Dig deep into the value of the times contained in the Yellow River culture

【Learning, Thinking, Practice】

Author: Shen Fuqiang (Special Researcher, Shandong Xi Jinping Research Center for Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Professor of Shandong Provincial Party School [Shandong School of Administration])

The Yellow River culture is an important part of Chinese civilization and the root and soul of the Chinese nation. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out at the symposium on ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin that it is necessary to promote the systematic protection of the cultural heritage of the Yellow River, deeply explore the value of the times contained in the Yellow River culture, tell the "story of the Yellow River", continue the historical context, strengthen cultural self-confidence, and gather spiritual strength for the realization of the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The continuity of the Chinese civilization fundamentally determines that the Chinese nation will inevitably follow its own path. If we do not understand China from the perspective of its long historical continuity, it is impossible to understand ancient China, nor can we understand modern China, let alone the future China. Practice has proved that the Yellow River culture, formed in the accumulation of thousands of years of history, carries the character genes of the Chinese nation, contains the feelings and wisdom of the Chinese nation, stirs up the spiritual strength of the Chinese nation to forge ahead, and is an inexhaustible source of power for the Chinese nation to gather majestic strength and move forward bravely.

The Yellow River is the mother river of the Chinese nation and has given birth to a long-standing Chinese civilization. In ancient times, the Yellow River Valley was an important homeland for the Chinese ancestors. Myths and legends such as Pangu opening the world, Nuwa mending the sky, Kuafu chasing the sun, and Yugong moving mountains, all of which were born in the Yellow River Basin, all carry the lofty spiritual values of the Chinese nation. In the Analects of · for Politics, it is said, "Yin is due to Xia Li, and the profits and losses can be known; Zhou because of Yin Li, the profit and loss, can be known", refers to the historical origin of the inheritance and development of the basic system of the third dynasty of the Xia and Shang dynasties. Although the capital of the Xia and Shang dynasties was relocated several times, they were all located in the Yellow River Valley, where a stable agrarian-oriented farming society was formed, the ritual and music tradition of Chinese civilization was laid, and the orthodoxy of "China" was formed, laying a solid foundation for the continuous Chinese civilization. The culture of the Yellow River also contains a rich sense of innovation and change. The "Gou Rixin, Ri Xin, and Ri Xin" recorded in the "Book of Rites · University", and the "Zhou Although the Old State, Its Life is New" recorded in the "Book of Poetry· Daya", etc., are still vigilant and encourage the Chinese nation to continue to innovate and develop. These cultural ideas, which are full of national wisdom, include cultivating Qi and governing peace, respecting time and keeping position, knowing how to change, and opening things up to achieve success, etc., constitute a unique identity of the Chinese nation that distinguishes it from other ethnic groups, condense the centripetal force of the Chinese nation, and provide a solid guarantee for the evolution and development of Chinese civilization.

For thousands of years, along the Yellow River Basin, regional cultures with distinctive characteristics such as Hehuang culture, Guan Chinese, Heluo culture, and Qilu culture have been formed, and sages and literary heroes such as Laozi, Confucius, Mencius, and Du Fu have emerged. The political wisdom nurtured by the Yellow River culture has shaped the Chinese nation's pursuit of reunification, and has deeply influenced the practice of contemporary Chinese. "Great harmony under heaven" is one of the core concepts of the Yellow River culture and the excellent traditional Chinese culture, which not only reflects the Chinese nation's yearning and pursuit of an ideal society, but also represents mankind's beautiful vision for the future society and the ideal world. While cultivating a splendid culture and nourishing the great civilization of the Chinese nation, the Yellow River is also an unruly river in history, full of disasters and difficulties. From Dayu's water control to Pan Jitao's "harnessing water and attacking sand", from Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty's "gourd plugging" to Emperor Kangxi's "river affairs, water transportation" engraved on the pillars of the palace, in the process of overcoming flood disasters again and again, the Chinese nation has been endless, continuous development, and increasingly mature, creating a hard-working and kind, fearless of hardships and dangers, indomitable, self-improvement character and tenacious vitality, forming the outstanding characteristics of the Yellow River culture and Chinese culture.

In modern times, the Chinese nation has been reborn from the ashes after suffering many hardships, which is also inseparable from the strong support of the Yellow River culture. In 1936, when the nation was in danger, the Red Army's Long March to resist Japan in the north triumphantly arrived in northern Shaanxi. In the winter of that year, Comrade Mao Zedong inspected the 1,000-meter-high plateau of Qingjian in Shaanxi Province after a heavy snowfall, and wrote the immortal poem "Spring · and Snow in Qinyuan", which issued the Chinese nation's great wish to "count the romantic characters and look at the present dynasty". In 1939, the song "Yellow River Cantata" sang the strong historical voice of the Chinese nation, expressed the indomitable will of the entire Chinese people to resist the aggression of Japan imperialism and save the country, and expressed the revolutionary spirit of the Chinese nation of being strong, unyielding and brave to victory. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Comrade Mao Zedong issued a great call for "we must do a good job in handling the affairs of the Yellow River." The Yellow River has been effectively brought under control, turning harm into benefit. The Yellow River basin has become an important hydropower base on the mainland, and the hydropower resources of the Yellow River have been developed and utilized on a large scale. Sanmenxia, Longyang Gorge, Liujiaxia, Yanpan Gorge, Bapanxia, Daxia, Qingtongxia, Tianqiao, Xiaolangdi, Wanjiazhai and other hydropower stations have continuously provided momentum for national development and national rejuvenation. In the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, General Secretary Xi Jinping has always been concerned about the mother river of the Chinese nation, attaches great importance to the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin, and has inspected the Yellow River Basin many times, clarified the relationship between development and protection, and elevated the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin to a national strategy. He stressed that "the management of the Yellow River focuses on protection and governance." It is necessary to adhere to the comprehensive management, systematic management, and source management of mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes and grasses", and "overall planning of upstream and downstream, main and tributaries, and left and right banks". We will take multiple measures to ensure the long-term stability of the Yellow River, promote the high-quality development of the whole basin, improve the lives of the people, protect, inherit and promote the culture of the Yellow River, and make the Yellow River a happy river for the benefit of the people.

The Yellow River falls into the sky and walks through the East China Sea, and thousands of miles are written into the chest. For thousands of years, the Yellow River has long been intertwined with the suffering and glory of the Chinese nation, tempering the resilience, strength and spirit of the descendants of Yan and Huang, and injecting an inexhaustible source of sustainable development for the Chinese nation. At the symposium on ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The Yellow River, galloping forward, has shaped the national character of the Chinese nation with indomitable majestic momentum, and is an important foundation for the Chinese nation to strengthen its cultural self-confidence." "The surging Yellow River has become a powerful driving force for the Chinese nation to grow endlessly and stand tall among the nations of the world, and the long-standing and thick Yellow River culture has become an irreplaceable Hongzhong Dalu in the historical movement of the Chinese nation's cultural self-confidence.

The prosperity of a country and a nation is always supported by the prosperity of culture. Inspecting Lankao County, where the last bend of the Yellow River is located, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the spirit of Jiao Yulu "was, is, and will remain the precious spiritual wealth of our party." Coming to the Yinxu site in the northwest suburbs of Anyang City, General Secretary Xi Jinping sighed: "Our cultural self-confidence comes from the long history that can truly prove us." "Whether or not the high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin can be achieved is an indispensable part of realizing the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Interpreting, inheriting and promoting the Yellow River culture can provide a solid foundation for cultural identity, spiritual support for the construction of a cultural power, and wisdom and enlightenment for the modernization of national governance. In the new era and new journey, we must thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping Cultural Thought, protect, inherit and carry forward the Yellow River culture, tell the story of the Yellow River in the new era, and gather strong spiritual strength and provide profound cultural support for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Strengthen the protection and inheritance of cultural relics and cultural heritage, focus on the protection of various heritage resources along the Yellow River, and continue the historical context and national roots. High-level protection of important sites such as Shaanxi Shiyuan, Shanxi Taosi, Henan Erlitou, Henan Shuanghuaishu, Shandong Dawenkou, etc., increase the overall protection and restoration of palaces, imperial tombs and other large sites, strengthen the protection of agricultural cultural heritage such as ancient buildings, ancient towns and villages, and water cultural heritage such as ancient irrigation areas and ancient ferries, and protect the remains of transportation relics such as ancient plank roads. Persist in adapting measures to local conditions, providing guidance by category, giving full consideration to regional extensiveness, cultural diversity, and resource differences, and implementing differentiated policies and measures. Support the cities of Xi'an, Luoyang, Kaifeng, and Datong to protect and improve their historical features and characteristics. Improve the list system for the protection of intangible cultural heritage in the Yellow River Basin, and vigorously protect the intangible cultural heritage of the Yellow River Basin, such as opera, martial arts, folk customs, and traditional skills. Systematically study and sort out the cultural development of the Yellow River, carry out the Yellow River cultural inheritance and innovation project, establish a cultural system that connects history and reality, and brings tradition and modernity closer, comprehensively use modern information and media technology to strengthen the digital protection and inheritance of the Yellow River cultural heritage, and comprehensively display the cultural achievements of the Yellow River Basin in the fields of farmland water conservancy, astronomical calendar, river control technology, architectural construction, traditional Chinese medicine, traditional crafts, etc., and promote its integration into real life. Deeply excavate the rich connotation and historical significance of the Yellow River culture, comprehensively interpret the value of the Yellow River culture, vigorously promote the spirit of Yan'an, Jiao Yulu, Yimeng, etc., promote the prosperity and development of the Yellow River-themed literary and artistic creation, inject new connotations into the Yellow River culture, better meet the needs of the people's spiritual and cultural life, create a symbol of the Yellow River culture to spread to the outside world, and promote Chinese culture to go global.

Guangming Daily (2024-07-30 06 edition)

Source: Guangming Net-Guangming Daily