Abstract: This article primarily examines the cultural undertaking of the May Fourth Movement through analyzing the inner drive for its participants' fierce rebellion against Chinese tradition. In contrast to China, some Jewish and Islamic countries, having been confronted with more severe national crises since modern times, have preserved their religions and cultures. Therefore, the reason for the fierce revolt against tradition during the May Fourth Movement was deeply rooted in Chinese culture. Because Confucianism prioritized national revitalization over beliefs, traditional scholar-officials were motivated by an intense sense of mission and angst to rebel against tradition. The "new culture" created by the May Fourth Movement was thus a blend of East and West. The structural forces of tradition not only constituted the May Fourth Movement's anti-traditional motivation, but also latently regulated the development of new culture. With the construction of Chinese philosophical-cultural schema that incorporates Western learning, the revitalization of Chinese culture is expected in the near future.

Key words: the May Fourth Movement, rebellion against tradition, traditional motivation, cultural revitalization