Does one need to appreciate Tang poetry or Shakespeare’s plays to be cultured?
The notion of culture can seem elitist but it is not the only definition.
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There is space for discussion about being a cultured citizen in Singapore, but we will need to have an evolved sense of what that means in today’s context, says the writer.
PHOTO: ST FILE
Paul Tan
If you could go back in time, you’d probably find it easy to identify a cultured person. At least society seemed clear what it meant then.
In imperial China, a person of culture (always male, of course) was one who was able to recite and write poetry, understand Confucius, play a string instrument as well as chess, among other prerequisites.