Let cultural relics and cultural heritage bloom with the glory of the times
Li Qun
In October 2023, the CPC Central Committee held a national conference on propaganda, ideology and culture, at which Xi Jinping Cultural Thought was officially put forward and the cultural banner of our Party was held high on the new journey. The symposium on the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage held in December 2023 will thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping Cultural Thought, deploy and strengthen the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage, lead the work of cultural relics to better undertake the new cultural mission, and inject strong cultural strength into the great cause of comprehensively promoting the construction of a strong country and national rejuvenation with Chinese-style modernization.
In-depth study and comprehension of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on the protection and utilization of cultural relics and the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage
On the shore of the Xiangjiang River and at the foot of Miao Peak, Hunan First Normal University (Chengnan Academy Campus), which has the reputation of "a thousand-year-old university and a century-old teacher", is located here. After years of vicissitudes, this combination of Chinese and Western, solemn and elegant buildings exudes a charming light, is a national key cultural relics protection unit, a national patriotism education demonstration base, and a national red tourism classic scenic spot. On the afternoon of March 18, 2024, General Secretary Xi Jinping came here to visit the theme exhibition of young Mao Zedong and pointed out that the First Division is a good place to carry out patriotic education and inherit the red gene, and it is necessary to protect and use this red resource well.
"We must attach importance to the protection and inheritance of history and culture, and protect the endless roots of the Chinese nation's spirit"; The historical and cultural heritage carries the genes and blood of the Chinese nation, not only to our generation, but also to future generations"; The cultural heritage left by our ancestors will be carefully guarded, so that the historical context can be better passed on"...... Entering the new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping has been highly concerned about and promoted the work of cultural relics and cultural heritage from the strategic height of retaining the cultural roots and the soul of the nation, focusing on the "latest archaeological discoveries and their significance in the mainland", "making good use of red resources, continuing the red blood" and "deepening the source exploration project of Chinese civilization", and presided over the collective study of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee three times, made more than 180 important instructions and instructions, and personally investigated and inspected more than 100 cultural relics and historic sites, revolutionary sites, The cultural and museum venues have profoundly answered a series of major theoretical and practical questions related to the protection and utilization of cultural relics and the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage, deepened our party's understanding of the regularity of cultural relics and cultural heritage work in the new era, and are major achievements in adhering to the "two combinations" and promoting the innovation of Marxist cultural theory, constituting an important content of Xi Jinping's cultural thought.
Deeply understand the spiritual characteristics of self-confidence and self-reliance. The dawn of civilization in Liangzhu and Erlitou, the literary inheritance of the oracle bones in Yinxu, the cultural treasures of Sanxingdui, and the cultural context of the National Version Museum continues...... China has a long history and a vast civilization, which is the foundation of our self-confidence and the source of our strength. On October 28, 2022, less than a week after the conclusion of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out during his inspection in Yinxu, Anyang, Henan Province, that "Chinese civilization has a long history and has never been interrupted, shaping our great nation, and this nation will continue to be great." It is necessary to better inherit the excellent traditional culture through the excavation, research and protection of cultural relics"; The excellent traditional Chinese culture is the 'root' of our party's innovative theory, and the fundamental way for us to promote the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism is the 'two combinations'. We must strengthen cultural self-confidence and enhance our self-confidence and pride in being Chinese." Looking up at the historical sky of Chinese civilization and refining the essence of Chinese culture and Chinese spirit, the general secretary cares about the protection and utilization of cultural relics and the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage with profound cultural feelings, firm cultural self-confidence, extraordinary strategic determination and strong historical initiative, so as to promote Chinese culture to be more magnificent and Chinese civilization more dazzling.
- The predecessor of Hunan No. 1 Normal College was founded in the Southern Song Dynasty, which was rich because of its inheritance of thousands of years of cultural context, and is also famous for cultivating a group of proletarian revolutionaries and famous teachers of the older generation in modern times. In recent years, with the support of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, the former site of the First Division has implemented protection and repair, "three prevention" infrastructure construction, and exhibition projects. The picture shows the exterior of the former site of the First Division. Courtesy of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage
Deeply comprehend the theoretical character of enlightenment and application. General Secretary Xi Jinping's important exposition on the protection and utilization of cultural relics and the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage is rich in connotation and profound in thought, including "cultural relics carry splendid civilization, inherit history and culture, and maintain the national spirit", "protection of cultural relics is also a political achievement" and other ideological and conceptual epistemologies, as well as "adhere to the protection first, strengthen management, excavate value, effective utilization, and make cultural relics come alive, and comprehensively improve the level of cultural relics protection and utilization and cultural heritage protection and inheritance" and other methodologies at the practical and operational level, and clarify the roadmap and task book for cultural relics and cultural heritage work. In the new era of China, the ancient city of Zhengding reproduces the style of Xiongzhen in the north, Gulangyu Island interprets the style of the International Architecture Museum, the Liangzhu site proves the history of Chinese civilization for more than 5,000 years to the world, and the hutongs of Beijing engrave the memory of the ancient capital and strong nostalgia...... From this, we can appreciate the practical power of Xi Jinping's cultural thought to lead the Chinese civilization to sing songs and create new faces, pointing out the direction and providing fundamental guidance for further promoting the high-quality development of cultural relics and cultural heritage.
Deeply understand the fundamental position of the supremacy of the people. Culture is the spiritual bond that unites people's hearts and minds, and it is also a key factor in improving people's livelihood and well-being. In March 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping made important instructions on the work of cultural relics, "so that the results of cultural relics protection can benefit the people more". In February 2019, during his inspection in Beijing, the general secretary emphasized that "it is necessary to unify the transformation and upgrading of the old city with the protection of historical relics and the preservation of historical context, not only to improve the living environment, but also to protect the historical and cultural heritage, so that historical culture and modern life can be integrated". In September 2020, when presiding over the 23rd collective study of the Political Bureau of the 19th CPC Central Committee, the General Secretary pointed out that "the protection of historical and cultural heritage should be put in the first place, and at the same time, it should be rationally utilized, so that it can play a full role in providing public cultural services and meeting the needs of the people's spiritual and cultural life". In January 2022, when the general secretary inspected the ancient city of Pingyao, he said, "comprehensively protect the historical and cultural heritage, coordinate the development of tourism, characteristic management, and the protection of the ancient city", "deeply excavate the cultural connotation of Jin merchants, better promote the excellent traditional Chinese culture, and better serve economic and social development and people's high-quality life". The important exposition of the general secretary highlights the nature, purpose and original mission of the party, and guides and promotes cultural relics and cultural heritage to enter the daily life of the masses in a more vivid way, so as to nourish the people's beautiful new life.
Deeply comprehend the pattern vision of the world. In Paris, he advocated that "the cultural relics collected in museums, the heritage displayed on the vast land, and the words written in ancient books should be brought to life, so that the Chinese civilization, together with the rich and colorful civilizations created by the peoples of all countries in the world, can provide mankind with correct spiritual guidance and a powerful spiritual driving force"; in Cairo, he stressed that "the Chinese civilization and the Arab civilization have their own systems and characteristics, but they both contain the common ideas and common pursuits accumulated by human development and progress, and both attach importance to the values of peace, loyalty, forgiveness, tolerance, and self-restraint." We should carry out dialogue among civilizations, advocate inclusiveness and mutual learning, and work together to explore the resonance points between the positive way of life in the national cultural tradition and the current era." Both China and Greece have a large amount of cultural heritage, and the two sides can strengthen cooperation in the restoration and protection of important cultural and historical heritage...... General Secretary Xi Jinping's important exposition demonstrates the sincere feelings and broad vision of "benefiting the Chinese people and promoting the common development of the world", and injects ideological power into promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations and promoting the progress of human civilization.
Deeply understand the new tasks and new requirements of cultural relics and cultural heritage work in the new era and new journey
The context is endless. From the number of national, provincial, municipal, and county-level cultural relics protection units increased by 115 percent, 58 percent, and 88 percent respectively, to the completion of more than 10,000 major cultural relics protection projects, and the restoration of 62,000 pieces (sets) of precious cultural relics and unearthed cultural relics in the museum's collection From the popular cultural and museum programs on the screen and the cultural and creative products that frequently go out of the circle to embellish the people's better life, to the opening up of resources such as Dunhuang and the Forbidden City, to build a bridge for the whole society to jointly build and share valuable historical and cultural wealth...... Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the four beams and eight pillars of the mainland's cultural relics and cultural heritage protection system have been continuously improved, the inheritance and development project of Chinese excellent traditional culture and the source exploration project of Chinese civilization have been implemented in depth, the protection and utilization of cultural relics and the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage have made historic achievements, and the innovative and creative genes contained in cultural heritage have been continuously activated.
To strengthen the protection and utilization of cultural relics and the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage in the new era and new journey, we must be guided by Xi Jinping Cultural Thought, in accordance with the concept of protection first and inheritance first, strengthen cultural self-confidence, uphold openness and inclusiveness, adhere to integrity and innovation, correctly handle the major relationships between protection and utilization, protection and development, protection and development, and always put protection first, develop in protection, and protect in development.
The construction of a large-scale protection pattern of cultural heritage has put forward new and higher requirements for the systematic protection of cultural relics. As the "top priority" of the protection of tangible cultural heritage, the protection of cultural relics in the new era is changing from key protection to comprehensive, systematic and overall protection. In 1956, 1981 and 2007, the mainland began to carry out three national cultural relics surveys. This year's "Government Work Report" proposed: "Carry out the fourth national survey of cultural relics, and strengthen the systematic protection and rational use of cultural relics." "At present, in accordance with the requirements of strengthening the systematic protection of cultural relics and cultural heritage in the new era, the fourth national cultural relics census has taken a series of new measures: the practice of protecting all should be protected, and the ancient buildings, ancient cultural sites, ancient tombs, cave temples and stone carvings before 1911 are all included in the scope of the census and identification; Registration and publication are listed as the main tasks, and the results of the census are used as the basis for the publication of the directories of various industries, so as to provide strong support for the construction of a historical and cultural heritage protection system with cultural relics resources as the core.
Based on the national map of cultural relics resources drawn by the census, the cultural relics work will focus on strengthening the protection and management of various types of cultural relics resources at all levels, protecting the cultural relics themselves as a whole and improving the surrounding environment, reasonably preserving the traditional cultural ecology, and promoting the protection of historical and cultural cities, towns and villages, industrial heritage, agricultural heritage, water conservancy heritage, scientific and technological heritage, cultural and natural heritage, and intangible cultural heritage, so as to maintain the historical authenticity, integrity and cultural continuity of cultural relics resources, so that the urban context carried by cultural relics and cultural heritage The agricultural civilization is endless, passed down from generation to generation, so that the people can see the mountains, see the water, and remember the nostalgia.
Promoting the reform of the cultural heritage protection system has put forward new and higher requirements for the reform and innovation of cultural relics protection and utilization. The protection and utilization of cultural relics and the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage have never been a simple matter, but a systematic project that requires the leadership of the party committee, the responsibility of the government, the coordination of departments, the participation of the society, and the sharing of the whole people. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the inscription of Comrade Deng Xiaoping and Comrade Xi Zhongxun "Love my China and Build My Great Wall". Over the past 40 years, the "Great Wall Protection Master Plan" and other relevant documents have been issued, the top-level design has been accelerated and improved, and the coordination mechanism has been gradually improved; nearly 300 protection and maintenance projects have been completed one after another, and the protection of the Great Wall itself has been continuously improved; nearly 7,000 Great Wall conservators across the country have strengthened inspections and relayed to guard the relics of the Great Wall with a total length of 21,196.18 kilometers...... All parties join hands and clench their fingers into fists to protect the majestic Great Wall.
At present, the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage has received unprecedented attention and support from the whole society, but the problem of unbalanced and insufficient development still exists. This requires us to vigorously promote conceptual innovation, properly handle the relationship between the protection, inheritance, utilization and development of cultural relics and cultural heritage, make rational use and sustainable development on the basis of protection and inheritance, enhance the awareness of protection and cohesion of inheritance through utilization and development; vigorously promote scientific and technological innovation, build a national cultural heritage science and technology innovation center, deepen the basic research and application of cultural relics, strengthen the research and development of common key technologies and system integration, and break through a number of key equipment, devices, Software systems and special materials, vigorously promote the innovation of methods, build a national cultural relics resources database (China Cultural Relics Cloud), promote cultural and museum units to provide visual presentation, interactive communication, immersive experience of information products and network services, and develop new forms of digital content for cultural relics.
Promote the protection of cultural heritage and enrich the people's better life, and put forward new and higher requirements for the rational use of cultural relics. During the Spring Festival in 2024, more than 6,800 museums across the country received more than 73.58 million visitors, and the "museum fever" continued to heat up, and 55 national archaeological site parks attracted 8.817 million visitors, far exceeding the number in the same period last year. Feel the strong cultural New Year flavor in the cultural and museum venues, and pray for Najib to welcome the New Year. From the transformation of "palace forbidden gardens" such as the Summer Palace and Chengde Summer Resort into "People's Parks", to cultural and museum programs such as "Searching for Ancient China" and "Why China" to explain new cultural knowledge, to archaeological blind boxes, cultural and cultural creative products such as rattan seeds "flying into the homes of ordinary people", the rich cultural relics and cultural heritage of the mainland have increasingly become an important guarantee for providing public cultural services and meeting the needs of the people's spiritual and cultural life.
To better integrate the protection and utilization of cultural relics with the service to ensure the people's livelihood, we are required to realize, maintain, and develop the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the people, strive to improve the living and living conditions of the masses, enrich the supply of diversified and high-quality cultural products and services, stimulate the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the people to participate in the protection and utilization of cultural relics, and constantly enrich the people's spiritual world. Improve the level of civilization of the whole society, promote the all-round development of people, so that all the people always have the ideological foundation of unity and struggle, the initiative to forge ahead, and the healthy and progressive value pursuit.
The strict system of cultural heritage protection and inheritance puts forward new and higher requirements for the construction of cultural relics work system. In June 2013, the bronze statues of rat heads and rabbit heads in the Old Summer Palace returned to the motherland, touching the hearts of hundreds of millions of Chinese sons and daughters, and in January 2024, the return of Feng Xing Shugui, a cultural relic of the Western Zhou Dynasty, to the embrace of the motherland has aroused widespread concern in the society. The return of Chinese cultural relics lost overseas is conducive to renewing the broken chain of historical memory and emotion, and behind it is the gradual establishment of a fairer and more reasonable international governance system in the field of cultural heritage. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the mainland has signed intergovernmental agreements with 27 countries to prevent the illegal entry and exit of cultural relics, and Feng Xing Shugui's "return home" is an important result of the third renewal of the US government's memorandum of understanding on preventing the illegal entry of Chinese cultural relics into the United States.
The system is a fundamental, overall, stable, and long-term issue related to the development of the cause of the party and the country. To make the protection of cultural heritage an unchallengeable national will, and to strengthen institutional construction is a long-term and fundamental policy. It is necessary to improve the system of laws and regulations for the protection of cultural relics, strictly revise the law on the protection of cultural relics, actively promote the formulation and revision of the law on the protection of historical and cultural heritage and related regulations, orderly promote the construction of laws and regulations such as the Great Wall, the Grand Canal, and red cultural resources, and build a solid legal barrier for cultural relics to be "protected to the fullest" Effective implementation; improve the mechanism of social participation, study and formulate policies and measures to encourage and support social forces to participate in the systematic protection and rational utilization of cultural relics, and form a strong atmosphere of guarding cultural treasures and guarding Chinese civilization in the whole society; improve the implementation of the system, implement the pre-protection mechanism for cultural relics, and promote the implementation of the system design of "investigation first, then construction" of above-ground cultural relics and "archaeology first, then transfer" of underground cultural relics.
Guided by Xi Jinping's cultural thought, we will comprehensively improve the level of protection and utilization of cultural relics
Shouldering the new cultural mission, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage will adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Cultural Thought, in-depth study and comprehension of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on the protection and utilization of cultural relics and the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage, consciously implement it in all aspects and the whole process of work, and actively promote the protection and utilization of cultural relics and the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage.
Protect the precious cultural heritage left by our ancestors. In the ancient capital of Beijing, General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that "we must protect the city's historical and cultural heritage as we cherish our own lives". Returning to Fuzhou Sanfang and Seven Alleys, the general secretary pointed out that "we must cherish and respect ancient buildings, old houses, and old neighborhoods." 767,000 immovable cultural relics and 108 million pieces (sets) of state-owned movable cultural relics are scattered across the land of China and stretch over the years. The precious wealth left to us by these ancestors is of immeasurable historical, artistic and scientific value. To comprehensively improve the level of protection and utilization of cultural relics, it is necessary to uphold the spirit of being responsible for history, the people, and future generations, and gradually build a cultural relics resource management system that combines comprehensive surveys, special investigations, space control, and dynamic monitoring, so as to promote the protection of cultural relics and cultural heritage to a new level.
- Tortoise shells, pottery, bronzes, bamboo slips, masonry, silk paper, oracle bone inscriptions, gold inscriptions, seal scripts, official scripts, ...... The ever-evolving carriers and writing methods of Chinese characters carry the long-standing and profound Chinese civilization. The picture shows the 2023 Cultural and Natural Heritage Day main city event theme exhibition "Chinese Characters China - Chinese Civilization Between Founders" opened at the Chengdu Museum. Courtesy of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage
More archaeological research results are used to prove the origin of Chinese civilization. In July 2022, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out during his inspection in Xinjiang: "Chinese civilization is the only civilization that has not been interrupted for thousands of years, and we must sort it out clearly, and there are still many things to be done in the Chinese civilization source exploration project." Doing a good job in this work can enhance national pride and cultural self-confidence in each of our Chinese. Being a Chinese is a great thing, we not only have a glorious history, but the future will be brighter. To comprehensively improve the level of protection and utilization of cultural relics, it is necessary to establish the idea of "big archaeology", continue to implement the Chinese civilization exploration project, the "archaeological China" major project, and the Xia and Shang civilization research project, strengthen the archaeological research of core sites, promote the organic combination of archaeological exploration, literature research and natural science and technology means, and concentrate on making a number of major academic breakthroughs to further verify the origin of Chinese civilization.
Find the connection between traditional culture and modern life. In September 2021, in Suide County, Shaanxi Province, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that "find the connection point between traditional culture and modern life, and continue to meet the people's growing needs for a better life". In June 2023, at the symposium on cultural inheritance and development, the general secretary emphasized that "the organic connection between tradition and modernity should be realized". To comprehensively improve the level of protection and utilization of cultural relics, it is necessary to deeply excavate and rationally utilize the multiple values of cultural relics and cultural heritage, create a strong social atmosphere for inheriting Chinese civilization, and make it play a full role in providing public cultural services and meeting the needs of the people's spiritual and cultural life;
Cultural relics and cultural heritage not only tell the story of the past, but also have a profound impact on the present and the future, not only for us but also for future generations. Standing in the new historical direction of building a strong country and national rejuvenation, uniting more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially Xi Jinping Cultural Thought, doubly cherishing the great opportunity for the development of cultural relics and cultural heritage in the mainland, and doing a good job in the protection and utilization of cultural relics and the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage, we will surely make new and greater contributions to continuing to promote cultural prosperity, building a cultural power, and building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation.
Source: "Qiushi" 2024/08
Author: Li Qun, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage