On a boring weekend, I took the kids to Gyeongbokgung Palace. No planning beforehand – we walked into the plaza and saw a crowd lining up for tickets. I went to check the prices and discovered a free-admission rule: “Visitors wearing traditional Korean attire may enter for free.” Suddenly it all made sense why so many foreigners were dressed in hanbok. That rule got me thinking: if the Forbidden City adopted the same policy, what would people wear? Or rather, which dynasty’s culture do Chinese people actually feel proud of?

The Qing Dynasty

The recent Apple “tech expert” firestorm shows that Chinese people still can’t let go of the Qing image. Despite emperors like Kangxi and Qianlong promoting Manchu-Han integration to some degree, the “shave your head, change your clothes” policy left a permanent rift. Many Han Chinese harbor deep resentment toward Manchu culture to this day. The reason, I think, is the fall from the glory of the Kangxi-Qianlong golden age – when nations paid tribute – to being ground into the dirt by Western guns and unequal treaties. Even with Dream of the Red Chamber, hailed as a crown jewel of Chinese culture, traditional culture proved utterly powerless against Western powers built on modern science. From the Qing’s backwardness and decay to the national humiliations of modern history, all of it became an indelible wound in the Chinese psyche. Even reformers like Lin Zexu and Zeng Guofan, who fought for change and sovereignty, couldn’t stop Western imperialism. This humiliating chapter dealt a devastating blow to cultural self-confidence that persists today. How could anyone feel confident after that?

The Ming Dynasty

The Ming is the most recent dynasty established by the Han majority, which gives it stronger ethnic resonance. From Zhu Yuanzhang’s rags-to-emperor story, to Wang Yangming’s creation of the School of Mind that still influences us today, from isolationism to Zheng He’s voyages that reached the peak of Chinese naval history – there’s much to be proud of. But it can’t fully redeem the late Ming’s image of corrupt ministers, eunuch cliques, and military blunders. “Eunuchs ruining the nation” and “Donglin partisans dooming the state” remain permanent scars in the collective memory.

The Yuan Dynasty

The Yuan was founded by Mongols, and its foreign rule deepened the Han identity crisis. Under Yuan rule, countless Han literati lost their status, fueling ethnic tensions. Yet the Yuan’s cultural achievements – Yuan opera in particular – became part of Chinese culture. Figures like Kublai Khan and Yuan Haowen, an open-minded emperor and a prolific poet, embody the dynasty’s complexity.

The tension between the Yuan’s cultural contributions and its ethnic rule makes it a complicated chapter. We need to look beyond the ethnic conflicts and acknowledge the Yuan’s cultural legacy – doing so actually helps build cultural confidence.

The Song Dynasty

The Song was an era of cultural flourishing and economic growth, but also of repeated military losses and shrinking territory. Zhao Kuangyin built this dynasty on the principle of civil governance, and poets like Su Shi and Xin Qiji created works that became treasures of Chinese literature. Song culture had a refined, introspective quality. Yet the fall of the Northern Song and the eventual collapse of the Southern Song created the impression of a “weak Song” – a bias that lingers today and affects full acceptance of Song culture.

The Tang Dynasty

The Tang is widely regarded as a pinnacle of Chinese history – culturally open and inclusive, economically prosperous, militarily strong. Li Shimin and Wu Zetian both demonstrated exceptional political wisdom and governance, while driving cultural prosperity. Poets like Du Fu and Li Bai became giants of Chinese literature whose works still move people today. However, the decline and turmoil after the An Lushan Rebellion left a deep impression, making the Tang’s glory feel incomplete. Though the rebellion was an internal conflict, An Lushan and Shi Siming were of Turkic origin, making it feel like another case of “barbarian disruption.” Fortunately, it was relatively short-lived. Compared to the splendor of the Zhenguan era, it’s a minor blemish on an otherwise brilliant record. This is why the Tang is usually the first choice when discussing traditional Chinese culture – it carries the fewest humiliations.

The Han Dynasty

The Han was a defining period in Chinese civilization. It established Confucianism as orthodoxy and created a lasting cultural tradition. Emperor Wu of Han was one of the most influential figures in Chinese history – he promoted Confucianism, expanded the empire, and ushered in a golden age. Yet the Han also endured Wang Mang’s usurpation and the chaos of the Three Kingdoms. This lack of stability and unity poses a challenge for modern identification with Han culture.

Confronting Ourselves

Three thousand years of history – that’s what makes China different from every other nation on Earth. China is the only ancient civilization that never broke its continuity. But precisely because dynastic rise and fall have played out over and over on this land, no dynasty gets a clean ending. If we compare all of Chinese civilization to a person, each dynasty’s triumphs and failures are like personal strengths and flaws. If we can’t confront our flaws, we can never build a healthy identity. We’d be stuck living in humiliation and pain forever. Without the fall of one dynasty, how would the next one be born?