Abstract: By analysing the legend of Dean Lung derived from the Dean Lung Lectureship in Sinology event, this paper finds that the important construction nodes of its historical narrative can be mostly placed in the intersection between the China Fever in the United States and the trend among Chinese intellectuals to construct their own cultural identity. A series of interactions reveal how the international order prior to the Opium War played a dual role in the modern era： for China, it became a central Chinese complex， symbolized by Confucian Civilization; for the West， it was transformed into positive Orientalism， symbolized by Confucian China. The dialogue between the two in the construction space of Dean Lung’s legend， with their different developmental forms， constitutes an interactive interpretation， which clearly represents the symbolic imagination of “What is China？” in the course of modern Sino-American communication. In this regard， the interpretations of Chinese civilization produced by intellectuals are also enveloped by the established historical structures of cross-cultural interactions. This reveals that the vertical introspection and horizontal communication of “cultural consciousness” are actually a dynamic system of continuous dialogue across time and space that complements and constructs each other. The selection of positive China symbols for expressions may generate goodwill and interest toward China from other cultures and even the international community but also， to some extent， narrows the space for people to imagine China and limits the possibilities of knowing the real China. Once aware of this， scholars will be better placed to understand and master the key to the cultural exchange. It will also help us to tell the story of China and the world with a broader mind and richer wisdom， and continuously deepen the theoretical thinking on the dialogue， mutual appreciation and integration among civilizations.

Key words: Dean Lung, donation, cultural exchange and mutual learning, cultural self-consciousness, overseas view of China