Close-up | A dialogue spanning millennia

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In midsummer, the sun is shining on mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Deep in the lush jungle, majestic pyramids and stately temples stand as if the Mayans who inhabited them had just left thousands of years ago, but only yesterday.

On June 6, 2013, the ruins of the Mayan civilization of Chichen Itza welcomed guests from afar. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan accompanied by then Mexican President Peña and his wife came to visit. From the Pyramid of the Feather Snake God to the ruins of the Ball Theater and the Samurai Temple, President Xi Jinping strolled through it, watched carefully, and asked questions from time to time.

Founded in the 5th century AD, Chichen Itza was the most prosperous city-state in the ancient Maya kingdom. José Uchim, a veteran archaeologist of the Mayan civilization in Mexico and head of the Uxmal Mayan civilization site, remembers that when he introduced the traditional rituals of the Maya, the history of ball games and their manifestations, President Xi Jinping listened carefully and asked about the significance of the relief patterns on the base of the site. Speaking of the Mayan worship of the Pyramid of Kukulkan, Uchim mentioned similarities between the relevant elements and Chinese elements such as dragons, and President Xi Jinping was very interested.

President Xi Jinping and Peña talked about the long history of cultural exchanges between China and Mexico, and talked about the reasons why the cultures of the two countries spread far and wide and always maintained their vitality. President Xi Jinping said: "The world is rich and colorful, and only by maintaining their own characteristics and adopting an open and open attitude to tolerate each other and live in peace can different civilizations and cultures develop and prosper together." ”

President Xi Jinping's keen interest in different cultures impressed Uchim. In March 2014, on the podium at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, President Xi Jinping again talked about the harvest of his visit to Chichen Itza and the ancient city of Samarkand in Central Asia: "I deeply feel that to understand the true meaning of various civilizations, we must uphold an equal and humble attitude. If you treat a civilization condescendingly, not only will you not be able to understand the mystery of this civilization, but you will also be incompatible with it. Both history and reality show that pride and prejudice are the greatest obstacles to exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. ”

Uchim listened carefully to the speech. President Xi Jinping clarified To the world China's concept of civilization in the new era, calling for promoting mutual respect and harmonious coexistence among different civilizations, so that exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations can become a bridge to enhance friendship among peoples of all countries, a driving force for the progress of human society, and a link for safeguarding world peace.

These words reached Uchim's heart. He was under the impression that he had rarely seen leaders of other major countries make similar statements, especially on occasions such as UNESCO. "It is very admirable for a national leader to be able to express such intentions and make such statements as Xi Jinping did."

Recalling the "Civilization Walk" in 2013, Uchim is still unforgettable. President Xi Jinping's concern for cultural heritage and enthusiasm for different civilizations deeply touched Uchim. "We Mexicans are very concerned about the country's large number of archaeological sites and cultural traditions. When we ask ourselves where we are from, we say we come from a thousand-year-old civilization. ”

Under the impetus of President Xi Jinping, China-Mexico people-to-people exchanges have been splendid, and cooperation in the protection of cultural heritage has been fruitful. Two ancient civilizations shine together, and the dialogue that spans thousands of years is writing a new chapter.

On November 13, 2014, President Xi Jinping and the visiting President Peña witnessed the opening of the "Maya: The Language of Beauty" cultural exhibition at the National Museum of China. Exquisite cultural relics present the Mayan civilization's outlook on life, cosmology and aesthetics, making people stop and meditate.

Uchim and his colleagues have been following the archaeological progress of Sanxingdui in China, and he has participated in many expert exchange seminars on the theme of ancient Shu and Mayan civilizations, and has also visited Sanxingdui on the spot. Archaeologists of the two countries believe that Sanxingdui and the ancient Mayan countries are located at similar latitudes, and the natural environment in which the two civilizations formed and developed is very close, so they have a similar view of the universe. "Sanxingdui residents and the Maya used to look up at the same sky and count the same stars." A Mexican archaeologist once said emotionally.

In March 2021, a large number of newly excavated cultural relics such as fragments of gold masks and bronze sacred trees from Sanxingdui were presented to the world. Uchim was amazed by the advanced archaeological technology used by his Chinese counterparts, and he hoped that China's experience, talents and technology could empower the protection of cultural heritage around the world, and hoped that Mexico and China would continue to work together to safeguard the common civilization memory and spiritual wealth of mankind.

Time is a faithful recorder, engraved with the pace of the rulers. Since April 18, Xinhua News Agency has opened the "Close Lens • Warm Moments" column, carefully selecting the wonderful moments of General Secretary Xi Jinping's governance since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and telling the warm story behind each photo.