Zhang Zhenpeng: "People are at the Core of Cultural Creation": Theoretical Logic, Realistic Reflection, and Contemporary Construction
The April 16 issue of Qiushi published an important article by General Secretary Xi Jinping titled "Accelerating the Building of a Culturally Powerful Country," emphasizing that we must "always persist in ensuring that cultural development focuses on people and rests upon people," and explicitly proposing that "the core of cultural creation lies in people." This important thesis, "the core of cultural creation lies in people," accurately reveals the essential laws of cultural development, forcefully responds to the urgent practical needs of building a culturally powerful country in the New Era, and provides ideological enlightenment of profound practical significance for the development of contemporary Chinese culture.
1. Theoretical Logic: A Multi-dimensional Examination Centered on Human Subjectivity
From the perspective of theoretical origins, the important thesis that "the core of cultural creation lies in people" is firmly rooted in the classical interpretation of the essence of human subjectivity within Marxist philosophy. As Marx pointed out in the Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844, "Man affirms himself in the objective world not only in the manner of intellectual thought, but with all his senses." Cultural creation, as a form of practice through which the human subject confirms itself, has a clear theoretical core: human subjectivity drives the entire process of cultural generation and evolution—from inception and growth to prosperity—constituting the fundamental kinetic mechanism of this grand journey. As "conscious species-beings," humans fundamentally externalize their own abundant inner spiritual power into concrete, perceptible objectified results within the vast field of cultural practice. This creative process is by no means accidental or arbitrary; rather, it inevitably takes human subjectivity as its logical cornerstone. From the poetic condensation of the simple and resilient character of the ancestors in the Classic of Poetry [1], to the symbolic reconstruction of Buddhist art and Central Plains civilization in the Dunhuang murals [2], to the universal cultural participation on short-video platforms in the digital age, every individual is a participant and promoter of cultural creation. All of this confirms with certainty the scientificity and truth of the important thesis that "the core of cultural creation lies in people."
This important thesis is simultaneously an extension and manifestation of human capital theory within the cultural sphere. At the dimension of the creator, it is embodied as the ability to keenly capture aesthetic imagery and the capacity to deeply deconstruct and reconstruct symbolic systems. This ability allows creators to transform abstract emotions and thoughts into cultural works full of infectious power and artistic value, endowing works with unique aesthetic charm and spiritual connotation. At the level of the manager, it manifests as the cross-cultural communication skills demonstrated during the operation of cultural industries. By virtue of this ability, managers can integrate resources from various parties, coordinate different interest claims, and build bridges for cultural exchange and cooperation within a multicultural context.
Furthermore, the sustainability of cultural creation deeply relies on the logic of talent symbiosis from the perspective of cultural ecology. Cultural creation resembles a natural ecosystem, requiring the collaborative symbiosis and mutual empowerment of diverse subjects. The cultural outlook of "each appreciating their own beauty and appreciating the beauty of others" [3] is a profound call for cultural ecological diversity. This call emphasizes the unique value possessed by talents of different types, levels, and backgrounds in the field of cultural creation. Numerous examples from history and reality corroborate this view: only when talents with different roles—such as creators, researchers, disseminators, and managers—form organic and positive interactions in the process of cultural creation can they construct a cooperative network that stimulates and advances together; only when the leading figures at the "pinnacle" of the talent structure, with their outstanding creativity and leadership, form a distinct and mutually supporting gradient structure with the solid foundation and broad participation of grassroots talents at the "base," can cultural creation present a vibrant and diversely prosperous scene like "ten thousand species competing for freedom in the frosty sky" [4]. In such an ecological environment, cultural creation can advance in an orderly manner through intergenerational inheritance while simultaneously achieving its own iterative transformation and ceaseless sustainable development under the innovation-driven power of cross-border integration.
Ultimately, cultural creation originates from the subjective practice of humans; that is, "the core lies in people." This is not only a Marxist philosophical explanation of the essence of culture and a vivid manifestation of human capital theory in the field of spiritual production, but it is also an inevitable requirement for the realization of sustainable development in the cultural ecology. Only by profoundly grasping and earnestly implementing the important thesis that "the core of cultural creation lies in people," and by placing human subjectivity at the heart of cultural development, can we accurately grasp the fundamental momentum of cultural development and build a solid theoretical foundation for building a culturally powerful country in the New Era.
2. Practical Observation: Accurately Responding to Developing Demands for Talent Priority in the Cultural Sphere
Currently, the collision of diverse cultures and the integration of culture and technology have birthed a batch of new cultural business formats; the enthusiasm for cultural innovation among the whole people has reached an unprecedented height. However, problems such as talent shortages, structural imbalances, and insufficient incentives restrict the depth and breadth of cultural innovation. First, the problem of creativity urgently needs resolution; the structural shortage of creative talent still objectively exists. Second, the evaluation system for cultural and artistic talent still needs optimization, resulting in "genius-type" talents being shackled by "standards" and "craftsman-type" talents being lost due to insufficient incentives. Third, there is a capacity gap in "cultural going out" [5]; there is a serious shortage of cross-disciplinary talent who understand the connotations of Chinese culture and possess international communication capabilities, with the talent gap restricting the enhancement of cultural soft power. The important thesis that "the core of cultural creation lies in people" accurately responds to the realistic problems of China's current cultural talent development, guiding us to implement systematic measures across three levels—strategic positioning, adherence to laws, and ecological creation—to construct a "full-cycle empowerment" system for cultural talent development.
First, in terms of strategic positioning, it is necessary to establish the core cultural development concept of "talent priority," incorporating the building of cultural talent teams into the top-level design of national strategy, and constructing a "three-in-one" systematized implementation framework of "top-level design–resource allocation–effect evaluation." In the dimension of top-level design, we should construct a gradient cultivation system led by top-tier talent, backed by young talent reserves, and supported by grassroots talent; we must clarify the scale targets, capability matrices, and career development paths for talent at each level, forming a full-cycle cultivation mechanism that covers "pinnacle leadership–body support–base stability." In the dimension of resource allocation, we should establish a graded and categorized investment system between the central and local governments, innovate a diversified investment and financing model of "government guidance funds + social capital," and guide social forces to participate in talent cultivation through tax incentives and project subsidies, constructing a resource supply pattern of multi-subject collaboration. In the dimension of effect evaluation, we should construct a development evaluation model containing core indicators such as talent growth rate, structural optimization degree, and innovation contribution value, incorporating the effectiveness of cultural talent development into the government performance appraisal system and establishing special inspection mechanisms to ensure that strategic planning is accurately implemented through a closed-loop management of dynamic monitoring, mid-term evaluation, and final acceptance.
Second, in terms of adherence to laws, it is necessary to construct a talent development mechanism that fits the characteristics of cultural creation. Given that cultural creation is characterized by individualization and long cycles, talent mechanisms must break through the shackles of "standardized cultivation." Regarding innovation in cultivation models, efforts should be made to create a full-cycle growth chain of "incubation–elevation–leadership," providing precise cultivation systems for different stages of talent development: for young talent in the "seedling stage," establish "New Cultural Force" incubation plans, integrating "one-stop" cultivation services such as creative residencies, mentor pairing, and result exhibitions; for backbone talent in the "growth stage," implement "Cross-disciplinary Integrated Culturation Projects," promoting collaborative cultivation mechanisms between arts colleges, technology enterprises, and cultural heritage institutions to strengthen cross-field knowledge empowerment; for leading talent in the "maturity stage," establish the "Master Studio" system, granting them autonomous authority in resource allocation, team formation, and project decision-making, thereby constructing an innovation ecosystem led by high-end talent. Regarding the reform of the evaluation system, establish a three-dimensional assessment system of "classified evaluation + multiple indicators," achieving a shift in orientation from "status by standards" to "emphasis on special qualities": for creative talent, focus on considering the ideological depth, artistic innovativeness, and social influence of works, and construct dynamic evaluation models including aesthetic value and cultural communication power; for academic talent, highlight original theoretical contributions and practical transformation capabilities, incorporating decision-making consultation results into the scope of evaluation, thus forming a differentiated evaluation mechanism that respects the laws of cultural creation.
Third, in terms of ecological creation, efforts must be made to build a cultural talent habitat where "those who are near are happy, and those who are far come" [6], achieving the dual satisfaction of talent's emotional identity and value realization. Regarding emotional identity, we should provide existing talent with emotional nourishment through their creative practice by creating a warm sense of cultural belonging. This involves both improving supporting services in physical spaces such as cultural creative parks and artist studios, and, more importantly, constructing a creative ecosystem that respects individuality and encourages trial and error, allowing talent to gain a sense of spiritual belonging in a free and relaxed environment, so that professional platforms and emotional belonging empower each other and grow in symbiosis. Regarding value realization, we should use an open and inclusive posture to create a field of value attraction. On one hand, use vehicles such as international cultural talent summits and cross-field innovation platforms to showcase the broad prospects and innovative opportunities of China's cultural development; on the other hand, establish a "green channel for result transformation," opening up the entire chain from creative incubation to market application and social value transformation, so that the innovative achievements of talent can gain academic and social recognition while achieving the organic unity of economic, social, and cultural value.
3. Era Construction: Enhancing Cultural Self-Awareness in the Pursuit of Well-rounded Human Development
The evolutionary trajectory of human civilization profoundly proves that the prosperity of culture always resonates at the same frequency as the awakening of human subjectivity. Within the era context of building a socialist culturally powerful country, the important thesis that "the core of cultural creation lies in people" is not only a theoretical anchoring of the laws of cultural development but also points toward a deeper proposition: only by taking well-rounded human development as the logical starting point and value goal can the era construction of cultural self-awareness be achieved through creative practice.
The sublimity of the value of cultural talent is essentially a process of completing self-confirmation through cultural creation. Only when creative subjects break free from the shackles of project assessments and data indicators can they devote themselves heart and soul to "creative running." On one hand, we must break down rigid creative barriers and optimize the mechanism for result transformation, giving talent more autonomy in topic planning and artistic expression; on the other hand, we must construct a healthy ecosystem of "trial and error tolerance–incentive empowerment," providing soil for creators to immerse themselves in their spiritual worlds and deeply cultivate artistic connotations. Allowing creative subjects to achieve a deep excavation of their spiritual worlds, and thereby produce works that possess both ideological thickness and artistic vitality, is both the ultimate confirmation of their value and the essential manifestation of cultural inheritance and innovation.
The systemic and complex nature of cultural creation dictates that it must be the product of collaborative resonance among multiple subjects. In terms of constructing a cultural ecology, we must break down the sectoral barriers between "industry, academia, research, and application," promoting the deep integration of cultural and artistic institutions, colleges, and enterprises; we should build an innovation network of "creative incubation–intellectual support–industrial realization," allowing cultural creativity to truly transform into the momentum for cultural innovation through technological transformation and market application. In terms of building talent teams, it is necessary for leading talent to play a guiding role, aggregating innovative resources through academic influence and creative appeal; it is also inseparable from grassroots talent forming a "prairie fire trend," consolidating the foundation of cultural innovation through broad practical exploration and the accumulation of ideas. When "pinnacle leadership" and "base support" form an organic linkage, individual wisdom can converge into a surging tide of cultural innovation. In terms of international collaboration, we should create "transnational cultural talent pools" and normalized exchange mechanisms, relying on vehicles such as artist-in-residence programs, joint creation workshops, and forums for dialogue between civilizations to break through the "encoding and decoding" barriers in cultural communication, allowing the spiritual core of Chinese stories to be accurately translated within foreign cultural contexts, thus promoting exchange and mutual learning between different civilizations.
Standing at a new historical coordinate, the important thesis that "the core of cultural creation lies in people" has become a vivid interpretation of the people-centered development philosophy in the cultural sphere. it is both a contemporary echo of the Marxist theory on the free and well-rounded development of man and a key to solving the practical tasks of building a culturally powerful country. When the creative potential of every cultural talent is unleashed, and when the individual's "spiritual micro-cosmos" resonates in harmony with the nation's "grand civilizational vision," the magnificent picture of a socialist culturally powerful country will surely unfold slowly within the dialectical unity of "well-rounded human development" and the "elevation of cultural self-awareness." This is both the inevitable path for the Chinese nation to achieve cultural self-reliance on the journey of Chinese-path modernization and a vivid footnote to the new form of human civilization within the cultural dimension.