Nine Melodies of the Yellow River and a Thousand Miles of Love - A Cultural Confidence in the "Yellow River Cantata"
The Nine Bend Yellow River, surging forward with an indomitable and majestic momentum, has shaped the national character of the Chinese nation's self-improvement and is an important foundation for the Chinese nation's firm cultural confidence.
We need to deeply explore the historical value contained in the Yellow River culture, tell the story of the Yellow River well, continue the historical context, strengthen cultural confidence, and gather spiritual strength to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the Chinese Dream.
Following this, the children of the Yellow River compose the "Yellow River Cantata" of the new era.
The Great River Civilization: The Water of the Yellow River Comes from the Sky
Through dance language, narrate the changes of Hehuang and showcase the mother river that nurtures "diverse coexistence, integration and co construction" of Chinese culture. On September 5th, the performance season of the original dance poem "Hehuang" concluded successfully at the Qinghai Grand Theater.
"Ten performances were packed," said Shi Honggang, the producer of "He Huang". In mid to late October, "Hehuang" will strive to carry out a tour in nine provinces and regions along the Yellow River.
This is a sunset shot in Tangke Town, Ruoergai County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, in the first bay of the Yellow River. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xing Guangli
For thousands of years, it has been running tirelessly. The Yellow River culture is an important component of Chinese civilization. In China's more than 5000 years of civilization, the Yellow River basin has been the political, economic and cultural center of the country for more than 3000 years. It has bred Hehuang culture, Heluo culture, Guanzhong culture, Qilu culture, etc. It is distributed in Zhengzhou, Xi'an, Luoyang, Kaifeng and other ancient capitals, and has produced classic works such as "the Four Great Inventions", "The Book of Songs", "Lao Zi", and "Historical Records".
In 2023, there are several important "100 years" in the history of Yellow River culture:
At the International Academic Conference on the 100th Anniversary of the Discovery of the Shuidonggou Site in August, renowned archaeologist Gao Xing said that this is the beginning of Chinese Paleolithic archaeology, correcting the assertion that "China does not have Paleolithic culture.".
The International Forum on the 100th Anniversary of the Discovery of the Hetao Man, held in Wushen Banner, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia in August, pointed out that this place is an ancient relay station in human development history and an important root of human civilization.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the excavation of the Lotus Crane Square Pot, a masterpiece of the Bronze Age. On August 25th, the unveiling ceremony of a century old bronze cultural relic unearthed from the Li Jialou Zheng Gong Tomb was held in Xinzheng, Henan. "The Lotus and Crane Square Pot showcases the long and profound history of Chinese civilization, which is of great significance for strengthening cultural confidence and inheriting the Chinese cultural heritage," said Ren Wei, Director of the Henan Provincial Bureau of Cultural Relics.
Li Qun, director of the National Cutural Heritage Administration, said that major projects such as the Chinese Civilization Exploration Project show that the Chinese civilization has gone through changes in time, space, dynasties, and social nature, but the form of civilization has not broken, and the cultural heritage has been rich for a long time. Civilization elements such as agriculture, jade artifacts, and capital construction all exhibit clear inheritance relationships.
Tourists are visiting the Yin ruins located in Anyang City, Henan Province. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Lu Peng
In early autumn, on the south bank of the Huan River, the Yin ruins welcome tourists from all directions. Over 100 years ago, oracle bone inscriptions were discovered here, dating back thousands of years to the prehistoric era in China.
Oracle bones contain cultural heritage. Oracle bone script laid the foundation for the method of Chinese character creation, block form, and development framework. It has evolved over 3000 years without changing its form, becoming a spiritual bond that connects the bloodlines of the Chinese people.
Song Zhenhao, member of the academic department of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that oracle bone inscriptions "prove classics and supplement history" are a common cultural memory of the Chinese nation.
"In addition to the 'Yin Qi Wen Yuan' oracle bone big data platform and the 'Amazing Oracle Bone Script' interactive mini program, we are researching the use of artificial intelligence to achieve automatic fitting and assisted interpretation of oracle bones," said Liu Yongge, Director of the Key Laboratory of Oracle Bone Script Information Processing at Anyang Normal University, Ministry of Education.
Ren Fengyun meets, still full of vitality, the Yellow River is ancient and evergreen.
On September 8th, the "River Peace Treaty: 2023 Intangible Cultural Heritage Exchange and Exhibition Week along the Yellow River Basin and Grand Canal" was launched in Weifang, Shandong. 183 intangible cultural heritage projects and 280 intangible cultural heritage inheritors from the nine provinces and regions along the Yellow River participated in the exhibition.
"Mount Taishan Mountain can be large because it doesn't allow soil; rivers and seas can be deep because they don't choose small streams."
The passionate and unrestrained Guozhuang dance, the powerful Lanzhou Taiping drum, the bold and carefree Ningxia Hui mountain flowers, the ancient and melodious Gesar, and the thrilling Suimi suona... With the same Yellow River, one can feel the pulse of the river everywhere.
The Spirit of the Great River: The Yellow River Touches Mountains for Thousands of Miles
Defend the Yellow River, defend North China, and defend the whole of China! On September 6th, elderly choir enthusiasts from Guangzhou sang the "Yellow River Cantata" by the Hukou Waterfall. Accompanied by the sound of waves, the singing is stirring, praising the unwavering heroic spirit of the Chinese nation.
Tourists are visiting the Hukou Waterfall Scenic Area on the Yellow River. Shen Jizhong
The Yellow River culture is transformed and regenerated in the revolutionary tradition.
The spirit of "two bombs and one star", the spirit of the Long March, the spirit of Yan'an, the spirit of Lvliang, the spirit of Taihang, the spirit of the Red Flag Canal, the spirit of Jiao Yulu, the spirit of Yimeng... a great river has witnessed the great power of the CPC.
Send out the Five Colored Flows of Kunlun, and a yellow and turbid stream runs through Zhongzhou. Our common belief is that our land cannot be separated, our country cannot be chaotic, our nation cannot be separated, and our civilization cannot be interrupted.
The Yellow River has nine bends and eighteen bends, spreading its last bend before entering the sea in Lankao, Henan.
Villagers and music enthusiasts are preparing to perform at Xuchang Village Square in Qianyang Town, Lankao County, Henan Province. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Hao Yuan
Walking into Xuchang Village, Qianyang Town, Lankao County, the eye-catching village emblem is a giant pipa made of bricks and tiles. Once a national level impoverished village, it has become a well-known musical instrument village.
Lankao paulownia has loose wood and is not easily deformed, making it a good material for making ethnic musical instruments. "Since the 1980s, villagers have been using local materials to make musical instruments and open music workshops," said village official Xu Yongshun. Currently, the village produces over 100000 pieces of instruments such as guzheng, pipa, and guqin annually.
In a family workshop for ethnic musical instruments in Xuchang Village, Qianyang Town, Lankao County, villagers are making guqin. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Ang Lee
In 2022, Lankao was awarded the title of "Hometown of Chinese Ethnic Musical Instruments", with a total output value of 3 billion yuan in the county's ethnic musical instrument industry, and tens of thousands of people receiving "musical instrument meals".
Paulownia trees are silent, and the melody of the qin is melodious. The Jiaotong tree planted by Jiao Yulu himself has become a towering pavilion. This is the Lankao "Happiness Song", a Yellow River cultural sonata that combines the benefits of the world.
At the entrance of Jiao Yulu Cadre College in Lankao County, Henan Province, people are visiting under Jiao Tong. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Hao Yuan
The Yellow River Basin contains rich cultural resources. According to statistics, there are over 300000 immovable cultural relics in 9 provinces and regions of the Yellow River Basin, approximately 900 national intangible cultural heritage representative projects, over 2000 national key cultural relics protection units, and over 7300 provincial-level cultural relics protection units.
For a long time, these cultural heritage sites have been relatively scattered and independent, with inadequate institutional mechanisms for cross regional and multi departmental participation. It is difficult to interpret the Yellow River culture uniformly, systematically protect it, and comprehensively utilize it. There is an urgent need for a "big blueprint".
We only have one Yellow River, and the situation of individual efforts to protect the Yellow River culture in various regions is fundamentally changing.
The Outline of the 14th Five Year Plan proposes the construction of national cultural parks such as the Great Wall, Grand Canal, Long March, and Yellow River.
The Outline of Ecological Protection and High quality Development Plan for the Yellow River Basin proposes to systematically protect the cultural heritage of the Yellow River, deeply inherit the cultural genes of the Yellow River, tell the story of the Yellow River in the new era, create a Yellow River cultural tourism belt with international influence, and plan to build the Yellow River National Cultural Park.
Recently, the "Construction and Protection Plan for the Yellow River National Cultural Park" was officially issued. This is a major project proposed after the Great Wall, Grand Canal, and Long March National Cultural Park to further protect, inherit, and promote excellent traditional Chinese culture. It is a major measure to promote ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin.
On April 1st, the Yellow River Protection Law was officially implemented, marking the first time in China that the promotion and inheritance of water culture has been incorporated into watershed legislation, incorporating cultural attributes into watershed connotations, highlighting the traditional Chinese cultural roots of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.
The "Yellow River Cantata" with cultural confidence is singing loudly, as the moon over the Guanhe River can hold thousands of miles of emotions.
The Heart of the Great River: The Yellow River Flows into the Sea
On September 6th, over a thousand representatives from over 50 countries and regions gathered in Dunhuang. The 6th Silk Road International Cultural Expo opened in Dunhuang with the theme of "Communicating the World: Cultural Exchange and Mutual Learning of Civilizations".
"The Chinese civilization has been thriving for thousands of years, and one important reason is the continuous exchange with foreign cultures, absorption of strengths, and utilization for ourselves," said Zhao Shengliang, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Dunhuang Research Institute.
The audience visited the Dunhuang Cultural Theme Exhibition at the 6th Silk Road International Cultural Expo. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Ma Xiping
From "learning Hu music from every family in Luoyang" to "thousands of Qiang people singing Han songs"; From the common use of "upper garment and lower garment" and "elegant song and Confucian attire" by ethnic minorities in the border areas, to the prevalence of "upper garment and lower garment" and "Hu Yi Hu hat" in the Central Plains... Chinese civilization has been embracing and innovating over time.
From "Ji Zi Goes to the Court" and "Xu Fu Dongdu", to Hakka people and Heluolang drifting out to sea; From Zhang Qian and Gan Ying's envoy to the Western Regions, to the arrival of high-ranking monks such as Kumarash in China. Hu Feng and Han Yun, the sea embraces all rivers. The Yellow River culture continuously draws nourishment, is open and inclusive, and provides a historical model for cultural exchange and mutual learning.
On August 15th, the Song and Dance Theater of Gansu Performing Arts Group's "Silk Road Flower Rain" stunned Qingdao, marking a successful conclusion to the city tour. Within a month, this classic dance drama has left behind a graceful and flying figure in coastal cities such as Shenzhen, Hainan, Fuzhou, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Jinan, and Qingdao.
The actor performed "Silk Road Flower Rain" at the Yellow River Theater in Lanzhou, Gansu. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Ma Xiping
Over the past 40 years since its premiere, "Silk Road Flower Rain" has performed over 3800 times in more than 40 countries and regions, with an audience of over 5 million, setting a Guinness World Record for dance dramas.
Music and dance are common languages among humans. The United Nations has issued stamps reflecting the art of people with disabilities, and the dance "Thousand Handed Guanyin" by the Chinese Disabled People's Art Troupe has been selected. From "Silk Road Flower Rain" to "Thousand Handed Guanyin", inspiration comes from Dunhuang, Yungang, and Longmen. Grotto art originating from India has been developed and developed in China, crossing the Taihang Mountains, the Central Plains, and the Yangtze River.
"Behind the grottoes lies a culture of distinct openness and inclusiveness," said Song Zhiqiang, Secretary General of the Datong Ancient City Protection and Restoration Research Association.
At the Longmen Grottoes, upon seeing the smiling gaze of the Grand Buddha, the Charg é d'affaires ad interim of the Malaysian Embassy in China, Shang Mugan, couldn't help but exclaim, "This is the Mona Lisa of the East!"
Tourists are visiting the Longmen Grottoes scenic area in Luoyang. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wu Gang
This is a history book engraved on stones, carrying the beautiful expectation of "universal harmony".
On September 26th, the 9th Nishan World Civilization Forum will be held in Nishan, Qufu, with the theme of "Community of Common Values and Shared Future for All Humanity - Strengthening Civilization Exchange and Mutual Learning to Cope with Global Challenges". In June, the Nishan Dialogue on Digital Civilization of the World Internet Conference discussed China's solutions to the challenges facing mankind with the theme of artificial intelligence.
This is the exterior scene of the Nishan Dialogue on Digital Civilization of the World Internet Conference. Photo by Guo Xulei, journalist from Xinhua News Agency
Benevolent to neighbors, harmonious with all nations. From the abdication system of Yao, Shun, and Yu, to the oracle bones and inscriptions on gold and stone of Xia, Shang, and Zhou, and then to the concept of "harmony but difference" and "transforming swords into jade and silk" during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the Yellow River culture, with its outstanding peacefulness, has shaped China and influenced the world.
This summer, 9 provinces and regions along the Yellow River jointly organized the 2023 "Yellow River Theme Tourism Overseas Promotion Season" with overseas agencies. Through social media platforms such as WeChat, Facebook, and Photo Wall, the online browsing volume exceeded 150 million, of which 120 million were overseas views.
Harmony but diversity, beauty and harmony... The Yellow River culture is constantly moving towards the world.
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