Zhang Baohe: Methods and Paths for Practicing Xi Jinping's Cultural Thought

Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is the theoretical synthesis of the practical experience of the Party’s leadership in cultural development in the New Era, and it serves as a powerful ideological weapon for conducting propaganda, ideological, and cultural work on the new journey of the New Era. Deeply researching the methods and paths for practicing Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is of great and far-reaching significance for promoting the construction of a strong socialist cultural power.

I. The Profound Connotation of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture

Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is rich in content and profound in its exposition, primarily encompassing the following important aspects:

(1) Firming up cultural confidence is one of the core tenets of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized: "Cultural confidence is a more fundamental, broader, and deeper confidence, and a more basic, deeper, and more lasting strength." The Chinese nation possesses a long history and a splendid culture. Over the long passage of time, our ancestors created countless cultural treasures, such as Confucian thought, Daoist culture, classical poetry and prose, calligraphy and painting, and traditional crafts ^[1]. This excellent traditional culture is the spiritual lifeblood of our nation and the solid foundation for our firming up of cultural confidence.

(2) Adhering to a people-centered work orientation is the value orientation of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. The development of culture must be for the people and rely on the people, and its fruits must be shared by the people. Literary and artistic works must reflect the lives of the people, express their aspirations, and satisfy their spiritual needs. Only by persisting in a people-centered approach can we create literary and artistic works that possess warmth, depth, and resonance, allowing culture to truly become the spiritual home of the people.

(3) Promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of excellent traditional Chinese culture is a key component of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. Excellent traditional Chinese culture is the root and soul of the Chinese nation; we must innovate on the basis of inheritance to make it adapt to the development and requirements of the times. We must utilize modern technological means and artistic forms to imbue ancient culture with new vitality, providing spiritual nourishment and value support for contemporary society.

(4) Telling China’s stories well and spreading China’s voice well is an important task of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. In the context of globalization, we must present a true, multi-dimensional, and panoramic view of China to the world, allowing the world to better understand China’s history, culture, and values. Through cultural exchange and external communication, we can enhance the international influence of Chinese culture and contribute Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

II. Methods for Practicing Xi Jinping Thought on Culture

(1) Strengthen theoretical study and profoundly grasp the essence of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. To practice Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, one must first strengthen theoretical study. Leading officials at all levels, literary and art workers, and the broad masses should earnestly study the series of important expositions by General Secretary Xi Jinping on cultural construction, deeply understanding the connotations and requirements of cultural confidence, the people-centered approach, creative transformation and innovative development, and telling China’s stories well. Through study, they should raise their political standing, enhance their cultural consciousness, and lay a solid theoretical foundation for practicing Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. This can be achieved through specialized lectures, seminars, and training classes to organize cadres and the masses. Experts and scholars can be invited to provide interpretations and conduct analyses combined with practical cases. Meanwhile, online platforms and new media channels should be utilized to carry out online learning and interactive exchanges to expand the coverage and influence of these studies.

(2) Persist in the people-centered approach to create more excellent literary and artistic works. Literary and artistic works are important carriers of cultural construction. Practicing Xi Jinping Thought on Culture requires adhering to the people-centered approach. Literary and art workers should immerse themselves in life and take root among the people, understanding their thoughts and expectations, and drawing creative inspiration from their lives. They should focus on realist themes, reflect the spirit of the times, and showcase the people's journey of struggle and their beautiful lives. Through vivid artistic images and moving plotlines, they should transmit positive energy and stimulate emotional resonance. In the creative process, emphasis should be placed on innovation, continuously exploring new artistic forms and techniques. Combining modern technological means such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence can enhance the artistic appeal and watchability of works. At the same time, the excavation and inheritance of traditional culture must be strengthened, integrating elements of excellent traditional Chinese culture into modern works to create cultural masterpieces with Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese spirit ^[2].

(3) Promote cultural innovation and facilitate the development of cultural industries. Innovation is the source of power for cultural development. Practicing Xi Jinping Thought on Culture requires vigorously promoting cultural innovation. On one hand, we must strengthen cultural-technological innovation to increase the technological content of cultural industries. Utilizing new technologies such as big data, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence, we should promote the digital transformation of cultural industries and expand their developmental space. For example, developing emerging cultural formats like digital publishing, online audio-visual services, and animation and games can create new growth points. On the other hand, we must strengthen innovation in cultural systems and mechanisms to stimulate market vitality. We should further deepen the reform of the cultural system, improve the cultural market system, and nurture various market entities. Social capital should be encouraged to enter the cultural field, and cultural enterprises should be supported in becoming larger and stronger. Meanwhile, innovation in cultural policy should provide a favorable environment for industry development.

(4) Strengthen cultural exchanges and enhance the international influence of Chinese culture. In the era of globalization, practicing Xi Jinping Thought on Culture requires strengthening cultural exchanges. We should actively carry out external cultural exchange activities through exhibitions, performances, and academic seminars to showcase excellent traditional Chinese culture and contemporary cultural achievements. Strengthening cultural cooperation with countries worldwide and jointly undertaking cultural projects will promote mutual learning between different cultures. Additionally, we must innovate our methods of external communication to tell China's stories well. Social media platforms should be utilized to spread Chinese culture in a more vivid and intuitive manner. Emphasis should be placed on the targeted nature and effectiveness of communication, formulating personalized strategies based on the cultural backgrounds and audience needs of different countries and regions.

III. Paths for Practicing Xi Jinping Thought on Culture

(1) Strengthen the Party's leadership over cultural work. The Communist Party of China is the leadership core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the leading force in promoting cultural construction. Practicing Xi Jinping Thought on Culture requires strengthening the Party’s leadership. Party committees at all levels must place cultural construction in a prominent position, incorporating it into overall economic and social development plans, and advancing it in coordination with economic, political, social, and ecological civilization construction—the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan. We must strengthen organizational leadership, establish and improve working mechanisms, and clarify the division of responsibilities among departments to form a synergy. We must strengthen Party building within the cultural field, adhering to the principles of the Party managing ideology, the Party managing the media, and the Party managing cultural talent, ensuring that cultural construction always maintains the correct political direction. The construction of leadership groups and cadre teams on the cultural front should be strengthened to cultivate a contingent of cultural workers who are politically firm, professionally proficient, and possess an excellent work style.

(2) Increase cultural investment and improve cultural infrastructure. Cultural construction requires financial support. We must increase investment and improve infrastructure, with the government increasing funding to guarantee the construction of the public cultural service system. The construction of libraries, museums, cultural centers, and art galleries should be strengthened to improve public service levels. Simultaneously, social forces should be encouraged to participate through government procurement of services and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models to guide social capital into the cultural sector. Digital construction of infrastructure should be strengthened, advancing projects such as cultural information resource sharing, digital library promotion, and public electronic reading rooms to improve resource utilization and service quality. Internet and mobile platforms should be used to expand the coverage of public cultural services.

(3) Strengthen the cultivation of cultural talent and expand the talent pool. Talent is the key to cultural construction. We should strengthen the development of cultural disciplines in higher education, optimizing major selections to cultivate talent with solid professional knowledge and innovative capabilities. Vocational education should be strengthened to train practical talent meeting the needs of cultural industries. Simultaneously, the training of grassroots cultural talent should be enhanced through training classes and cultural volunteer services. Talent policies should be improved to attract and retain outstanding individuals. Evaluation systems and incentive mechanisms should be established to commend and reward those with outstanding contributions, providing a broad platform for their development.

(4) Strengthen the rule of law in culture and create a favorable environment for development. The rule of law is an important guarantee for cultural construction. We must accelerate the cultural legislative process, formulating and improving laws and regulations to provide a legal basis for cultural development. Law enforcement in the cultural market should be strengthened to crack down on illegal activities and maintain market order. Meanwhile, the protection of cultural intellectual property rights should be strengthened to encourage innovation. Publicity and education regarding the rule of law in culture should be enhanced to raise societal awareness, ensuring that cadres and the masses know, understand, and abide by the law.

In conclusion, practicing Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is a long-term and arduous task that requires the collective effort of society. We must profoundly grasp its connotations, master the methods and paths for its implementation, firm up our cultural confidence, persist in the people-centered approach, promote innovation, and strengthen exchanges. By doing so, we will contribute to building a strong socialist cultural power and realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.