Let Our Children Cherish Our Root Culture

"Where I'm going don't ask me; My heart's always with thee; Just a leaf of thy I am; My root's grounded deeply in thine ... "

Have you ever heard the song -- A Leaf to Its Roots? It tells of the great affection that the green leaves cherish towards their roots no matter where they are and how far away.

Roots are to leaves what traditional culture is to a child. A leaf is much attached to its roots, but not so attached as the affection from the roots.

The roots' affection is as strong as a bowl of hot noodles. It is so commonplace that sometimes it draws little attention. However, if you just have some, you will feel cozy at home as it feels like "mommy's love."

The roots' affection is as tender as a pair of ballet shoes. Put them on and you probably feel uneasy at first, but they will finally help you light up the elegance deeply resting in your body and enable you to observe the world from a higher point.

The roots' affection is as rich as a traditional art, like Peking Opera. It opens for you an amazing world where you will feel closely connected to the masters of art.

Without nourishment from roots, trees cannot either grow healthily or maintain prosperity. Likewise, the healthy growth of children requires education about traditional culture.

Let's take an example. For western kids, it seems useless to learn a foreign language such as Latin or Greek, but this knowledge could help the kids better know their traditions.

As for Chinese children, reading classics such as the Chinese Shi Jing (The Book of Songs) or The Analects of Confucius could help them improve themselves and have a better understanding of life.

As the Romanian-born German poet Herta Muller said, "You can't build a future if you don't have a past." Tradition is the cornerstone of the future. Children should be encouraged to feel, understand and cherish their root culture. Only thus can a nation thrive in the long run.

It's happy to see that our children are learning their traditional culture. Looking around the globe, Cameroon boys are engaged in wood carving; Kenya kids are obsessed with tribal dance; Russian girls are persevering with their beloved ballet, even though they have fallen thousands of times.

Time is traveling on and on. Like a leaf must experience a circle of life, culture is passed on from generation to generation. What is permanent is the deep affection between a leaf and its roots, the same as between children and their traditional culture.

Dear child, never ever forget that your roots are longing for your understanding and love.

(Xinhua News Agency November 12, 2009)