Renewing Confucianism as a Living Tradition in 21st Century China: Reciting Classics, Reviving Academies and Restoring Rituals

The cultural trends of China during the past three decades have so far manifested fast-shifting motifs. The revival of Confucian academies ( shuyuan ) in recent years defies the tedious debate about whether or not Confucianism is a religion. By surveying the varied manifestations of Confucianism as a living tradition from the grassroots, this chapter investigates the social mechanisms that give rise to this Confucian renaissance and what it means to a rapidly modernizing society where no single ideology can claim to have taken hold of public consciousness. The chapter suggests that traces of the Confucian renaissance can be identified within the varied strata of society, some with official overtones, some not. The Confucian renaissance is evident in several diffferent but interrelated movements: the campaign of reading ( dujing ), the revival of Confucian academies ( shuyuan ), and the resurgence of traditional Confucian rites ( chuantongliyi ), among other examples. Keywords:Confucian academies; Confucian renaissance; Confucian rites; Confucianism; living tradition; reciting classics