Academy of Marxism Organizes Retired Cadres to Visit and Inspect the Tongzhou City Sub-Center
On January 7, 2025, under the guidance of the Party Committee of the Institute of Marxism Studies, the Retired Cadres Party Branch and the Administrative Office organized a visit for retired cadres [1] to the Beijing City Library and the Beijing Performing Arts Centre located in the Tongzhou Beijing City Sub-center. The group also entered the Central Green Forest Park to observe the rapid development of modern construction in the capital, experience the application of technological progress in the cultural life of the people, and undergo a physical and mental cleansing through nature. Luo Wendong, Secretary of the Party Committee, personally led the group, and a total of 18 personnel, including office staff and retired cadres, participated in these activities.
At the Beijing City Library, the staff provided meticulous explanations while the veteran comrades listened attentively. They learned that this modern library is guided by the principles of being "pro-people, distinctive, and intelligent," serving as a complex and diverse cultural integrated body that combines knowledge dissemination, urban think tanks, and shared learning functions. The Beijing City Library houses the world's largest single-entity library reading room, the largest intelligent stereoscopic warehouse for book storage in China, the nation's first comprehensive reading room for intangible cultural heritage [2] literature, the most professional art literature collection in the country, and the largest domestic space for children's reading activities. Furthermore, the advanced Metaverse Experience Hall allows readers to experience a reading world where virtuality and reality intertwine. The library is capable of meeting the reading requirements and Steiner-humanistic experiences of various demographic groups.
The comrades personally experienced the convenience and efficiency of modern technology applied to book collection, retrieval, and circulation functions. To facilitate the needs of readers, the library has also implemented a "universal loan and return" function with other municipal libraries in Beijing. On the spot, several veteran comrades processed their reader cards and experienced its speed and convenience.
In the afternoon, the group visited another new cultural landmark of the Beijing City Sub-center—the Beijing Performing Arts Centre—wandering through the Opera House, Concert Hall, Drama Theatre, and the halls permeated with an artistic atmosphere. Afterward, they walked through the Central Green Forest Park, breathing fresh air and basking in the warm winter sunlight. The retired cadres expressed their gratitude to the Institute of Marxism Studies and the Party Branch for organizing this visit, stating that it allowed them to broaden their horizons, increase their knowledge, and keep pace with the times!
(Contribution by Shang Wei; Photography by Wang Shujun)