China-Singapore Times: Tradition and the present meet, and the Beijing Winter Olympics will show a "perceptible" China

China News Service, Beijing, February 4 Title: Tradition and the present meet, and the Beijing Winter Olympics will show a "perceptible" China

China News Service reporter Zhang Weiran

On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year in the Year of the Tiger, it is the "Li Chun" of the traditional Chinese twenty-four solar terms. The Olympic fire will once again illuminate the "Bird's Nest" and light up the first "Double Olympic City" in Olympic history. The "encounter" between the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and the Chinese New Year is also a "re-encounter" between the Olympic movement with a history of more than 2,000 years and the splendid Chinese culture of more than 5,000 years.

As a world language, sports have connotations that go far beyond the events themselves. Hosting the Beijing Winter Olympics is not only a continuation of Chinese understanding of the Olympic spirit, but also a "self-expression" of Chinese culture facing the world.

In 2008, the world experienced the unique charm of humanistic Beijing and the Humanistic Olympics; today, using ice and snow as the medium, the Beijing Winter Olympics are showing a more culturally vivid and tangible China.

This "perceptual" lies in "revitalizing" Chinese culture, allowing tradition and the present to meet and stir each other by ice and snow.

The preparation process for the Beijing Winter Olympics has always been synchronized with the popularity of ice and snow sports in China, especially with the early realization of the goal of "bringing 300 million people to participate in ice and snow sports", and the integration of China's ice and snow culture traditions into modern sports.

"Ice and snow" come from history and create an emotional connection with the present. It has been noted that as an ancient skating competition, it was similar to modern short track speed skating, and the tart was similar to today's high-speed skiing. From the ski petroglyphs of xinjiang's Altay caves, to the establishment of ice and ice as a "national custom" in the Qing Dynasty, to today's ice and snow lovers pouring into ice and snow fields everywhere, the thick history and modern development of ice and snow have been clearly sorted out and integrated into "one vein", the traditional cultural connotation has been awakened and stimulated, and the logic of where China's ice and snow come from and where to go is clearer.

"Ice and snow" out of the competitive event circle, and the public, especially young people, more "resonance". The god of wealth threw out "Snow Ruyi", Guan Yu played "modern ice hockey" with a large knife, "When meeting the Beijing Winter Olympics, the ancients could not sit still"... These new expressions of the Winter Olympics, which combine ancient traditions and modern creativity, are promoting more people to pay attention to and understand ice and snow sports, and also make the history and humanities become "vivid".

The "revitalization" of traditional Chinese culture is more reflected in the deep integration with Olympic culture, and also allows the international community to recognize a more "perceptible" China. From the torch relay tinder lamp inspired by the lights of the Changxin Palace in the Western Han Dynasty, to the National Ski Jumping Center, which borrows the traditional cultural symbol "Ruyi" shape, to the award bouquet woven by the Haipai velvet weaving technique, the Design of the Winter Olympics is full of traditional elements. Athletes from all over the world are also taking advantage of the event experience and integration into Chinese culture, and some national figure skaters will choose Chinese-style repertoire in Beijing to "follow the customs of the countryside". Chinese and foreign perspectives converge here, and they are jointly building an international expression space for Chinese culture.

But the more important "perceptible" lies in the integration of Chinese and Western at the level of value concepts. The Olympic Games originated in the West, but the development of the Olympic Movement does not mean Europeanization or Westernization, and the participation of more and more countries and regions has enabled Olympic culture to integrate tradition with the present, East and Western civilization.

Against the backdrop of the epidemic and local conflicts reducing the willingness to cooperate in international cooperation, it is of greater world significance to host a "more united" Winter Olympics. Traditional Chinese culture embodies the cosmology of the unity of heaven and man, the international view of harmony and all nations, the harmonious and different social outlook, and the moral concept of human kindness, which is highly in line with the Olympic spirit of "unity and fraternity, fair competition and mutual understanding". The "spirit of harmony" of the great powers in the East can provide a reference for all countries to transcend their differences and forge unity, friendship and peace.

Just as in sports, competing for the highest prizes is not incompatible with peaceful coexistence and mutual respect; off the field, deepening respect and fraternity for each other helps countries to "move together to the future". A "perceptible" China is providing a more inclusive and diverse concept choice for mankind's common vision of peace, development, cooperation and win-win results through this Winter Olympic Games. (End)