Manchu culture and education

 

Manchu culture and education

 

Without the candlelight of knowledge, one cannot penetrate the darkness ahead. With the accumulation of knowledge, you will have a profound vision and a broad world. Cultural education is the ladder to success.

Burmese musician Dorje is giving lessons to members of the Mongolian dance team of the Naypyitaw Song and Dance Troupe in a temporary open-air class on the meadow by the Irrawaddy River. Friends such as Agudengba, Azhuo, Chu Sanxing, Yadan, Dawa, and Xiang Qima were also invited to participate in this lecture. The theme of the lecture is: Manchu culture and education.

Dorje said:

Cultural education is the season for developing intelligence. If you understand the laws of the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter, you will understand that after necessary cultural education, intelligence will grow vigorously like a tree in spring. The Manchu people living in the prairie and black soil are a nation that attaches great importance to culture and education.

Since the Qing Dynasty, under the background of the continuous development of ethnic relations between the Han and Manchus, the education and culture of the Manchus have also developed greatly. There is the Eight Banners Official School, which is affiliated with the Imperial College, and the Eight Banners Clan Jueluo School, which is affiliated with the Zongren Mansion, and is specifically responsible for the education of the clan and Jueluo children. Outside the Gyeonggi region, official schools were set up in Northeast China where the Eight Banners were garrisoned and their birthplace. Ordinary bannermen apply the Eight Banners doctrine. Volunteer schools are affiliated to the ginseng collars of each banner, and children over the age of ten from the Eight Banners can enroll in the school. There are also volunteer schools in various garrison places so that the children of Banner people who live in poverty can also have the opportunity to enroll in school.

Teachers will be selected under the leadership of this banner to learn Manchu language and horse riding and archery, and their academic results will be archived. In the later period, local Han Confucian scholars also served as teachers, and the content of study shifted to the traditional culture of the Han nationality. In the imperial examination, the Eight Banners Examination was set up in the early Qing Dynasty and translated into Manchu. In the early Qing Dynasty, it was still a separate examination for Banner and Han. Later in the Qing Dynasty, it was transformed into an examination for Banner and Han. Because of the popularization of education, Manchu culture has developed rapidly.

Dorje briefly stated:

In the Qing Dynasty, the country mobilized its efforts and compiled a large number of books, such as the "Collection of Ancient and Modern Books" during the Kangxi period and the "Sikuquanshu" during the Qianlong period, which left precious wealth to Chinese culture. The Manchus themselves also have a considerable number of writings handed down from generation to generation.

Kangxi presided over the compilation of books such as "The Essence of Mathematics", "The Examination of Lixiang", and "The Complete Map of the Imperial Palace", which have high scientific value. In terms of science, technology and medical care, the Manchus also have a considerable number of works and achievements.

Yongqi, the fifth son of Qianlong, had profound attainments in geometry, and his algorithm was roughly the same as today's geometry. His grandson Yihui also has high attainments in the field of mathematics.

Rabdon, the censor of Zuodu, "learned foreign languages" and was an expert in repairing foreign clocks.

The Manchu surgical bone setting is called "caibao" among the Eight Banners. Before Western medicine's plaster bandage became popular, it had always been dominant in Beijing. Yisang'a during the Qianlong period was an osteopathic expert, and he trained many bone-setters. There are also many medical families among the bannermen stationed in various places.

Dorje added:

Early Manchu works, such as "Manwen Laodang", "Taizu Shilu" and "Foreign Land Records" written by Tu Lichen, are all well-known works. Books for learning the application of Manchu such as "Qingwen Enlightenment" and "Beginner's Learning" "Must-read", "Virtual Character Guide" and "Qing Wen Dian Yao" are books that explain Manchu grammar, pronunciation, calligraphy and sentence formation in Chinese.

At that time, Manchu translations of Chinese classics were extremely common, and most Chinese classics were translated into Manchu. Not counting official books, folk novels such as "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", "The Romance of the West Chamber", "A Dream of Red Mansions", "The Plum in the Golden Vase", "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio", etc., all have Manchu translations. Zakdan's translation of "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio" is a vivid translation of the original book, and the expression of the text reaches a very high level.

The development of Manchu culture is also highlighted in the Manchu writing of books and theories in Chinese.

"Drinking Water Ci Collection" and "Side Hat Collection" written by the famous poet Nalan Xingde are fresh and natural and have high artistic value.

"Dream of Red Mansions" written by Cao Xueqin, a servant of Zhengbai Banner, is based on the family life of feudal aristocrats and widely reflects the social reality of China at that time. It is known as the encyclopedia of Chinese feudal society and has developed the art of Chinese classical novel creation to an unprecedented level. peak, occupying an important position in the history of world literature.

"Xiaoting Miscellaneous Records" written by the Qing aristocrat Zhaozhen is a book containing miscellaneous notes about the systems, rituals, events, people, etc. in the early Qing Dynasty that he had heard and witnessed. It has reference value for studying the history of Manchu, Mongolia and Qing Dynasty.

Fucha Dunchong's "Yanjing Chronicles" is a record of Beijing's customs and customs. There are many foreign translations.

"Night Talk Record" written by He Bang'e, the Manchu magistrate, reflects the dissatisfaction of the lower class of the Manchu people.

There were also many female writers among the Manchus in the Qing Dynasty. "Tianyou Pavilion Collection" written by Xilin Taiqing (Gu Taiqing) has high artistic value and is known as the first female poet in the Qing Dynasty.

In addition, there are "Qinpu" written by Ke De, "Huayan Xianyin" written by Wanyan Yuegu, "Xiangyinguan Xiaocao" written by Ku Liyaling, etc.

After the middle of the Qing Dynasty, a new kind of drum lyrics appeared among the banner people. It only had lyrics, no spoken words, and was sung with the three strings of the drum board. It was called "Qingyin Zi Di Shu". It was widely circulated in cities such as Beijing and Shenyang and was popular among ordinary citizens. loved. The disciple books "Borrowing Boots" and "The Guard's Sigh" written by He Lu and Han Xiaochuang are the most widely circulated. ​

There is also a kind of folk "octagonal drum" singing tune and drum lyrics, which were still widely circulated until the late Qing Dynasty.

Duoji simply sorted out some of the history and achievements of Manchu culture and education, which taught the members of the Naypyitaw Mongolian dance team a good lesson. Agudengba, Azhuo, and Chu Sanxing also responded to the invitation. I received a lot of inspiration and at least gained a new understanding of Manchu culture and education.

Duoji sang a song "Knowledge is Power":

 

Culture is the mentor of life,

Education is the enlightenment to success.

 

Culture can purify the soul,

Education can cultivate sentiment.

 

Without accumulating rich knowledge,

A life spent groping in the dark.

 

Explore life and trace its origins,

Knowledge is the source of power.