| Great Unity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 大同 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Vietnamese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vietnamese alphabet | Đại đồng | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hán-Nôm | 大同 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Korean name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hangul | 대동 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hanja | 大同 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Japanese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kanji | 大同 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kana | だいどう | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TheGreat Unity (Chinese:大同;pinyin:dàtóng) is aChinese vision of the world explicitly based on the past period of "three dynasties"[1] as understood by the Confucian tradition. In this ideal historical model, everyone and everything was at peace and this model must be restored. It is found in classicalChinese philosophy as a model based on the past but beginning withKang Youwei (1858 – 1927) it was often combined withutopian ideas.[2]
Confucius said: “When the Great Way prevailed, it was shared by the whole world. (天下為公) The men of worth and ability were chosen; trust was spoken and harmony cultivated. Therefore people did not cherish only their own parents, nor nurture only their own children. The aged were able to complete their years, the strong had employment, the young were able to grow, and the widowed, the orphaned, the solitary, the childless, the disabled, and the sick were all provided for. Men had their proper roles, women their proper homes. Goods were disliked if they lay wasted upon the ground, yet it was not necessary that they be stored for one’s own use; strength was disliked if it were not exerted, yet it was not necessary that it be exerted for oneself alone. Hence schemes were shut away and did not arise; theft, robbery, and disorder did not occur. Therefore outer doors were left open and not closed. This was called the ‘Great Unity’ (Datong).”— Confucius,Book of Rites (Liji), “Liyun”[3]
The notion of the "Great Unity" appeared in the "Lǐyùn" (禮運) chapter of theBook of Rites, one of the ConfucianChinese classics.[4][5] According to it, the society in Great Unity was ruled by the public, where the people elected men of virtue and ability to administer, and valued trust and amity. People did not only love their own parents and children, but others as well. People also secured the living of the elderly until their ends, let the adults be of use to the society, and helped the young grow. Those who were widowed, orphaned, childless, handicapped and diseased were all taken care of. Men took their responsibilities and women had their homes. People disliked seeing resources being wasted but did not seek to possess them; they wanted to exert their strength but did not do it for their own benefit. Therefore, selfish thoughts were dismissed, people refrained from stealing and robbery, and the outer doors remained open.[6]
The concept was used byKang Youwei in his visionary utopian treatise,The Book of Great Unity (Chinese:大同書).[7]
The Great Unity is also often mentioned in the writings ofSun Yat-sen and is included in his lyrics of theNational Anthem of the Republic of China, currently in official use inTaiwan.
This ideology can be reflected in the following examples, each from a national anthem of the Republic of China:
The concept was invoked in prominent occasions several times byMao Zedong, including in his addressOn the People's Democratic Dictatorship in 1949, as the Communist Party prepared to assume control throughout mainland China.[8]
The "World Harmony Launch Ceremony," themed "Religious Harmony and World Peace," was solemnly held at the Guanyin Temple in Pingzhen District, Taoyuan City.[9]