Zhang Rong: The Origin and Practice of Xi Jinping's Cultural Thought in Fujian

Practice is the living source of theory, and no scientific theory can exist apart from practical exploration. During his tenure in Fujian, General Secretary Xi Jinping actively promoted cultural construction. He advocated for and advanced a series of cultural construction practices, including the protection of historical and cultural heritage, the promotion of fine traditional Chinese culture, the flourishing of cultural undertakings and industries, the respect and protection of ethnic minority cultures, the prioritization of news and public opinion work, and the coordinated development of material and ethical-cultural civilization. These efforts accumulated rich material and provided the ideological foundation for the formation of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, embodying the dialectical unity of theoretical and practical logic passed down through a continuous lineage. As a vital place where Xi Jinping Thought on Culture was nurtured, formed, and practiced, Fujian demonstrates the distinct practical character of this thought and serves as a vivid manifestation of the Marxist view of practice.

Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is a Practical Sublimation Rooted in the Land of China

General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the protection and inheritance of fine traditional Chinese culture. Rooted in Fujian’s unique historical depth and abundant cultural resources, he emphasizes distilling the most fundamental value orientations and spiritual character of the Chinese nation from its historical legacy.

Continuing the cultural lineage by protecting historical and cultural heritage. During his time in Fujian, General Secretary Xi Jinping devoted immense effort to protecting historical and cultural heritage, with particular focus on material and intangible cultural heritage such as cultural relics, historical districts, and ancient buildings. He vigorously promoted heritage conservation, which led to the creation of the long-enduring "Four Ones" mechanism ^[1]—establishing a cultural heritage bureau, an archaeological team, adding a "seal" of authority to the heritage department, and allocating 1 million yuan annually for relic restoration. These measures established the "four beams and eight pillars" ^[2] for the current protection of Sanfang Qixiang ^[3] and the construction of Fuzhou as a famous historical and cultural city. The series of important conservation concepts and pioneering practices proposed by the General Secretary in Fujian preserved invaluable material and spiritual wealth for the province. They inspired the people of Fujian to guard their historical and cultural heritage as they would their own lives, reflecting his cultural sentiment and strategic vision.

Remembering history to inherit and promote revolutionary culture. Revolutionary culture, created during the years of revolutionary war, contains rich "red" resources and profound cultural connotations. It is a precious asset of the Party and the state, vividly demonstrating the Party’s ideals, pursuits, sentiments, responsibilities, sacrifices, and dedication. During his work in Fujian, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited western Fujian 19 times, including seven visits to Gutian ^[4] and three to Caixi ^[5], where he visited "Five Olds" ^[6] revolutionary veterans, paid his respects at revolutionary sites, and retraced revolutionary footsteps. He invested special emotion into the excavation and protection of red relics, supporting the construction of the Eastern Fujian Revolutionary Memorial Hall. He personally heard reports on its construction and exhibition, demanding that "the bastion of the Eastern Fujian Revolutionary Memorial Hall be fully utilized to conduct traditional education in old revolutionary base areas" and that "the revolutionary spirit of the Red Land must be summarized and generalized; by promoting this spirit, we can unite hearts and achieve the goal of ideological education." The General Secretary pointed out that "the revolutionary spirit of those years was the concrete integration of Marxism with China’s national conditions; it was the use of fearless, self-sacrificing spirit to transform the old system and the old society." Revolutionary spirit is an advantage; we must make it our spiritual strength. Revolutionary culture highlights the essential attributes and the original aspiration and founding mission of the Communist Party of China. It shares a direct lineage with the Great Founding Spirit of the Party ^[7], enriching and developing through Party building and the Party’s creative practice. It possesses enduring contemporary value and demonstrates the spiritual realm of the CPC as it creates a Chinese path to modernization and a new form of human advancement.

Upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground to develop cultural industries. During his tenure in Fujian, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized the development of cultural undertakings and industries, requesting that "all artistic categories must vigorously improve their artistic productive forces," focusing not only on quantity but also on quality, "striving to produce more masterpieces, excellent works, and grand creations." With his dedicated support, various creative fields—including literature, music, film and television, dance, folk art, and painting—entered a period of prosperity, laying a solid foundation for the expansion of Fujian’s cultural influence. His important thoughts on drawing nourishment from the era to launch works that meet the people's needs and cultivating "virtuous and talented" cultural and artistic personnel were continuously enriched in later practice. These laid the groundwork for the "Seven Tasks" ^[8] of propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, reflecting their strong practical character and contemporary relevance.

The Fujian Explorations of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture Embody a Global Vision

During his time in Fujian, General Secretary Xi Jinping not only focused on distilling and displaying cultural spiritual hallmarks that transcend time and space and possess eternal charm and contemporary value, but also actively promoted exchange and mutual learning between diverse civilizations. He strengthened international cultural cooperation and promoted the common values of humanity from a cultural and civilizational perspective, demonstrating a global outlook of "embracing all rivers" and caring for the world.

Promoting World Heritage nominations. General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly grasped the major trend of global cultural diversification. He strengthened the top-level design and overall planning of cultural construction, actively coordinating and promoting World Cultural Heritage nominations for Gulangyu, Mount Wuyi, the Tulou ^[9], and the historical sites of Quanzhou. With an open posture and a broad mind, he participated in and promoted dialogue between world civilizations, showcasing the unique charm of Chinese culture. Regarding cultural development, he emphasized that one must not be confined to a single country or region; rather, one must effectively handle the relationships between inheritance and innovation, nationality and worldliness, and history and reality. Only by situating fine traditional Chinese culture within the temporal coordinates of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation—giving it vivid connotations that satisfy the people’s needs, adapt to social development, and promote national progress—can we truly protect and inherit it.

Advocating for the inclusive coexistence of different civilizations. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out the need to "persist in promoting a view of civilization based on equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness," advocating that "different civilizations coexist inclusively and learn from one another." In Fujian, he prioritized the protection of ethnic minority cultures, achieving the symbiotic and harmonious development of all ethnic groups by respecting differences and embracing diversity. Under his promotion, the Eastern Fujian She Ethnic Group Museum was completed, the She Folk Song and Dance Troupe developed smoothly, and the excellent culture of the She people—including their language, ballads, and clothing—was well-preserved. He also attached great importance to the dissemination of Maritime Silk Road culture, valuing the role of non-governmental channels to demonstrate Fujian’s charm as the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road. The philosophy of "appreciating the culture of others as one does one's own, and achieving harmony through diversity" ^[10]—using civilizational exchange to transcend estrangement and mutual learning to transcend conflict—embodies his view of civilization.

Focusing on telling China’s stories well. General Secretary Xi Jinping has consistently advocated for the construction of a Chinese discourse and narrative system, telling China’s stories well, making China’s voice heard, and introducing the world to more excellent culture that possesses Chinese characteristics, embodies the Chinese spirit, and contains Chinese wisdom. While in Fujian, he was deeply concerned with the protection of the cultural relics of Zhu Xi ^[11] and the research and inheritance of Neo-Confucianism. Through his support, the Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism Research Center was established in Mount Wuyi, the birthplace of Zhu Xi’s school of thought, which was of great significance for promoting China’s excellent cultural heritage and facilitating academic exchange. In March 2021, while inspecting the Zhu Xi Garden in Mount Wuyi, the General Secretary stated: "In following the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we must promote the Sinicization of Marxism. Without the five thousand years of Chinese civilization, where would Chinese characteristics come from? And without Chinese characteristics, how could we have the successful path of socialism with Chinese characteristics we have today? We must attach special importance to digging out the essence of our five-thousand-year civilization, promote fine traditional culture, and integrate its essence with the Marxist standpoint, viewpoint, and method, unswervingly following the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics." To deeply understand the essence of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, one must explore the "fit" between the basic tenets of Marxism and fine traditional Chinese culture, as well as how these tenets integrate with the reality of China’s cultural construction to produce innovative theoretical results. Using Marxism to guide the development and transformation of traditional culture provides rich nourishment for developing a modern Chinese civilization, indicating that our Party’s consciousness in promoting cultural innovation through inheritance has reached a new height.

Fujian’s Exploration of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture Manifests the Theoretical Quality of Advancing with the Times

The explorations and practices of General Secretary Xi Jinping regarding cultural construction during his tenure in Fujian consistently adhered to the Marxist standpoint, viewpoint, and method, creatively applying the Marxist worldview and methodology to study and solve major theoretical and practical problems in the construction of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics.

Grasping the dialectical relationship between material and ethical-cultural civilization. Promoting the coordinated development of material and ethical-cultural civilization is an essential feature of persisting in and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. During his time in Ningde, the General Secretary consciously promoted the strengthening of the socialist public economy, improved the enterprise contract system, and enhanced the collective economy at both township and village levels, continuously cultivating a spirit of collectivism and socialism. He proposed views such as "the pursuit of material and ethical-cultural civilization is the internal driving force of social progress," "true socialism cannot be understood merely as the high development of productive forces; it must also include highly developed ethical-cultural civilization," and "dialectically analyze which positive factors can be mobilized and which negative factors should be transformed in the process of building socialist ethical-cultural civilization." Standing at the philosophical height of the relationship between the economic base and the superstructure, he profoundly elucidated the important role of ethical-cultural civilization. This reflects a deep understanding of its importance and a comprehensive grasp of China’s national conditions, providing significant guidance for forming ideas, mental outlooks, civilizational trends, and behavioral norms that meet the requirements of the era.

Grasping the value alignment between the cultural subject and the people’s standpoint. Being people-centered is the starting point and foothold for the Party’s leadership in cultural work, running through the entire process and every field of socialist cultural construction with Chinese characteristics. During his work in Fujian, General Secretary Xi Jinping insisted that cultural construction depends on the people, cultural development is for the people, and cultural fruits are shared by the people. He actively promoted artistic creation that "is closer to the pulse of the era and deeply loved by the broad masses," advocating that cultural undertakings and industries must always adhere to the people’s standpoint. He maintained that the lives of the people are the inexhaustible source of all literature and art, encouraging cultural workers to find themes in reality and create works reflecting local history, customs, and practical needs. He consistently respected the masses as the creative subjects of cultural construction, doing his utmost to solve their problems and improve creative conditions. By making serving the people, satisfying their cultural needs, and strengthening their spiritual power the fundamental starting point and foothold, he brought about a great prosperity of cultural innovation and laid a solid foundation for building Fujian into a province with a strong culture.

Grasping the organic unity of political and social attributes. Persisting in the Party’s leadership over culture is a concept proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping through a profound summary of the Party’s historical experience and an insight into the trends of the era, fully reflecting a deep understanding of culture’s status in the New Era. Adhering to the Party’s management of propaganda, ideology, and media means holding high the flag of the principle of Party spirit—the political guarantee necessary for successful propaganda, ideological, and cultural work. During his tenure in Fujian, the General Secretary attached great importance to news and public opinion work. With his support, the Mindong Daily formally resumed publication on November 1, 1989, and the Fuzhou Evening News expanded twice, further playing the role of a mouthpiece and bridge. He simultaneously emphasized that expansion "cannot merely be a doubling of capacity or layout, but must be a new starting point for improving propaganda quality and further exerting its functions and roles." He noted that "newspaper propaganda must be comprehensive and well-proportioned. Reports should strive to appeal to both refined and popular tastes—there must be 'orchids in a remote valley' ^[12] as well as the 'smoke and fire of the human world' ^[13]." Amidst profound socio-economic changes and a diverse background of social values, public opinion, and culture, it has become increasingly urgent to strengthen mainstream values, public opinion, and culture. Mainstream public opinion guides mainstream values, mainstream values support mainstream culture, and mainstream culture reflects mainstream values—the three support, transform, and integrate with one another. Continuously strengthening these three within the convergence of various cultures to gather a more proactive and solid spiritual force remains an important principle for propaganda, ideological, and cultural work today.

Fujian’s Exploration of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is of Vital Significance

The nurturing of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture in Fujian promoted the formation and development of the thought, characterized by innovation, systematicity, and its people-centered nature.

Original concepts such as "cultural confidence," "cultural subjectivity," and "modern Chinese civilization" can find their embryonic forms in General Secretary Xi Jinping’s practical explorations of cultural construction in Fujian. These concepts have been continuously enriched and developed through the great practice of building socialism with Chinese characteristics promoted by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. They serve as active responses to the "Questions of China, the World, the People, and the Times" ^[14] on a cultural level, providing guidance for performing propaganda, ideological, and cultural work and shouldering the new cultural mission in the New Era and on the new journey.

Strengthening cultural confidence and leading the development of the times with a pioneering and innovative spirit. Cultural confidence is a "more fundamental, deeper, and more lasting force"; it is the logical starting point and core category of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. This thought creatively proposes "cultural confidence," reflecting a full affirmation of our own cultural values and a firm belief in our own cultural vitality. In The Light of Eastern Fujian—Reflections on Cultural Construction in Eastern Fujian, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "For the country as a whole, the traditional culture of the Chinese nation has played a positive role in the nation's continuity and development. In the history of civilization spanning thousands of years, we have established a strong sense of national self-confidence. Whether in times of national peril or national prosperity, this self-confidence has been the most stable component of our national spirit. It is precisely this self-confidence that enabled the Chinese nation to weather many crises of internal strife and foreign aggression in modern history, and allowed the Chinese nation to achieve the admirable position it holds in the world today." At the rally celebrating the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping noted: "Cultural confidence is a more basic, broader, and deeper confidence. The fine traditional Chinese culture nurtured during over 5,000 years of civilization, and the revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture nurtured during the great struggles of the Party and the people, embody the deepest spiritual pursuits of the Chinese nation and represent the unique spiritual identity of the Chinese nation." Standing upon the great historical and contemporary practices of the Chinese nation, the key lies in using Chinese logic to summarize Chinese experience and elevating Chinese experience into Chinese theory. We must neither blindly follow various dogmas nor mechanically copy foreign theories. We must persist in a spiritual pursuit and spiritual lineage that stems from the same origin, continuously enhancing the foundational character of cultural confidence and truly achieving spiritual independence and autonomy.

Adhering to the "Two Combinations" and continuously consolidating the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation. General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the issue of subjectivity in cultural development, repeatedly emphasizing that "a nation that has abandoned or betrayed its own history and culture cannot possibly develop, and is likely to experience one historical tragedy after another." It is precisely in the process of resolutely defending cultural subjectivity that Xi Jinping Thought on Culture has formed a unique cultural meaning. This thought creatively proposed the major thesis and scientific method of the "Two Combinations," ^[15] pointing out that "opening up and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics on the profound foundation of more than five thousand years of Chinese civilization, and combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities and with fine traditional Chinese culture, is the only path." Our cultural subjectivity is established on the basis of the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, the inheritance of revolutionary culture, the development of advanced socialist culture, and the drawing upon and absorbing all the outstanding fruits of human civilization. Cultural construction in the New Era requires adherence to the "Two Combinations," unifying the "soul-pulse" ^[16] of Marxism with the "root-pulse" of fine traditional Chinese culture. We must deeply plant the Chinese cultural foundation of Marxism, activate the modern genes of fine traditional Chinese culture, use the basic tenets of Marxism as a guide for action, respond to the needs of the times, and endow fine traditional Chinese culture with new contemporary connotations.

Shouldering the cultural mission and grasping the integration of "substance" and "application" in the ideological system. "Clarifying the substance and attaining the application; the integration of substance and application" (mingti dayong, tiyong guantong) ^[17] is a holistic summary of the theoretical characteristics of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. It demonstrates profound theoretical connotations and practical significance within the dialectical relationship between ti (substance) and yong (application), reflecting a high degree of unity between epistemology and methodology. General Secretary Xi Jinping has comprehensively, systematically, and profoundly grasped the theoretical system and essential characteristics of Marxist cultural theory. He has clearly proposed a series of innovative viewpoints—such as the coordinated development of material and spiritual civilizations, the construction of modern Chinese civilization, and the promotion of exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations—allowing Xi Jinping Thought on Culture to continuously sublimate toward systematization and theoretical depth in the construction of its "substantive" theory. Regarding the roadmap and task list for cultural construction in the New Era, the General Secretary has proposed important content such as adhering to the "Two Consolidations," ^[18] shouldering the "new cultural mission," deploying "five aspects," and clarifying the "fourteen emphases" and "seven focuses." ^[19] These provide a guide for action for cultural construction in the New Era, embodying a high degree of unity between scientific rigor and practicality.

Fujian is an important place where Xi Jinping Thought on Culture was conceived, formed, and practiced. During his time working in Fujian, the major measures taken by General Secretary Xi Jinping to promote cultural development—judging the hour and sizing up the situation while adapting to local conditions—greatly enhanced Fujian’s cultural soft power and served as the source of strength for the significant progress in Fujian’s propaganda, ideological, and cultural work. We must base ourselves on the General Secretary’s practice of cultural construction in Fujian and profoundly grasp the historical generation, constitutive content, internal logic, core essentials, methodology, basic characteristics, and practical requirements of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture from multiple levels: "source and flow," "substance and application," and "the particular and the general." We should consciously shoulder the new cultural mission, take the construction of a strong cultural province as our responsibility, and accelerate the building of a socialist cultural powerhouse—one that matches our country's profound cultural heritage and rich cultural resources, adapts to the general and strategic layouts of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, and connects with the building of a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful. This will provide the ideological guarantee, public opinion support, spiritual motivation, and cultural conditions for continuously breaking new ground in the cause of the Party and the state.