Cultural Citizenship education focuses on the cultural aspects of national education. It covers heritage education whereby students will learn about the historical relics, artefacts, remains and archives preserved by the country as “historical treasures” of the country. Some of these artefacts are preserved in museums, and many of them are in protected areas. They provide tangible remains for students to visusalize, touch and experience the cultural past (in case of open and protected areas) of the country.
Published in Chapter:
Heritage Education in Central China: Agendas for Cultural and Inter-Cultural Citizenship Education
Wing On Lee (Institute for Adult Learning, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore), Nan Hao (School of Education, Zhengzhou University, China), and Qian Zhou (Zhengzhou University, China)
Copyright: © 2020
|Pages: 20
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-1978-3.ch011
Abstract
Based on a review of the linkage between heritage education and citizenship education that includes cultural and inter-cultural education, this chapter provides a case study of heritage education in the Central Plains of China, which is one of the most important cradles of Chinese civilization with a splendid cultural heritage. Heritage education in this region helped youngsters to construct characters and qualities to be citizens. Even though heritage education is mainly a study of the past, Central China's past is not only “cultural” but also “inter-cultural” as it has been the traffic hub in history, and thus the growth of Chinese culture through the Central Plains is characterized by the absorption of diverse cultures passing through the hub. Its positioning is important for both teachers and students to reflect upon what we should be and how China can interact with other parts of the world in this age of globalization.