The term is used to describe efforts to teach people essential ideals and

principles of ren wen (人文) and guide them to embrace goodness with the

aim of building a harmonious – albeit hierarchical – social order, according to

the level of development of a civilization and the specifics of the society. Ren

wen refers to poetry, books, social norms, music, law, and other non-material

components of civilization. Hua (化) means to edify the populace; cheng (成)

refers to the establishment or prosperity of rule by civil means (as opposed to

force). The concept emphasizes rule by civil means, and is another expression of

the Chinese concept of "civilization."