinese, which constitute a solid social and cultural foundation for inheriting Chinese culture. Through the popularization of Chinese education, the public's understanding of Chinese culture is deepened. Especially in recent years, more and more friendly compatriots have studied in Chinese primary and even secondary schools to contact and understand Chinese culture.
On 12 November 2016, Malaysian Chinese primary school students performed Journey to the West in Malay in Kuala Lumpur. Photo by Zhao Shengyu, a reporter of China News Service
These "rooted qualities" also allow "Chinese cultural qualities to take root in Malaysia".
Secondly, the Association recognizes that the deep cultivation of Chinese culture needs to continue to spread valuable achievements, contributions or research through encouragement and praise. This is exactly what the Cultural Association and many Chinese group organizations are trying to do.
An important task of the Association is the establishment of cultural awards. Building a good cultural core value system, long-term persistence, unremitting struggle, requires the whole society to consciously, the efforts and dedication of every cultural worker, to awaken the public to understand the value of culture, understand the importance of culture, so that the education, enlightenment and aesthetic functions of culture can subtly affect everyone's daily life.
The inheritance and development of Chinese culture in Malaysia depends on the efforts of generations of cultural workers, and excellent cultural work pioneers have emerged in all walks of life. The cultural award has been established for less than thirty years, almost in a race against time, at the end of the life of many predecessors, the award was sent to them, hoping to preserve the exemplary deeds of Chinese culture in literature, education, music, historical research, social activities, artistic creation and other aspects to inspire future generations. In recent years, the Association has also added a number of youth awards, hoping to encourage young talents so that Chinese culture can be passed on in Malaysia.
China News Service: As the president of the Cultural Association, you have been actively promoting cultural exchanges between China and Malaysia, in your opinion, what role has the cultural exchange between China and Malaysia played in the development of Chinese culture in Malaysia? Under the "Belt and Road" initiative, what opportunities will be ushered in?
Zhang Yahuan: Of course, the continuous inheritance and development of Malaysian Chinese culture, in addition to the integration with the culture of friendly ethnic groups, is also inseparable from the connection and exchange with contemporary Chinese culture, especially as China's national strength continues to increase, and constantly creates better cultural achievements, this exchange and interaction is more prominent.
Malaysian Chinese culture comes from Chinese culture, although it has undergone the process of localization in Malaysia and has the characteristics of diversification and integration, it has always been inherited from Chinese culture. Culture itself is an "active living organism" that needs to be constantly renewed and improved with the times. Only by continuing to communicate with the excellent contemporary Chinese culture can the Malaysian Chinese culture gain the impetus for sustainable development.
Chinese teachers who attended the 2011 Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council's Malaysian Chinese Teacher Training Course studied at Tianjin University. Photo by Yang Yu, a reporter from China News Service
In addition, through cultural exchanges with China, it can also display the achievements of Contemporary Chinese civilization, so that the Malaysian Chinese Community and even Malaysian society are more aware of the importance of Chinese culture, deepen the understanding of Chinese culture among malaysians of all ethnic groups, and create a good environment and foundation for the accelerated development of Malaysian Chinese culture.
With the proposal and expansion of the "Belt and Road" initiative, the influence of Chinese culture in the world is also increasing, and more and more people around the world hope to "catch up with the arms of China's rise", making Chinese learning a global upsurge. Malaysian Chinese education will further develop on the basis of the good foundation laid by the sages, attracting Chinese and even other friendly ethnic groups to be more actively involved in Chinese education. The more solid the foundation of Chinese education, the more it will further promote the development of Chinese culture in Malaysia. The good foundation laid by cultural integration over the years is believed to help Malaysia better integrate into the "Belt and Road" construction.
Throughout the ages, every great nation has had a broad and profound culture, which has become the deepest spiritual pursuit and code of conduct of this nation, and as an important force for promoting social development and progress. Chinese culture, with its own characteristics, encourages MCA cultural workers to continue to promote cultural exchanges and integration among various ethnic groups, and contribute to the fair and harmonious development of Malaysian culture. (End)
Respondent Profiles:
I provide the picture
Cheung Ya Yan is a famous Malaysian musician who won the second World Harmonica Competition in 1989. Since 2013, Cheung has been the President of the Malaysian Chinese Cultural Association. During his tenure as President of the Chinese Cultural Association, he actively promoted the inheritance and development of Chinese culture in Malaysia, reformed and innovated the traditional Chinese cultural award "Cultural Award" of the Association, and promoted the integration and development of Chinese culture and the culture of various ethnic groups in Malaysia; he focused on promoting Malaysia-China exchanges and malaysia-China people-to-people friendly exchanges under the "Belt and Road" initiative, and led the Association to play an active role in major activities such as the Chinese exchanges between Malaysia and China, educational exchanges, the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China, the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China, and the cooperation between Malaysia and China in fighting the epidemic.