Xi Jinping's Cultural Footprint | Qufu's "Three Holes": A Thousand-year Cultural Past of Confucian Style Xi Jinping
Jinan, June 25th, Xinhua News Agency (Xinhua) - "Three Confucius" in Qufu: A Thousand Year Transmission of Confucian Culture
Xinhua News Agency reporter
"The prosperity of a country and a nation is always supported by cultural prosperity. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation requires the development and prosperity of Chinese culture as a condition." In November 2013, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited the Confucius Mansion and the Confucius Research Institute in Qufu, Shandong, to guide the direction for the inheritance and development of Chinese excellent traditional culture.
For over two thousand years, the ancient Confucius established himself as a model of learning and became a "teacher for all ages". The Confucian doctrine founded by Confucius and the Confucian ideology developed on this basis have had a profound impact on Chinese civilization.
In his speech, General Secretary emphasized that "Confucianism, along with other ideological and cultural values generated during the formation and development of the Chinese nation, records the spiritual activities, rational thinking, and cultural achievements that the Chinese nation has carried out in the struggle to build its homeland since ancient times. It reflects the spiritual pursuit of the Chinese nation and is an important nourishment for its continuous growth and development."
Remembering the earnest instructions of General Secretary Yin Yin, the ancient city of Qufu takes the Confucius Mansion, Confucius Temple, and Confucius Forest as its starting point, and extends to the Confucius Research Institute, Confucius Museum, and the Nishan Holy Land of the "New Three Confucius". It deeply cultivates a fertile cultural soil, adheres to the principle of "using the past for the present, extracting the essence from the coarse, discarding the false and preserving the true, and guiding according to the situation", and stimulates the vitality of Chinese culture in practice, inspiring philosophical thinking in the new era.
Entering the "Three Confucius": Reflection on the Cultural Hall of Millennium Accumulation
The ancient trees stand tall in the sky, the temples are majestic, and the houses are deep. During the summer solstice in Qufu, Shandong, the scorching sun did not stop people from paying respects to their ancestors. The Confucian Mansion, Confucian Temple, and Confucian Forest are magnificent and shining, with a Confucian style that has been passed down for thousands of years.
The ancient Confucian temple complex located on the north-south urban axis of Qufu has a grand scale and strict layout. On the platform of the Dacheng Hall, silk and bamboo are pleasant to the ear, and elegant music is melodious, fully showcasing the beauty of Chinese etiquette and music.
To the east of the Confucian Temple is the Confucian Mansion, which is mainly composed of blue brick and gray tile buildings, and is known as the "Number One Family in the World".
To the north of Qufu City, there is the Confucius Forest - the resting place of Confucius. There are numerous inscriptions, and green pine and cypress trees stand alongside them. Shintoism stretches for thousands of kilometers, leading to the depths of the "Holy Forest", as if extending into a distant history.
In 1994, the Three Confucius were listed on the World Heritage List by the United Nations.
"To better understand China, one should start with Confucius; to better understand Confucius, one must step into the 'Three Confucius'." Yang Chaoming, former director of the Confucius Institute and specially appointed professor of the Shandong University Institute of Confucianism, said that the Confucian culture founded by Confucius is an important component of traditional Chinese culture, and its advocated concepts of' benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faith 'are still precious spiritual wealth of the Chinese nation to this day.
In November 2013, when I visited the Confucius Mansion and the Confucius Research Institute, I saw the two books "Confucius Family Language Interpretation" and "Analects of Confucius". General Secretary Xi Jinping picked them up with interest: "I want to take a closer look at these two books."
The General Secretary has repeatedly cited Confucian classics such as the Analects on different occasions, drawing wisdom from the excellent traditional Chinese culture in governing the country.
Today, people follow the footsteps of General Secretary Xi Jinping during his inspection, wandering in the Confucius Mansion, which covers an area of about 240 acres, feeling the majesty of the nine courtyards and the three-way layout, and stopping in front of the couplets and family instructions everywhere to absorb the power of culture.
"Since the beginning of this year, the number of tourists received by the 'Three Confucius' scenic area has significantly increased, reaching 3.6 million, many of which are study tours, becoming important destinations for traditional cultural study tours." said Zhang Lei, Deputy General Manager of Qufu Three Confucius Cultural Tourism Service Co., Ltd.
Emperor Hongdian: Illuminating a New Chapter in the Prosperous Era of China
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "We are born Chinese, and the most fundamental thing is that we have the unique spiritual world of the Chinese people and the values that the people use every day without realizing it. The core socialist values we advocate fully reflect the inheritance and sublimation of the excellent traditional Chinese culture."
Confucius said, "If a person has no faith, they do not know what is possible." Honesty is the foundation of settling down and governing the country.
At the New Era Civilization Practice Station in Qufu City, every weekend, the seal carving teacher from the printing society leads children to experience the charm of seal culture with each stroke and drawing. As the production of seals with Confucian culture as the theme is completed, they are dipped in ink and placed as letters.
Zhang Qiqi, a seal carving teacher from Qufu Printing Society, said, "Using seals as a medium to promote integrity. Learning seal carving is not only a form of cultural cultivation, but also to imprint the excellent traditional Chinese culture in the hearts of children."
The world changes, and the family tradition remains unchanged. The "Confucius Ancestral Precepts and Regulations" states: "Ancestral precepts and regulations teach future generations day and night, and must read and understand.".
"No matter how much changes occur in the times, no matter how much changes occur in the way we live, we must attach importance to family building, family education, and family values." Kong Minghui, a teacher at the on-site teaching point of the Chongguang Gate Political and Moral Education in the Confucius Mansion, explained in detail to the students the Confucian family values and family values, including the Kong family's "passing on poetry and etiquette" family values.
Some trainees said that family tradition is the "talisman" for personal growth. If there is a good family tradition, then there is a good folk culture and a good national culture. The philosophy, values and moral norms contained in the Confucian culture will accumulate the profound humanistic spirit pursuit of the Chinese nation, and will also illuminate a new chapter of Chinese path to modernization.
A country is not prosperous without virtue, and a person is not upright without virtue.
Professor Li Jingxue from Jining Political and Moral Education Cadre College said that the valuable ideas contained in the excellent traditional Chinese culture, such as loyalty to the people, responsibility for the people, and self-cultivation and family unity, are very helpful for improving the governance ability and political and moral cultivation of cadres. In recent years, Jining Political and Moral Education Cadre College has explored a teaching model that integrates classroom teaching, on-site teaching, experiential teaching, and ritual and music teaching, creating teaching plays, enriching teaching methods, and achieving good results.
Up to now, the legacy of Donglu is still present, and 100000 families are all studying. For thousands of years, the social ideal of "the path of the great road and the world for the public" contained in Confucianism, the political concept of "governing with virtue and loving the people", the people-oriented ideology of "the people are the foundation of the country, the foundation is solid and the country is peaceful", the patriotic sentiment of "cultivating harmony, governing peace, and applying the world", and the moral proposition of "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, filial piety, and loyalty" have continuously nurtured the ancient city of Qufu, and even every inch of the majestic land of China. The charm of Confucianism and folk customs have been passed down from generation to generation, and the brilliance of China's excellent traditional culture has been tempered into gold in the development of the times.
Returning to the original and opening up a new era: savoring the elegant charm of Confucianism
On the southern extension of the Confucian Temple Shinto, the Confucius Institute stands proudly. In 1996, the Confucius Institute, approved by the State Council, became a specialized institution for studying Confucianism.
During his inspection in Qufu, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the study of Confucius and Confucianism must adhere to the position of historical materialism, adhere to the use of the past for the present, remove the rough and the essence, remove the false and keep the true, take advantage of the situation, and deepen the research so that it can play an active role in the new era.
Gather scriptures, jade vibrates with golden sound. In recent years, the Confucius Institute has taken the elucidation of Confucianism as a fundamental and pioneering work, focusing on academic topics such as "Analects of Confucius Studies", "Chinese Rites and Music Civilization Research", and "Confucius Family Language Research", and has produced a series of internationally influential research results. Especially the "Translate China" project led by Confucian scholars has been advancing for over 6 years.
Liu Xubing, Vice President of the Confucius Institute, said that the "Translate China" project aims to accurately and completely translate important concepts of Confucianism. A series of monographs have been published, providing a cross-cultural philosophical terminology tool for China to explain Confucianism to the outside world and for the world to understand Confucianism.
At the same time, General Secretary Xi Jinping's "General Interpretation of Confucius' Family Language" and "Analects of Confucius" have a total circulation of more than 500,000 copies, which have been translated into 16 languages including English, German, and Korean, and have gone to the United States, South Korea, and Kyrgyzstan. Waiting for more than 10 countries.
In 2018, 4 kilometers north of the Confucius Temple, a modern building combining the Confucian Temple Dacheng Hall and Han and Tang styles emerged. This is the Confucius Museum, which showcases the life and thoughts of Confucius and the lives of his descendants. Here, 700000 precious cultural relics are properly protected and provide inexhaustible nourishment for academic research.
Entering the main exhibition hall, a sense of solemnity and solemnity flooded in. The reporter saw that the huge statue of Confucius in the preface hall appeared on the milky white book wall, appearing and disappearing under the changing lights. The book wall displayed many representative works explaining Confucius' thoughts, such as the Analects and Confucianism and Modern Society; In the large interactive hall of the "Illustrated Monuments of Confucius", the story of Confucius traveling around various countries is vividly portrayed through VR and other technologies.
"The Analects of Confucius contains the spiritual roots of the Chinese people," "Confucian classics are the code for the world to understand Chinese civilization..." The audience's comments are full of confidence and pride.
The Confucius Museum houses cultural relics with distinct traditional Chinese family characteristics and extremely high historical and cultural value. Guo Sike, the director of the Confucius Museum, said, "These collections are witnesses to the inheritance of the Kong family and the vicissitudes of Chinese history, as well as records of the profound influence of Confucius and Confucianism on Chinese history."
Wang Ziqian, a college student from Heze, Shandong, listened to Shao music from over two thousand years ago at the Confucius Museum Ritual and Music Research Institute, experiencing firsthand that "Confucius heard Shao music for three months without knowing the taste of meat.". "The first time I heard such music, it was so shocking, with a long and lingering ancient charm," said Prince Qian. "The younger generation has an obligation to pass on this culture."
"The continuous development of the Chinese nation, suffering setbacks and constant rebirth are inseparable from the strong support of Chinese culture." General Secretary Xi Jinping's words are full of affection and cohesion.
At the symposium on cultural inheritance and development held on June 2, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out the direction for the efforts to build a modern civilization of the Chinese nation in the new era: "Only by comprehensively and deeply understanding the history of Chinese civilization can we more effectively promote the creative transformation of Chinese excellent traditional culture., Innovative development, more vigorously promote the construction of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, and build the modern civilization of the Chinese nation."
According to the rules of the ancients, open up one's own life. The combination of the new and old "Three Confucius" has become a vivid portrayal of promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of excellent traditional Chinese culture.
From June 25 to 27, the birthplace of Confucius, Qufu Nishan, ushered in a dialogue that touched the forefront of the times - the Nishan Dialogue on Digital Civilization at the World Internet Conference with the theme of "the era of artificial intelligence: building a digital world of communication, mutual learning and inclusiveness". Since 2013, Qufu has hosted multiple international cultural and academic exchange activities aimed at inheriting and promoting excellent traditional Chinese culture, promoting exchanges and dialogues among different civilizations around the world, such as the Nishan World Civilization Forum, the World Confucianism Conference, and the International Confucianism Forum · 2019, providing Chinese wisdom for building an equal, mutually learning, dialogue, and inclusive world.
Kong Demin, Director of the Cultural Relics Bureau of Qufu City, said that we will continuously explore effective ways to revive, revitalize, and revitalize excellent traditional Chinese culture, so as to bring new vitality to it.
