Jao Tsung-I is right; Chinese cultural Renaissance is well under way

Professor Jao Tsung-I is easily the most respected scholar of Chinese civilisation studies, and in recent years he has held the view that the field is undergoing a renaissance.

Now 96, his research revealed some interesting similarities, in terms of historical background and root causes, between renewed interest in Chinese civilisation and the Renaissance that some believe started in Florence, Italy, in the 13th century.

The Romans' Byzantine empire was for centuries recognised as the preserver of Hellenic civilisation and its classics, including the writings of Plato and Aristotle.

The study of these classics - including philosophy, literature and art - was in fact an integral part of Byzantine glory.

But by the end of the 13th century, the Ottoman Turks had swept across Asia Minor and laid siege to the Byzantine capital, Constantinople.

Recognising the imminent danger, many Hellenic works were shipped to the Italian principalities of the West Roman Empire, including Florence.

This led to a renewed interest in the study of the classics. The strong financial support provided by the aristocratic Medici family in Florence led to the Renaissance, and the rest is history.