Research Office for Culture and Ideology Construction of the Academy of Marxism Conducts Field Research in Shanxi
In order to better understand major theoretical and practical issues in the current fields of culture and ideology, a five-person delegation from the Research Office for Culture and Ideological Development of the Institute of Marxism Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), led by Research Fellow Zhang Xiaoping, traveled to Shanxi from October 15 to 21, 2019, for a seven-day investigation. The theme of this research trip was "Shanxi’s Historical-Cultural Foundations and the Cultural Genes of the Chinese Nation." Shanxi Province possesses a long history and culture; it is an important birthplace of Huaxia [1] civilization and holds a significant position in the developmental history of the Chinese nation. Shanxi Province not only possesses rich historical and cultural remains but is also a major gathering place for "Red Culture" [2] resources.
Image 1: The research group holds a symposium with the Theory Department of the Shanxi Provincial Party Committee’s Propaganda Department.
On the afternoon of October 16, the research group held a symposium with the Theory Department of the Shanxi Provincial Party Committee’s Propaganda Department. Also attending the symposium were experts and scholars from the Institute of History and the Institute of Marxist Studies of the Shanxi Academy of Social Sciences, as well as the School of History and Culture and the School of Marxism at Shanxi University. At the symposium, scholars proposed that Shanxi's Dazhai Spirit [3] and Youyu Spirit [4] embody the "Chinese Spirit" of self-reliance, arduous struggle, striving for strength, and selfless dedication, inheriting the excellent cultural genes that the Chinese nation has sustained for thousands of years. Youyu County in Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province, is located at the northwestern tip of the province, less than 100 kilometers from the Mu Us Desert, and is known as the "North Gate of Shanxi." In the early period of the founding of New China, the county’s forest coverage rate was only 0.3%, and it was called "the region least suitable for human survival" by experts. Over the past 70 years, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, the people of Youyu have created a human miracle by turning the desert into an oasis, forging the world-renowned Youyu Spirit. Currently, Youyu County’s forest coverage exceeds 54% and it is praised as the "Oasis Beyond the Great Wall." Additionally, scholars introduced the protection, development, and inheritance of Shanxi’s historical and cultural heritage, as well as some practical problems faced therein, and discussed issues related to the cultural industry and ideology. During the symposium, the research group exchanged in-depth views with relevant experts from Shanxi on these issues.
Image 2: The research group holds a symposium with Secretary Guo Fenglian of Dazhai.
On October 17, accompanied by leaders from the Jinzhong Municipal Federation of Social Sciences and the Xiyang County Propaganda Department, the research group traveled to Dazhai Village in Xiyang County, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province, to hold a symposium with Comrade Guo Fenglian, a deputy to the National People's Congress and Secretary of the Party General Branch of Dazhai Village. The symposium primarily focused on the exploratory process of Dazhai’s "second entrepreneurship" during the 40 years of reform and opening up, as well as its current achievements in transformational development. Dazhai is located in the heart of the Taihang Mountains, where the natural environment was harsh and the lives of the masses were extremely difficult before Liberation [5]. After the founding of New China, the people of Dazhai engaged in arduous struggle, managing the mountains and taming the waters to change the situation of "relying on heaven for food," becoming a "red banner" on the national agricultural front. Since reform and opening up began, the people of Dazhai have gone out time and again to advanced regions to learn concepts and technologies, introducing new projects and setting off a surge of "second entrepreneurship." Secretary Guo Fenglian introduced the research group to Dazhai’s current mechanisms for elderly care and student subsidies, speaking particularly on the green development concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets." She noted that Dazhai’s forest coverage has now reached 64.7%. After the symposium, the research group conducted field visits to Hutou Mountain, the Dazhai Memorial Hall, Dazhai’s old cave dwellings, and new villas. They also conducted household surveys on the production and living conditions of Dazhai villagers today, deeply feeling the spirit of arduous struggle of the Dazhai people during the period of socialist construction, and profoundly experiencing the massive shifts brought to Dazhai by reform and opening up. This provided a more thorough understanding of the profound connection between the Dazhai Spirit and the great spirit of the Chinese nation.
From October 18 to 20, the research group traveled successively to Xiangfen, Fenxi, and Hongtong counties in Linfen City to conduct research. They engaged in in-depth exchanges with the leaders of the propaganda departments of the three counties regarding cultural heritage protection, development, and inheritance. They particularly held deep discussions on the innovative issues of ideology and theoretical propaganda work in the New Era. The propaganda department leaders reported that since the launch of the "Xuexi Qiangguo" [6] platform, it was initially pushed by the propaganda departments to cadres and Party members in government organs, but now the broad masses of cadres and Party members are studying voluntarily with high enthusiasm. On the platform, they not only watch domestic and international news but also study Marxist classics and the important discourses of General Secretary Xi Jinping, as well as listen to lectures by renowned experts. It is generally believed that the launch of the "Xuexi Qiangguo" platform helps to better study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the guiding principles of the 19th CPC National Congress, and helps further inspire the broad masses of cadres and Party members to strive for achievement, providing a powerful impetus for writing the Shanxi chapter of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era.
During these three days, the research group conducted field inspections of the Dingcun site and the Taosi site within Linfen, and visited the Linfen Museum, gaining a more profound understanding of the origins of Chinese culture, its cultural genes, and its historical evolution. The Dingcun site, discovered in 1953, is located on the banks of the Fen River near Ding village in Xiangfen County, Linfen City. It is a Paleolithic site containing fossils of ancient humans and was among the first batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level announced in 1961. The Taosi site is located south of Taosi village in Xiangfen County; archaeological excavations and research have preliminary revealed it to be the prehistoric capital with the most complete functional zoning in China. The painted dragon plate unearthed at Taosi, dating to approximately 2300 BC, is the earliest image of a "dragon" in the true sense and in a direct line of descent with later generations ever found in a scientific excavation in China. It possesses significant academic value for the Project to Trace the Origins of Chinese Civilization [7].
On October 21, the research group traveled to Yangcheng County in Jincheng City, Shanxi, for further research. They went deep into grassroots villages and towns, engaging in profound exchanges with local cadres and the masses, listening fully to their opinions and suggestions on cultural construction and development. They conducted in-depth investigations into the key and difficult points of current ideological work, obtaining a wealth of vivid and fresh practical materials.
(Reported by Chen Jianbo)