ABSTRACT
The culture discourse in China is a shifting discursive repertoire under different historical circumstances, through which the cultural mainstream attempts to maintain control of legitimacy. Central to this culturalism is the belief that China is and has been the only true civilization; this position remained unchallenged even at times of military occupation and threats by aliens due to their alleged backwardness. Furthermore, this cultural outlook means that rulers must and can be educated and govern according to Confucian ways of universal value. This is also applicable to aliens, as asserted Han cultural superiority is believed to rest on education that can potentially civilize and so legitimize non-Chinese (James Harrison 1969, cited in Townsend 1992: 98-9).1 Firstly, therefore, culturalism has determined ethnic boundaries and cultural membership in history. Secondly, it was institutionalized and reinforced through the running of civil service examinations of imperial China (keju kaoshi). This in turn has shaped the Chinese educational tradition that has held up a Confucian-based elitist view at the philosophical level, and operated an examinations-guided institution at the technical level. Finally, it has (re)shaped the Chinese perception of the West in the era of modernization that urges China to conduct a new campaign of suzhi education aiming to transform the human quality of the whole nation.
