Peking University, June 28, 2014: On May 21, a lecture named “Chinese Culture going global–Advantages and Challenges” was held by the School of Journalism and Communication. Professor Hong Junhao, a professor from the Department of Communication in State University of New York at Buffalo and a research associate of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University talked about the new trend of Chinese culture going global,.

Different from internal scholars who view from politics the soft power of Chinese culture, professor Hong provided the students a new perspective from culture. In the lecture, he talked about mainly three aspects on Chinese culture going global: the necessity, the urgency and challenges.

With the rapid spread of globalization, the mixture of different cultures has become an intrinsic requirement. Chinese culture going global caters to the trend. It also helps the self-improvement of Chinese culture apart from contributing to the global civilization.

According to a survey conducted in the United States, most Americans know little about Chinese culture and values. Some of whom even misunderstand them. This with many other surveys shows how confusing the information on Chinese culture is when reaching America. As a result, it becomes difficult for Americans to get a clear vision of Chinese culture. “It is high time Chinese culture go global”, said professor Hong.

Furthermore, many foreigners mix social environment with traditional culture, which is becoming one of the obstacles for Chinese culture to go abroad. Also, under the fierce competitive background between western and eastern countries like Japan and South Korea, conditions may get worse if Chinese media does not put enough efforts into publicity targeting foreign audience.

Written by: Yan Shengnan

Edited by: Li Chiyang