Research Group of the Academy of Marxism of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Visits the National Conditions Research Base in Qianxinan Prefecture, Guizhou Province for Field Research
From August 6 to 10, 2023, a ten-member research team led by Senior Researchers Zhang Jiangang and Wang Zhongbao from the Institute of Marxism Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) traveled to Qianxinan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province. The team conducted thematic field research on "Chinese-path Modernization and Rural Revitalization." Throughout Pu'an, Qinglong, Anlong, and Ceheng counties, as well as Xingyi City, the team conducted in-depth investigations in townships, villages, museums, cultural heritage sites, patriotic education bases [1], and enterprises. They were accompanied by Liu Xianguo, member of the Party Leadership Group, Vice Chairman, and Secretary-General of the Qianxinan Prefecture Federation of Social Sciences, along with comrades Xiao Wei and Zhu Chongchong.
In Jingmenkou Miao Village, Pu'an County, the research team held a symposium with village officials and residents to understand their production and living conditions. Migrant labor [2] is the primary source of income for Jingmenkou villagers. Utilizing the physical agility developed from living in high-mountain and deep-valley environments, the young and middle-aged workforce primarily works as scaffolders in Northern regions such as Shandong. Their wage levels are notably higher than those of average migrant workers.
Amei Qituo Town in Qinglong County was formed by the wholesale relocation of the former Sanbao Yi Ethnic Township to the county seat. The town houses over 1,300 households—more than 8,000 people—who were relocated through poverty alleviation programs. The research team listened to local officials describe the arduous process of achieving poverty alleviation through "relocation from inhospitable areas" [3] and visited the families of these "new urban residents." Under the support of the state and the concerted efforts and cooperation of local officials and the masses, the living environment and conditions of the Yi people have undergone earth-shaking [4] improvements compared to the past.
In the ancient town of Ponai, Ceheng County, the research team held a discussion with a team of "returned university student entrepreneurs." This team currently consists of nine members, all of whom are university graduates born after 1995, with some having graduated from prestigious universities. After learning about the team's "original aspiration" [5] for starting their business, their current status, and their development plans, the research team affirmed their entrepreneurial spirit and the significant importance of high-quality university graduates returning to their hometowns for rural revitalization, offering several suggestions for their consideration.
In Anlong County, the team visited the Xingyi Prefecture Examination Hall, the Banshan Pavilion, and the Jiayou Academy. Anlong County was the seat of Xingyi Prefecture during the Qing Dynasty, where Zhang Zhidong, a prominent high-ranking official of the late Qing, spent his childhood and early adulthood. Zhang Zhidong’s father, Zhang Ying, had served in office here. The Xingyi Prefecture Examination Hall and Banshan Pavilion were built during Zhang Ying’s administration, leaving behind the historical legacy of "Jiayou Culture" [6]. By visiting these historical sites, the research team gained a deep understanding of the origin and connotation of "Jiayou Culture."
Zhuchang Group in Faha Village, Weishe Town, Xingyi City, was once a transit point for the Red Army's Long March [7] as it exited Guizhou to the west and served as the Central Red Army's final stop in Guizhou. On April 23, 1935, the First, Third, and Fifth Legions of the Central Red Army and the Central Military Commission Column, led by Mao Zedong, entered Zhuchang Village to engage the enemy in fierce combat. It was here that Comrade He Zizhen [8] risked her life, rushing from cover toward a stretcher to rescue a wounded soldier under fire from enemy aircraft. The soldier was saved, but He Zizhen fell in a pool of blood, her body struck by seventeen pieces of shrapnel. The research team paid their respects at the revolutionary sites and mourned the revolutionary martyrs. Deeply moved by the undaunted spirit of the revolutionary predecessors who followed one after another [9] without fear of sacrifice, the team members resolved to work even harder and produce scholarship that serves the people.
On the morning of August 10, the research group held a symposium with relevant leaders and experts of Qianxinan Prefecture regarding the development and utilization of "Jiayou Culture." Zuo Shangwu, Member of the Standing Committee of the Qianxinan Prefectural Party Committee and Head of the Propaganda and United Front Work Departments, attended the meeting along with comrades from Xingyi Normal University for Nationalities, the Prefectural Party School, the Prefectural Federation of Social Sciences, the Propaganda Department of the Anlong County Party Committee, and the Anlong "Jiayou Academy." The research team affirmed the cultural value and uniqueness of "Jiayou Culture" and offered specific suggestions on how to utilize it to promote the cultural tourism industry and the socio-economic development of Qianxinan Prefecture. The team also exchanged views with relevant parties in Qianxinan on academic exchange, disciplinary construction, research support, and talent cultivation. Both sides expressed a desire to carry out multi-faceted cooperation in the future.