Interview with Lin Gufang, Shan Chang of Taipei College: Being able to communicate is not a matter of course and interruption is precious
China News Service, Beijing, February 16th. Title: Interview with Lin Gufang, the head of Taipei Academy: Being able to communicate is not a matter of course and interruption is precious.
China News Agency reporter Liu Shuling
During the Lunar New Year, Lin Gufang and his family went to Taitung for hiking and relaxing.
When returning to Taipei, he received a call from a reporter from China News Agency. He said that after returning to Taiwan in February last year, he had not been to the mainland for a year. This is a very special situation in the past 30 years.
During the Lunar New Year, Lin Gufang, the head of Taipei College, accepted a telephone interview from a reporter from China News Agency. He reviewed the cross-strait cultural exchanges and non-governmental exchanges in 2020 and looked forward to the future development.
Photo courtesy of Mr. Lin Gufang issued by China News Service
Since the opening of the two sides to visit relatives (1987), Lin Gufang has traveled to the mainland more than 600 times.
Unlike the ethnic groups from other provinces who have returned home to visit relatives and the groups of Taiwanese businessmen who go out to work hard, he said that he came to the mainland to "walk around" "to confirm the truth and falsity of life learning, read the book, imagine China and reality China Similarities and differences between the two".
In 2020, due to the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the cultural scholar temporarily stopped traveling between the two sides of the strait, and lectures on Chinese culture and Zen art in Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo and other places were also suspended.
Looking back at this experience in the new year, he said that after a long time, some things will be taken for granted; once it is interrupted, people will be surprised that it is precious that the two sides of the strait can communicate in this way.
"My generation feels more. Before the age of 40, I basically can't believe that one day I will be able to go to the land of China, so I cherish cross-strait exchanges. Younger people have less sense of history, but this time they There should also be an understanding-when there is no exchange, I will think about the historical opportunity that enabled cross-strait exchanges to reach such a'naturally' level as before."
During the Lunar New Year, Lin Gufang, the head of Taipei College, accepted a telephone interview from a reporter from China News Agency. He reviewed the cross-strait cultural exchanges and non-governmental exchanges in 2020 and looked forward to the future development.
Photo courtesy of Mr. Lin Gufang issued by China News Service
In recent years, Mr. Lin has maintained the habit of writing columns on the time review page of well-known major newspapers in Taipei, speaking out for the continuation and development of traditional Chinese culture.
He said that starting from the cultural basis, looking at the current phenomenon in a longer and more distant coordinate, the interaction between the two sides of the strait is sometimes more intensive, sometimes less, but it is still only a quantitative difference; some political reasons have not subverted the cultural basis. "with".
Some observations believe that traditional Chinese culture has been gradually weakening in Taiwan for 30 years. Recently, it has receded from the official and mainstream cultural stage. Some "de-sinicization" rhetoric and actions have caused concerns about cultural "decoupling".
In this regard, Lin Gufang pointed out that some people are silent, but it does not mean that they do not exist. They just hide by appearance.
If a window is reopened, it is actually not that difficult to try to make it appear hidden and see the sun.
For example, no matter how provocative the "independence faction" advocates, people worship Mazu in the same way.
As long as the root of culture is still there, it may be hidden for a while, but it is natural for it to come up again.
He said that some of the cultural ideas of the "Independence School" are a kind of floating bubble without a solid foundation.
Regarding future cross-strait contacts, Lin Gufang hopes that the mainland can show strength and tolerance, and provide the future of cross-strait "combination" and other "profits"; Taiwan should treat itself and the mainland truthfully, and be humble.
He said that if Taiwan cannot find a certain type of central positioning in the Chinese cultural circle, such as preserving traditional Chinese culture, or a center that reflects the contemporary nature of Chinese culture, it will definitely be marginalized; if it finds positioning, it will not compare the size of the two sides of the strait. As China advances and retreats, Taiwan can blend in, contribute its strength, and receive positive feedback.
During the Lunar New Year, Lin Gufang, the head of Taipei College, accepted a telephone interview from a reporter from China News Agency. He reviewed the cross-strait cultural exchanges and non-governmental exchanges in 2020 and looked forward to the future development.
Photo courtesy of Mr. Lin Gufang issued by China News Service
In the past two years, some people have often come to Mr. Lin Gufang with anxiety to talk about the cross-strait situation, "I always say a word, whether it's very peaceful."
He believes that now that the reasons for blocking cross-strait exchanges are exhausted and the hostility is exhausted, there should be a reversal in the next step.
The students from all over the mainland who follow to study Chinese culture and Zen art are like family members. Lin Gufang said in an interview that he should not go out as much as possible during the Chinese New Year. When exchanges return to normal again, he will come to the mainland more for the Spring Festival and come to Ningbo next year.
Mr. Lin Gufang, 70 years old this year, is a well-known Zen master, musician, and cultural critic in Taiwan, and the winner of the title of "2016 Chinese Cultural Figure". He once founded the Institute of Art Studies of Fo Guang University in Taiwan and has hosted since 2010 Taipei Academy is also an important place for cross-strait cultural exchange.
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