Advanced socialist culture with Chinese characteristics is a complete system with wide contents, in which the military culture plays a very important part. The armed force is also an important part of a state's superstructure. In China, the military culture with Chinese characteristics has a direct relation with the mainstream ideology characterized by politics, nation and times.

Military culture contributes to and exert influence on the whole society through military literature, arts, TV and movies. Military songs such as March of the Volunteers and La Marseillaise all became national anthems of China and France later because the love for their countries and their determination to defend countries expressed in the songs has had great influence on generations of people and their identification with their countries.

Military culture is on the rise in China. It is an accepted truth that in China a culturally diversified society is emerging. With the development of different kinds of economies, organizations and ways of wealth distribution, the diversified society is becoming a combination of traditional and modern, local and foreign, advanced and rotten cultures. Military culture plays an increasingly important role in this colorful diversified society by displaying military stories in books, periodicals and movies in every corner of the Chinese society. More and more military enthusiasts are becoming interested in military theories, weapons and uniforms and accept the military culture and values.

Military culture is characterized by high spirit, open-mindedness and heroics that are the main attractions of the culture. The reason that the recent TV opera Years of Passion attracted such a large number of audiences and resonated among them is that the opera explains and represents the views of military esthetics in a forceful way. Though Shi Guangrong's ideas and skills are outdated and his temper and personality are not so pleasing, he wins the hearts of urban people with his burning passion, upright character and pride as well as his love for land, country fellows and comrades and his manly persistence on obligation, principles and conscience.

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