Book Cover Courtesy of China Encyclopedia Publishing House
Beijing, April 22 (China News Network) -- Zheng Xinmiao and Shan Jixiang, the former directors of the Palace Museum, are not only "comrades-in-arms" with intersecting work, but also friends who feel sorry for each other. On the 22nd, the two of them talked freely in Beijing on the theme of "The President of the Forbidden City talked about the Forbidden City and cultural heritage", sharing their thoughts and insights as the "family" of the Palace Museum and the guardians of cultural heritage.
The Forbidden City is a cultural symbol of China and a cultural heritage of the world. Zheng Xinmiao served as the director of the Palace Museum for nearly ten years, during which he opened the century-old overhaul of the Forbidden City, carried out seven years of cultural relics cleaning, for the first time to find out the "family foundation" of the national treasure of the Forbidden City, broke the isolation of the Palace Museum on both sides of the strait, and put forward the concept of "Forbidden City Studies". After stepping down as president, he was still engaged in research related to the Forbidden City. It is based on his love and understanding of the Forbidden City, as well as many personal experiences and precious historical materials, that he wrote the book "Taihe Full - Zheng Xinmiao Said the Forbidden City". The book appreciates the unparalleled architecture and treasures of the Forbidden City from the three aspects of things, things and people, tells the ups and downs of the Forbidden City yesterday and today, introduces the masters and craftsmen of the Forbidden City, highlights the spirit and character of the Forbidden City passed down from generation to generation, and shows readers a grand, far-reaching, true and three-dimensional Forbidden City from multiple angles and levels.
In the sharing session of the new book, Zheng Xinmiao was deeply touched: "The Forbidden City cannot be finished and written. "He stressed that the Forbidden City is a cultural whole, and the ancient buildings of the Forbidden City, the cultural relics of the Forbidden City, and the Palace Museum itself are actually linked." Why should the maintenance of the Forbidden City restore the appearance of Kangqian's prosperous world? Why does the cultural relics cleaning of the Forbidden City treat many trivial things as treasures? It is to value the connection between them. He also particularly emphasized the significance of the overhaul of the Forbidden City since 2002: "This reflects our country's attitude towards the protection of world cultural heritage, and also shows that our country is rich and strong, and we have the strength to protect it." ”
On the left is Shan Jixiang, and in the middle is Zheng Xinmiao, courtesy of china Encyclopedia Publishing House
"To hand over a magnificent Forbidden City to the next 600 years in its entirety" is a solemn promise made to society by Shan Jixiang during his tenure as president of the Forbidden City. After stepping down as dean, he told the story of China in the World Heritage Site through the "Ten Thousand Miles Of One Ride" program and a series of books. Today, he brings readers a new book, "Habitat for Beijing – Awakening Industrial Heritage", as an urban planner, a world heritage promoter and an old Beijinger. Industrial heritage is a testament to the city's history and is also being integrated into the new era of urban life. Shan Jixiang transformed from an old factory building to a Winter Olympic Park through Shougang Park, and the 751 Industrial Heritage was transformed into a cultural and creative gathering place, combining realistic visits and concept traceability, telling the story of Chinese cities with the protective reuse of industrial heritage.
Shan Jixiang said that in Beijing, Shougang is an important industrial heritage and an urban memory. Today Shougang has become the venue of the Winter Olympics, and gradually become a large-scale industrial heritage park, providing a fascinating cultural environment and a large-scale cultural facility for the citizens of Beijing, the people of the whole country, and especially for the youth. He proposed: "Our city needs cultural diversity, we need the superposition of our history, the deeper the superposition, the more cultural layers are superimposed, the more attractive the city is." "Therefore, the development of industry in the past hundred years should also be protected, so that we can face the future with more cultural confidence."
As the publisher of these two books, the person in charge of the Encyclopedia publishing house of China introduced that the company is laying out books from different levels and different angles, showing the richness and diversity of cultural heritage, and forming an encyclopedia product line. New books on cultural heritage such as "Habitat hong Kong: Revitalizing Historical Buildings", "Habitat beijing: The Central Axis and the Ancient Capital Water System", "Ten Thousand Miles to Ride Alone 2", "National Treasure Homecoming: The Return of China's Lost Overseas Cultural Relics" and other cultural heritage books will meet with readers this year.
At the event, the Physical Bookstore Development Alliance in Dongcheng District of Beijing was officially established. Dongcheng District also launched five "City of Books" slow life visit punch card routes, such as "National Tide Fashion", "Book Ying Centennial", "Guofeng Quiet Lane", "Elegant Collection Flow rhyme" and "Old City Wenhua", covering Wangfujing Bookstore, Code Character Bookstore (Wangfujing Pingjing Bureau Store), PAGEONE (Beijing apm store), Sanlian Taofen Bookstore (Art Museum Store), More Reading Club (Dongcheng Longfu Temple Store), Shanhai Sihe by Jetlag Books, Shuxiang Shiye Theme Block, 38 physical bookstores and street libraries, such as the Jingshan Civic Cultural Center, attract the general public to explore and excavate the aesthetic places and reading spaces around them, participate in reading together, share the beauty of reading, and let more people see the possibilities of physical bookstores, marking the full opening of the "World Book Day" series of activities in Dongcheng District in 2022. (End)