Are there significant cultural differences between the PRC and Taiwan?

[Wilson23]

China has world's most ancient national culture. Since 1949 it has been controlled by a party committed to completely restructuring the culture in accordance with a political ideology.

Except for Taiwan, which for the same period has had the same culture without the Communism.

Has this produced any cultural divergence?

For instance, traditionally, Chinese life is all about the family. Is that now less true in the PRC than in Taiwan?

 

[Wilson23]

For instance, traditionally, Chinese life is all about the family. Is that now less true in the PRC than in Taiwan?

Not that it would reflect badly on Communism if it were. The family-centeredness of Chinese culture was always Entirely Too Much. Even the Kuomintang saw that and declared war on it.

 

[Hel_Books]

China has world's most ancient national culture.

Why do you say that? Manchu (a very different culture: their language isn't even in the same family as that of any modern Chinese dialect!) rule only ended in 1912. In the centuries before that there was as much tumult and chaos as, for example, there was in Europe in the dozen centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire. By that standard, we could say the Italian "national culture" is far older than the Chinese, because it can be traced back to Romulus and Remus!

 

[Wilson23]

Why do you say that?

China still has a national culture continuous with the Bronze Age. Not even Egypt or Iraq can claim that.

 

[Hel_Books]

Hel_Books said:
Why do you say that?

China still has a national culture continuous with the Bronze Age. Not even Egypt or Iraq can claim that.

There has been so much change, so many different cultures in that part of the world (Mongol, Jurchen, even the Uighurs in the 8th century) that any culture, German, Greek, even Egyptian could claim the same level of continuity. Even the Han Chinese were conquerors over time, coming from the north, overrunning the "indigenous" people the way your "cowboys" rousted the "indians"!

 

[Wilson23]

I would suppose the food, at least, remains the same in both Chinas.

 

[BrightShinyGirl]

China still has a national culture continuous with the Bronze Age. Not even Egypt or Iraq can claim that.

But Israel can.

 

[Wilson23]

But Israel can.

No, Israel's RELIGION is ancient. Its CULTURE is 20th Century.

 

[BrightShinyGirl]

No, Israel's RELIGION is ancient. Its CULTURE is 20th Century.

Judaism is a religion and a culture. For example, there is no religious significance to Purim. Every spring for thousands of years, Jews have celebrated the execution of the Persian despot Haman because it’s fun to sing songs about how much he sucked.

 

[Noor]

Judaism is a religion and a culture. For example, there is no religious significance to Purim. Every spring for thousands of years, Jews have celebrated the execution of the Persian despot Haman because it’s fun to sing songs about how much he sucked.

And eat his pockets, ears or hat!
Which represent the three patriots of Judaism, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

 

[Wilson23]

Is Confucius still a name to conjure with in the PRC?

 

[YDB95]

Having spent a few years living in Taiwan (I was teaching English there), I'd say yes. For one thing, they hate The Other Country. It's not a good-natured rivalry like USA/Canada or Australia and New Zealand; they resent them big time. Also, while they do share a language, the sense of ancient history isn't really there at all. Their sense of history is about the same as the US' in terms of how far back it goes, which is to say not very far in the grand scheme of things. Also, paradoxically, I'd say mainland China has more international orientation than Taiwan. Mainland Chinese are a lot likelier to speak foreign languages - including but not limited to English - than Taiwanese are. (There is a push to make Taiwan bilingual - Chinese and English - but that would still put them behind mainland China, where most university grads know at least one other Western language besides English.)

 

[eric_erosfan]

Taiwanese girls are sexier than mainland Chinese girls.

And they know how to fabricate complex electronics.