The Evidence is Overwhelming... but yet.

[Liang Jieming]

The Evidence is Overwhelming... but yet.

Too many people remain ignorant of the past achievements of the Chinese, especially the Western cultures. Many hold their pioneering claims dear to them and to acknowledge rival claims that might threaten to upset their long cherished notions and in some cases life's work, is disturbing to say the least.

The least we can do is to not allow ourselves to be led into the same

ignorance but to study and understand our own culture and achievements.

History, as they say, is written by the victors. The same holds true in this

case. If we allow ourselves to forget, who else would uphold our claims? It is sad indeed if all the hard work of our ancestors are allowed to become

obscured by the passage of time and forgotten as we continue to be

dazzled and impressed by the more persuasive if incorrect arguments to

the contrary.

For many years now, Chinese museums and Chinese historians have been

championing our historical past, but their voices have been falling on deaf

ears. I lament a recent example of the pervasiveness of the western view

when I saw in Singapore, on tv a children's programme which illustrated that the Gutenburg press was the first in the world. How can a predominately Chinese society not know that their own forefathers were block printing centuries before Gutenburg was even born? Strange that they continue to teach such discrepancies dispite the mountain of evidence to the contrary, to their children... children who are descendants of the very people who created the printing press.

There is a saying by the First German Chancellor after the 2nd World War,

"A Nation that forgets its past won't have a future".

Let us too, not forget.

Liang Jieming

[yonglan]

Do you know why people say Christopher Columbus discovered America? Lief Erikson (sp?) was the first (first we have evidence of, maybe some Irish monk . . . ) European to go to North or South America. Columbus didn't even get to either of the American continents. However, his efforts got the ball rolling, for better and for worse, of European settlement of the Americas. So he gets the credit.

Same thing with Gutenberg. I'm no expert, but from what I've read the two seem very different in kind and more importantly in the uses that were made of them. Korean printing, though derived from Chinese printing, can more easily be said to be a base of Guty, many would argue.

Same thing with the many "Chinese" things that aren't originally Chinese. 二胡, 琵琶, and stirrups are said to be Chinese, but seem by all evidence not to be.

China had some fascinating technological achievements in ancient times. We all live in modern times, however. So most people are familiar with what was invented and what afffects their lives in modern times.

I think most Westerners are aware that China invented paper, gunpowder and guns, and the compass. Chinese think they invented the zero but it is not at all clear whether they or the Indians did.

The hamburger and modern surgical instruments were invented in ancient Rome. Nobody knows this.

Indoor plumbing existed thousands of years ago in some places. Few are aware of this fact.

The flush toilet was invented during the reign of Elizabeth I, but she didn't like it, so it was discarded. Everyone thinks it was a late 19th century invention.

Do you think it's some sort of conspiracy to discredit China? I think it's just a reflection of modern times. When China starts making major contributions again, people will know.