A splendid chapter in context｜The cultural power in the footprints of the General Secretary

Study every day The Yin Ruins in Anyang, Henan Province, are the first capital ruins of the late Shang Dynasty recorded in documents and confirmed by archaeological excavations in Chinese history. The oracle bone inscriptions unearthed here have preserved for us writings dating back 3,000 years, pushing China’s written history forward by about 1,000 years.

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 came here for inspection and investigation.

Walking into the Yin Ruins Museum, the General Secretary carefully inspected the unearthed cultural relics such as bronzes, jades, oracle bone inscriptions, and said with emotion, "I have longed for the Yin Ruins for a long time." Later, he expressed the deep meaning of his trip: "This time I came to learn and understand Chinese civilization more deeply, to apply the past to the present, and to provide reference for better building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation."

Culture connects the past, present, and future of a nation.

From the local to the central government, General Secretary Xi Jinping has always attached great importance to the protection and inheritance of China's excellent traditional culture, regarding it as the "foundation" and the "roots".

When he was in charge of Zhengding, he actively promoted the rescue and protection of cultural relics, making Zhengding a "city with memory"; during his tenure in Fujian, with his support, three lanes and seven lanes were saved from demolition, and a large number of historical cultural relics have been preserved to this day. ; In Zhejiang, he personally promoted the protection and development of the Liangzhu ruins, bringing the ancient city of Liangzhu back to life...

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping’s cultural footprints have spread all over the country. He has visited more than 100 historical and cultural sites and issued more than 170 instructions on cultural relics, archaeology, and intangible cultural heritage.

"To govern today's China well, we need to have a deep understanding of our country's history and traditional culture."

On August 20, 2019, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to Jiayuguan Pass in Gansu Province, climbed up the tower to inspect the overall appearance of the pass, and listened to an introduction to the history and culture of the Great Wall and the pass in the Hexi Corridor.

Climbing the Jiayuguan Pass, he carefully inspected the layout of the city and emphasized that “we must pay attention to the protection and inheritance of historical culture and protect the endless roots of the Chinese nation’s spirit”;

At the Dunhuang Academy, he sat around with more than 30 representatives and pointed out that “only a civilization that is full of confidence can tolerate, learn from, and absorb various civilizations while maintaining its own national characteristics”;

In Guangji Building, he carefully inspected Chaozhou’s intangible cultural heritage works and called for “actively cultivating inheritors to make the intangible cultural heritage shine with a more charming brilliance”;

At the Sansu Temple, he emphasized that “we must be good at absorbing the concepts and thinking of state governance from China’s excellent traditional culture”;

Cultural monuments, cultural blocks, and cultural relics connect the cultural memory of the Chinese nation and contain the cultural power of "Why China?"

"Touching" history again and again conveys the general secretary's profound thinking on China's excellent traditional culture.

This is the Central Main Building of the National Museum of China taken on July 30, 2022.

To the north of Beijing's central axis and at the foot of Yanshan Mountain, among the green waters and green mountains, is a group of simple and elegant buildings. This is the Central Main Building of the National Library of China.

On June 1, 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping came here for an inspection.

Wandering among the exhibits of editions from different historical periods, the General Secretary stopped from time to time. He said: "What I care about most are the most precious things left behind by the vicissitudes of Chinese civilization. Our culture continues to flow and be passed on, and these treasures left behind must be protected and cherished in every possible way."

General Secretary Yin Yin exhorted: "Xiu Wen is in a prosperous age. In our era, when the country is prosperous, the society is safe and stable, and we have the will and ability to inherit the national culture, we must do this important thing well."

Culture is the soul and spiritual identity of a nation and an important force for its survival and development.

In 2012, Xi Jinping served as the leader of the drafting group for the report of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and for the first time wrote "cultural self-confidence" in the report of the Party Congress. After serving as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, he incorporated this concept into the "Four Self-confidences" of socialism with Chinese characteristics and emphasized many times that cultural self-confidence is a "more basic, deeper, and more lasting force."

"Where did we come from? Where are we going? When China is today, I remind myself all the time that we must have such a sense of history." With this "sense of history" on his shoulders, he always sets his sights on the depths of history, letting culture Confidence is firmly rooted in the hearts of the people.

In March 2021, the General Secretary made a special trip to Zhu Xi Garden on the bank of Jiuqu River in Wuyi Mountain, Fujian. He stopped and stared at the quotations of Zhu Xi, a Neo-Confucian scholar of the Southern Song Dynasty more than 800 years ago.

"If there were no five thousand years of Chinese civilization, how could there be any Chinese characteristics? If it were not for Chinese characteristics, how could we have such a successful path of socialism with Chinese characteristics today?" These words of the General Secretary revealed the source of the Chinese nation's confidence, and also said The profound cultural heritage of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

"All things are born, but only know how to keep their roots." Only by keeping our roots and soul can the Chinese nation continue to thrive and stand upright in the long river of history.

Proofreading | Li Shanshan, Wang Zhuojie, Song Chunyan, Li Yingzhuo and Lou Hao