Further Readings
A Drop of Water of Tang Poetry
A cup of water just from the tap/I was about to drink/Suddenly stopped by a man/Wait a moment/Let me give you/A drop of the poetry of the Tang Dynasty/The color of water/Turning reddish/Like full blossoms of pomegranate flowers in May/Then yellowish/Like loquat in a garden/Then green/Like the landscape in southern China of spring time.
Patriotism also embodies safeguarding national territorial sovereignty, as well as confidence and recognition of his country's political system. If affection for one's relatives, hometown and culture is a natural feeling of patriotism, then love for one's country is rational sublimation of patriotism. Patriotism contains a political element, and is somehow displayed in one's political attitude. This attitudes includes not only proud for the prosperity and harmony of his country, but also worry and anxiety for his country's poverty and problems. Any individual or nationality is embedded in a certain political system. Individuals, nationality and the country are an integrated and indivisiblecommunity. “A family is the smallest entity of a country. A country consists of millions of families. ”When a country is weak, its people is likely to be bullied. Stable nation ensures peaceful living for its people. A nation of rich people ensures a strong country. A country is a basic condition for individuals to thrive and a shelter for individuals from being infringed by foreign aggressors. Therefore, patriotism means not only loving one's land, culture and tradition, but also safeguarding and upholding the political sovereignty and power of one's country. If there is a contradiction between the interest of the nation and the individual, national interest must prevail. Generally speaking, patriotism has the same meaning of loving one's country. It is particularly true under our socialist system because our country represents the direction of historical development and the fundamental interest of the masses, in which patriotism and love for one's country is best integrated.
The patriotism we are talking about, as a lofty spirit, reflected our people's profound feelings towards their motherland. It is closely associated with the promotion of the development of history, and with maintaining national independence and the fundamental interest of our people.
——Jiang Zemin
Patriotism is not just a feeling of affection for one's motherland. It also carries with it a lofty duty and virtue. Derived from one's affection for motherland, patriotism embodies one's awareness and concern for motherland's fate and one's social and historical responsibilities, which are ultimately reflected through one's actions in contributing to, defending and rejuvenating one's motherland. Patriotism is a norm and virtue accepted and recognized by almost all the people in the world. It requires people to turn affection for one's motherland into actions of contributing and working hard for one's country and people. It requires people to be concerned about the fate of one's country, to obverse its laws, regulations and system, to maintain national unity and unification, and let national interest prevail over personal interest. It requires individuals to be concerned about the country's problems, to do one's duty well, and be ready to make contributions to, and even sacrifice one's life for one's country at any time. It should be considered as honor to serve one's own country and be concerned about its fate. On the other hand, it should be regarded as a shame to harm the interest and security of one's motherland. In Chinese history, patriotic ideas and actions have been highly valued and praised. Patriots are models for people to emulate and their stories are told again and again, from generation to generation. One good example of this is the Tomb of YueFei in Hangzhou where the great patriot of the Southern Song Dynasty, YueFei, was buried in a grand temple, and the traitor Qin Hui was cast in an iron figure kneeling down before Yue's bomb.