Dujiangyan tries to restore China's classical arts

Updated: 2013-04-17 15:42

By Li Yu and Peng Chao in Chengdu (chinadaily.com.cn)

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Dujiangyan tries to restore China's classical arts

Li Junyang, a teacher from UIC, performs traditional Chinese archery in the Confucian temple of Dujiangyan, Chengdu, Sichuan province, on April 12.

Dujiangyan, a city in Southwest China's Sichuan province famous for its irrigation system, is trying to restore China's "six classical arts".

The Confucian temple of Dujiangyan held a series of activities on April 12 to promote the Confucian tradition of archery. Archery, ritual, music, horse-riding, calligraphy and mathematics are known as the six classical arts.

Li Junyang, a teacher from Beijing Normal University - Hong Kong Baptist University United International College (UIC), performed and gave a speech on traditional Chinese archery.

Archery was required learning for ancient Chinese Confucian scholars. The ritual of archery was widely applied in social activities in ancient China and helped shape the noble character of Confucian scholars.

However, traditional Chinese archery, which has lasted more than 2,000 years, has disappeared from the social life of modern Chinese. The archery activities nowadays are Western, completely different from traditional Chinese archery.

Fortunately, the rich heritage of ancient Chinese classics that record and introduce archery enables people to restore the old tradition.

Li Junyang has developed a course on traditional Chinese archery according to its cultural essence and his teaching practices.

The Confucian temple of Dujiangyan will try to restore the traditional six classical arts with the help of the Cultural Resources Research Center of Peking University. Traditional Chinese archery will be included as a normal course at the temple.