Modern Civilization and China

Name: Hu xiaodan

In the hurly-burly world of fashion, one cannot but deplore the lack of originality in design. It seems that fashion nowadays is no more than a hodge-podge of obsolete patterns. Is it true that fashion design was originally defined at "remaining essentially the same despite apparent changes?" Maybe all designers are at their wit's end for inspiration.Maybe design rules are to be obeyed timidly and superstitiously? Is It that the ancestral instruction "The best way is not to follow a pattern"is nothing but a misunderstanding passed on for thousands of years? Isn't there any aesthetic affinity among diverse styles? Can't we tap the vitality of nature and its beauty?...... The number of buttons,the variation of cuffs and collars,the constant changes in skirt and trouser length are all miles from the real meaning of fashion design......Although these preado-designs create sensation and hoodwink part of the masscs,they are actually void of artistic value. If one seeks"novelty" instead of "essental meaning",one can succeed and profit instantly. But what one achives is short-lived.As Liu Xie (a sixth-century literary critic) put it. "how can one eschew turning falsehood into truth. If conceit becomes a primary concern?" "Eat not rotten rats to appease your hunger,and drink not from a filthy fountain to quench your thirst."This is precisely what anctent sages preached and what modern logic calls for. Although our economy is still developing,it dose not mean that we must be ashamed of our culture and fine arts.Neither does it imply that we must make a fetish of other cultures and developed economies. The advance of science and technology and economic development do not always parallel the evolution of culture and fine arts. The greatness of Chinese culture,with its indomitable vitality and peerless artistry, has focused global attention on us for centuries.It is such a pity that we，possessing such a rich cultural heritage,sometimes cry out like a dying beggar. When other nations try to make sense of Chinese culture and have benefited a great deal,we are, as the saying goes."looking at the sky from the bottom of a well"and while indulging In self-importance. we still toy with plagiarism... If this situation does not improve our national spirit will be completely twisted and lost.. Small wonder that simple,good-natured Chinese nowadays have no idea what to follow. and when saying "thank you", they must add a foreign note so as to make their gratitude "pleasant" to the ear. In this condition,the legendary and magnificent Chinese cultural heritage, mystical to foreigners,becoms a ridiculous and clumsy imllatton of foreign culture. It is a double loss if one fails to grasp the essence of both national and foreign cultures. The true meaning of "haying a global world view" is to focus on the whole.  We most grasp what's essential in foreign cultures and in our own Chinese culture,so as to establish a firm foundation and to create more innovative works.What we need is to introduce and promote, not the trends of other nations. but our own national ideal,character and spirit.What we create are not only textiles and baubles,but the spiritual power which will allow China never to be daunted...The reality is that the trials and hardships China suffered for 5.000 years made the development of its culture even more arduous,but "what can cause calamity if one maintains a healthy mind?" It is my earnest wish to oppose the prcvatling philistinism. I do not want to do something unorthodox just for the sake of novelty. I would like to contribute to the search for the essential characteristics of Chinese culture. "Those with spirit can live,while those without it will die." A kind-hearted foreign friend, Mr. Cook, describes in an unflattering way the Impression he has of Chinese people."....Square faces, gloomy expressions. drooping eyelids，flat features. stern manner, a little fat, sturdy, strongly built with lasting endurance..." It was precisely these people who were inspired by the profound,magnificent Chinese culture and constructed the matchless palace, the Forbidden City. No matter how deeply it is tinged wtih feudal belief in the supremacy of imperial power,no matter how it is characterized by the injustice of power which put the wealth of the whole world into one person's hand,the Forbidden City is still the crystalization of China's genius and wisdom, the embodiment of a superb culture, and the culmination of its of history. It is charged with national ideal and national spirit.Its "qian "stands fur heaven and emperor. and "kun" stands for earth and empress. But both of them are actually spiritual symbols. They are elemental,robust, vast and profound, fully representing the Confucian ideals of "cultivating moral character, running a state. and unifying the whole world". They arc the ideal integration of "heaven, earth, and Man", and also the test display of confucian doctrine of the mean. Chinese aesthetics attaches more importance to the whole than to detail. It holds that the ultimate state conies from unity and the most profound truth dwells in overall structure. Therefore, art which focuses on romantic charm and is skilfully composed leads to tranlendence. That is where the charm of the Forbidden City lies. It seeks the "unity of Nature and Man"as well as the beauty of harmony. Under the influence of the doctrine of the mean, it pays particular attention to moderation and reserve, and therefore successfully represents tranquility in grandeur and simplicity in magniflcence. It combines local elegance with overall grandeur. light with shade, mobility with sullness. No wonder ancient critics talked about "power and elegance must combine in one stroke". This also corresponds to what ancient art critics held in esteem--"studying the microcosm from the macrocosm". Nowadays， many people claim they have seen ghosts in the Forbidden City. It is said that,in the dead of night,one can hear enchanting music and see graceful dances...Of course,it is nonsense to say that the Forbidden City is haunted by the ghosts of 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasty.But when you stand on the wide steps of the Hall of Supreme Harmony,you will feel that the Forbidden City is not faded glory but a truely passionatc soul. It is my dearest wish that my work will help us reconstruct the past and help our fashion industry find a way out.I hope that "the Forbidden City"will break new ground.

The moving forbidden city fashion show designed by Huxiaodan introduction to the show：