Shu Yong, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's top political advisory body, said Chinese culture has become more accessible to foreigners.
"Traditional Chinese cultural symbols — such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Warriors, and Peking Opera — have often seemed lofty and distant to foreigners, sometimes perceived as inaccessible or difficult to engage with," he said. "In contrast, Chinese culture today has become deeply integrated into everyday life worldwide, influencing habits from food and fashion to daily routines. This shift has made Chinese culture more interactive and approachable, vastly narrowing the cultural gap."
Those impressive cultural symbols used to feel like watching a performance through glass. Foreigners would find them beautiful and moving, "but they couldn't fully immerse themselves and take on an active role", he said.
"What we are now witnessing is a new phenomenon, where people around the world are willingly participating in Chinese culture and genuinely integrating it into their lives," he said.
As a political adviser, Shu, over the past decade, has focused on the construction and promotion of China's cultural identity, frequently submitting proposals on the topic.
He believes that cultural symbols are some of the most powerful and accessible forms of communication.
"They provide a way for others to immediately sense and understand our cultural essence. These symbols can manifest visually, through taste, through sound, or even as a philosophy or way of thinking," Shu said.
He pointed out that in a world increasingly marked by uncertainty, anxiety has been on the rise.
However, the inherent peaceful nature deeply embedded in Chinese culture, along with its philosophy of harmony between humans and nature, offers an effective way to address their concerns and comfort their emotions, he said.
