Luo Xianyu and Lin Yuzhen: The Generative Logic, Core Essence, and Practical Orientation of the People-Centered Character of Xi Jinping's Cultural Thought
People-centeredness is a distinct primary thread and a "red line" of value that runs through the entirety of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has adhered to the fundamental position of centering on the people, putting forward a series of new concepts, new ideas, and new judgments regarding cultural construction in the New Era. This has culminated in the formation of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, which constitutes the "cultural chapter" of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Advancing Chinese-path Modernization," deliberated and adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, listed "focusing on building a leading socialist cultural power" as one of the "Seven Focuses" for further comprehensively deepening reform. It also proposed specific requirements such as "enriching the people's intellectual and cultural life," providing scientific guidance on how cultural construction in the New Era must adhere to the people's standpoint.
I. The Generative Logic of the People-Centered Character of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture takes the people's standpoint of Marxist cultural theory as its philosophical foundation, the "people-as-the-foundation" [1] thought in fine traditional Chinese culture as its cultural roots, the "people-sentiment" [2] inherent in the CPC's century-long leadership of cultural construction as its historical inheritance, and the people-sentiment nurtured during Comrade Xi Jinping’s work from the local levels to the Party Central Committee as its practical pulse. It has been formed through continuous inheritance, exploration, and synthesis within the context of the New Era.
Philosophical Foundation: Adhering to the People's Standpoint of Marxist Cultural Theory
General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized: "The people-centered character is the most distinctive character of Marxism." Marxism is a theory formed, enriched, and developed while standing on the side of the people to explore the practice of the human pursuit of freedom and liberation. As Marx and Engels pointed out in the Manifesto of the Communist Party: "The proletarian movement is the self-conscious, independent movement of the immense majority, in the interest of the immense majority." Although Marx and Engels did not explicitly define "culture" within their theoretical system, they provided systematic expositions on concepts such as "thought," "ideas," "spiritual production," and "ideology," gradually forming a Marxist cultural theory based on the standpoint of the people. First, the masses of the people are the subjects of cultural creation. Based on a correct understanding and scientific study of the laws governing the historical development of human society, Marx and Engels took "real individuals" as their logical starting point, proposing the concept that "men are the producers of their conceptions, ideas, etc.," thereby transcending the idealist notion that "philosophy lies outside the masses." In the Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844, through an analysis of the problem of objectification, Marx expressed an understanding of the humanized essence of culture and the state of human existence, scientifically defining human subjectivity and revealing that ideas and thoughts are products of consciousness and spirit created by the masses in the practice of social life. Marxist cultural theory is always grounded in "practice" and "real individuals," holding that culture originates from the social life practices of the people; it is the "objectified" result of the people's subjectivity and ultimately serves the development of the people, scientifically revealing the people-centered attribute of culture. Second, the masses of the people are the subjects of cultural evaluation. In capitalist society, culture is alienated by being endowed with commodity attributes, becoming a tool for capitalists to control workers' thoughts and enslave their consciousness. The people are treated as "appendages of political publications," the right to evaluate culture is monopolized, and the capacity for independent judgment is lost. In response, Marx pointed out: "The people have always been the sole judges of which authors are 'qualified' and which are 'unqualified'." This denies the elite monopoly over cultural evaluation and clarifies that the masses are the subjects of cultural evaluation, allowing culture to return to its essence of "serving the people." This is the fundamental answer of Marxist cultural theory to the questions of "whom does culture serve" and "who defines cultural value." Finally, cultural development ultimately points toward the realization of the free and comprehensive development of man. The old-fashioned division of labor suppressed the essential powers of man, leading to "fragmented individuals." Marx emphasized that "the comprehensive development of man" essentially means breaking this suppression and promoting the coordinated development of material abundance and spiritual wealth, using cultural development to feed back into the spiritual capacities of man, such as cognition and aesthetics, and to dissolve spiritual alienation. Engels pointed out that "every step forward in culture was a step towards freedom," specifically elucidating the dialectical relationship in which culture and freedom mutually promote and develop together. Therefore, in the Marxist view, cultural development is the key path to realizing the development of human essential powers and ultimately allowing individuals to attain spiritual freedom; satisfying the people's need for spiritual freedom is precisely the fundamental value orientation of cultural development.
Marxism is a theoretical system that undergoes constant enrichment and development. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture adheres to a scientific and dialectical attitude toward Marxist cultural theory. By promoting the "Two Combinations" [3], it provides an interpretation of the people's standpoint of Marxist cultural theory that accords with the times, historical materialism, and the laws of cultural development, laying the philosophical foundation for the generation of its people-centered character.
Cultural Roots: Drawing from the "People-as-the-Foundation" Thought in Fine Traditional Chinese Culture
Traditional Chinese "people-as-the-foundation" (minben) thought has a long history and rich content. First, it deepens the pursuit of the "Great Way" through "transforming the people through culture" (yi wen hua ren) within "governance by virtue." As early as the Pre-Qin period, rulers had a profound understanding of governing the country through virtue, proposing many minben ideas and administrative propositions to handle the relationship between the ruler and the people, seeking the unification of winning the people's trust and educating them. Yao vigorously promoted governance by virtue, advocating moral education and proposing the idea of using morality, benevolence, and justice to govern the state and educate the people. The Western Zhou period saw the emergence of the humanistic education concept of "revering heaven, manifesting virtue, and protecting the people," and the Duke of Zhou established the "governance by virtue" program of diligent administration and love for the people. Confucius synthesized and promoted the Zhou people’s idea of "revering virtue and protecting the people," extending virtuous governance to benevolence (ren) and advocating for education through rites and music (li yue) and "humanistic transformation" (ren wen hua cheng) to guide the common people toward goodness. The minben principle is the prerequisite for governance by virtue. The ruling classes of ancient China sought to win the people's trust and educate them through moral, ritual, and musical instruction, transforming people through culture to stabilize the altars of state and pacify the realm. Second, it adheres to a "collective-based" development concept in cultural construction. The "collective-based" idea is an important component of fine traditional Chinese culture, requiring that the interests of the group be placed above individual interests and that the destiny of the individual be closely linked to the destiny of the nation, forming an organizational system where family and state are co-constructed. Under this system, the development of culture naturally takes the interests of the masses as its starting point, enhancing the cultural well-being of the people and serving national prosperity and stability. Finally, it utilizes diverse themes of "all aspects of human life" in artistic creation. The choice of "all aspects of human life" as a theme in traditional Chinese literature and art is not an accidental artistic preference but is rooted in deep minben thought. It is the result of literati and scholars respecting and focusing on the life practices of the people, making works of literature and art a concrete carrier that conforms to the voice of the people and the trends of the times.
The people have been the subjects of cultural creation and development since ancient times. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture insists on using Marxism to activate the excellent elements of traditional Chinese culture—such as transforming people through culture, the collective basis, and the focus on human life—integrating materialist dialectics into the governing concepts of "revering virtue and protecting the people," the administrative approach of "the people are the foundation of the state" [4], and the creative pursuit of "humanistic sentiment." It examines the unique Chinese pursuit of people-centered values from a Marxist standpoint, viewpoint, and method, answering the questions of "for whom" and "depending on whom" cultural construction in the New Era is conducted with a scientific attitude.
Historical Inheritance: Inheriting the People-Sentiment of the CPC's Century-Long Leadership of Cultural Construction
The people's standpoint is the fundamental political standpoint of the Communist Party of China. Over a century of leading cultural construction, the Party has consistently adhered to Marxism as its guide, using the scientific Marxist worldview and methodology to deeply mine the moral norms, humanistic spirit, and ideas contained within the minben thought of fine traditional Chinese culture. It has placed the people in the position of historical subjects in cultural work, embodying a profound people-sentiment that laid the foundation for the formation of the people-centered character of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. Mao Zedong profoundly recognized the historical subjectivity of the masses, emphasizing that "the people, and only the people, are the motive force in the making of world history." He pointed out that "so-called New Democratic culture is the culture of the masses of the people against imperialism and feudalism" and that "our literature and art are all for the masses of the people," transforming the people from passive recipients into active forces driving social progress, thereby establishing the political direction and people's standpoint for the Party's leadership in cultural work. Deng Xiaoping viewed the mass line and mass viewpoint as "our heirloom" and deeply elaborated on the relationship between socialist culture and the masses in practice. He established the "Two-Fors" [5] direction—literature and art serving the people and serving socialism—and identified the vigorous construction of a high level of socialist spiritual civilization as an important strategic policy for China's socialist modernization. He clarified that the fundamental task of socialist spiritual civilization is to cultivate "four-have" citizens [6], better leveraging the role of culture in leading social trends, educating the people, and serving society. Entering the 21st century, Jiang Zemin attained a more profound understanding of the relationship between socialist cultural construction and the people, pointing out the need to "build a socialist culture that is national, scientific, and for the masses," scientifically explaining that being for the people is the essential attribute of advanced socialist culture. Hu Jintao implemented the core development concept of "putting people first" into cultural construction, explicitly stating that "we must adhere to the people-centered orientation for creation, improve the quality of cultural products, and provide the people with better and more spiritual food." Combining the reality of Chinese cultural construction in the new century and new stage, he promoted the coordinated development of cultural industries and cultural undertakings, vigorously supporting the development of non-profit cultural undertakings and consolidating the institutional guarantee for cultural construction to "serve the people." Since the dawn of the New Era, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture has closely integrated the "Two-Fors" direction and the "Double Hundred" [7] policy, expanding the people-centered character of culture to a global perspective—namely, "learning from the peoples of the world" and emphasizing "earnestly learning from and drawing on the fine literature and art created by the peoples of all countries."
Adhering to a people-centered approach has been the fundamental standpoint of the CPC's leadership of cultural construction for over a hundred years. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture emphasizes the need to continuously draw theoretical wisdom from the masses, deeply reveal the laws of cultural development, systematically synthesize experiences of cultural development, and constantly innovate theories of cultural development. This marks a new height in the CPC's understanding of the laws governing the development of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics.
Practical Pulse: People-Sentiment Nurtured from Local Work to the Party Central Committee
Comrade Xi Jinping has always maintained the political character of a servant of the people, adhering to a people-centered approach to promote cultural construction. He has engaged in profound reflection on cultural development in various regions, putting forward a series of forward-looking, scientific, and leading ideas and methods, nurturing a deep people-sentiment. During his time working in Zhengding, Comrade Xi Jinping focused on projects such as renovating "connected latrines and pigsties" [8], restoring Longxing Temple, conducting a county-wide survey of cultural relics and ancient trees, and formulating the "Nine Regulations for Talent." He emphasized that "our efforts in spiritual civilization construction are truly good deeds that benefit the people," deeply revealing the importance of socialist spiritual civilization. During his time in Fujian, Comrade Xi Jinping actively promoted cultural construction, conducting a series of explorations and practices regarding cultural poverty alleviation, the promotion of revolutionary culture, and the protection of historical and cultural heritage. He valued cultural poverty alleviation, pointing out that "we must build a spiritual civilization with eastern Fujian characteristics... integrating moral education and scientific and cultural construction throughout the entire process of escaping poverty and gaining wealth." He advocated for the protection of historical and cultural heritage sites such as the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys in Fuzhou, Kulangsu in Xiamen, and the Wanhouyan Site in Sanming. During his time in Zhejiang, Comrade Xi Jinping focused on leveraging Zhejiang's humanistic advantages, personally deploying and promoting the "Eight-Eight Strategy" [9] and scientifically planning the grand blueprint for Zhejiang to accelerate its development as a "major cultural province." He consistently attached great importance to the protection and utilization of cultural heritage and the promotion of fine traditional culture. In Zhejiang, he proposed and elucidated the Red Boat Spirit [10] and the Zhejiang Spirit, promoted the protection and World Heritage nomination of the Liangzhu ruins, and guided the launch of cultural research projects. He initiated the "Thousand-Village Demonstration and Ten-Thousand-Village Renovation" Project [11], strengthening rural cultural construction and using cultural revitalization to drive rural revitalization, thereby better "meeting the diverse intellectual and cultural needs of the masses." During his time in Shanghai, Comrade Xi Jinping attached great importance to work concerning "agriculture, rural areas, and farmers" (sannong). Through in-depth investigations in suburban rural areas, he discovered that "some village-level cultural and sports facilities were relatively rudimentary, and rural intellectual and cultural life was not very rich." He demanded adherence to a people-centered approach, increasing the tilt of public finance toward "agriculture, rural areas, and farmers" and increasing investment in rural infrastructure and social undertakings, effectively promoting the development of public cultural undertakings in both urban and rural Shanghai. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has placed cultural construction in a prominent position in the overall work of the Party and state, and the interests of the people at the forefront of the overall development of socialist culture. He has pointed out that Party character and people-centered character have always been consistent and unified, putting forward important discourses such as "enriching the people's spiritual world, strengthening the people's spiritual power, and satisfying the people's spiritual needs," thereby constructing a logic for socialist cultural development with the people's interests as the fundamental value orientation.
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture was formed, enriched, and developed through the practice of the people's quest for liberation. It is rooted in the wisdom regarding people's livelihoods accumulated through the practice of governance; it encapsulates the ideological essence of Marxist cultural theory while incorporating the finest elements of people-oriented thought [12] found in fine traditional Chinese culture; and it stands as a vivid expression of upholding the Party's nature and purpose while remaining true to its original aspiration and founding mission. It manifests a state of governance characterized by the principle that "success does not have to be attributed to me, but success must involve my contribution" [13]; it insists on planning socialist cultural undertakings and work based on reality; and it continuously satisfies the people's ever-growing, multi-layered spiritual and cultural needs.
II. The Core Tenets of the People-Oriented Characteristic of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture
General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized: "We must stand firmly on the people's position, grasp the people's aspirations, respect the people's creativity, and concentrate the people's wisdom." Centering on a series of fundamental questions—such as for whom should cultural construction be carried out in the New Era, how should it be carried out, and what kind of culture should be built—Xi Jinping Thought on Culture summarizes and refines the people-centered path and practical experience of cultural development. It creatively enriches and develops cultural theories that represent the interests of the people, presenting an evolving and open ideological system at both the theoretical and practical levels, thereby highlighting the original contributions of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture.
Standing firmly on the people's position: Effectively guaranteeing the cultural rights and interests of the people
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture emphasizes that work must always be carried out with a heart that worries for, loves, serves, and benefits the people. It insists on seeking interests for the vast majority, continuously improving the public cultural service system, and striving to ensure that the fruits of cultural development benefit all people more extensively and equitably. On one hand, this involves optimizing the allocation of urban and rural cultural resources. Facing the issues of unbalanced and uncoordinated urban-rural development and the inequality of rights between urban and rural residents, General Secretary Xi Jinping has consistently maintained a firm stand on the people's position. He has scientifically summarized the historical experience of the Communist Party of China in consistently implementing the mass line, attached great importance to urban-rural integrated development, and pointed out that "we must promote the integrated construction of urban and rural public cultural service systems and optimize the allocation of urban and rural cultural resources." This has driven increased investment in public cultural construction and the establishment of a network of public cultural service facilities covering both urban and rural areas. It has effectively promoted the vivid practice of consistently implementing the mass line in socialist cultural construction, providing a fundamental follow-through for successfully integrating urban and rural cultural development in the New Era. On the other hand, it involves encouraging public participation in public cultural services. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Efforts should be made to improve the level of public cultural services so that the people can enjoy a more substantial, richer, and higher-quality spiritual and cultural life." The right to culture is one of the basic rights of citizens. Public participation in public cultural services highlights the extensive, authentic, and effective advantages of Chinese-path whole-process people's democracy. It is an important manifestation of the people-oriented characteristic of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, capable of effectively gathering the wisdom and strength inherent in the masses to provide a powerful impetus for the prosperity and development of cultural undertakings and cultural industries. Entering the New Era, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, cultural reform and development have adhered to government leadership, social participation, a downward shift in focus, and co-construction and sharing. The system for guaranteeing the people’s cultural rights and interests has been continuously improved. Documents such as the Opinions on Accelerating the Construction of a Modern Public Cultural Service System, the Public Cultural Services Guarantee Law of the People's Republic of China, and the 14th Five-Year Plan for the Construction of the Public Cultural Service System have been issued successively. These provide institutional support for promoting the high-quality development of public cultural services and effectively encourage various subjects, including citizens, to participate in public cultural services.
Grasping the people's aspirations: Satisfying the people's new expectations for spiritual and cultural life
Marx pointed out in Capital that "the worker must have time for satisfying his intellectual [spiritual] and social wants." General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized: "The people's demand for spiritual and cultural life exists at every moment." It can be seen that human spiritual and cultural needs are innate and objectively existing. Grasping the people's cultural aspirations and satisfying their new expectations for spiritual and cultural life constitutes the fundamental value of cultural development in the New Era. Standing at a new historical starting point, General Secretary Xi Jinping has continuously imbued existing cultural missions with new connotations of the times, putting forward important propositions such as "to satisfy the people's new expectations for a better life, we must provide rich spiritual nourishment." He has personally planned and implemented a series of major measures for comprehensively deepening reform to meet these expectations and to promote common prosperity in the people's spiritual life. First, cultural system reform has been deepened with a people-centered approach. With the change in the principal contradiction in Chinese society [14], the main contradiction in cultural supply has shifted from "whether it exists" and "whether it is enough" to "whether it is good" and "whether it is excellent." This places higher demands on the reform of cultural systems and mechanisms. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has persisted in promoting cultural system reform with a people-centered approach. This has included establishing mechanisms to ensure high-quality cultural resources reach the grassroots, exploring effective mechanisms for the integration of culture and technology, and improving systems for the deep integration of culture and tourism. These efforts focus on the quality of cultural resources while optimizing supply methods, further refining the mechanisms conducive to the continuous emergence of high-quality cultural products and services. Second, it involves protecting the common cultural heritage of all humanity. Historical and cultural heritage is both an important carrier for preserving the development of human civilization and the shared spiritual home of the Chinese nation; it is crucial for continuing the historical lineage and "remembering the nostalgia of home" [15]. Acting with a spirit of responsibility toward history and the people, General Secretary Xi Jinping has promoted work related to cultural relics and heritage. He has repeatedly emphasized the need to guard the precious wealth left to us by our ancestors, noting that "cultural relics and cultural heritage carry the genes and lifeblood of the Chinese nation." He has personally inspected more than 100 cultural relic sites, revolutionary sites, and museums, increasing the intensity of heritage protection across society and driving the high-quality development of the cultural heritage protection cause, which constitutes an important part of the people-oriented characteristic of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. Finally, high-quality cultural supply must be enhanced. Based on the new trends in the people's spiritual and cultural needs in the New Era, the cultural industry has been pushed toward a stage of high-quality development, with the creation and production of excellent works as the central link. New business formats such as Internet audio-visual services, online performance, and digital art exhibitions are flourishing. These have achieved an interactive fusion between traditional cultural elements and information data elements, stimulating widespread emotional resonance and enhancing the people's sense of cultural gain through high-quality supply, providing a steady stream of high-quality spiritual food for the masses.
Respecting the people's creativity: Stimulating the cultural reach and innovative vitality of the entire nation
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized "stimulating the cultural innovation and creativity of the whole nation," attaching great importance to the principal role of the masses in cultural construction. Historic achievements have been made in socialist cultural construction, greatly stimulating the emotional resonance of the entire nation and the striving force for creating a better life together. First, the people are the creative subjects of culture. As a product of the conceptual level, culture begins with human practical activity. Adhering to the view that "the masses are the creators of social material and spiritual wealth," General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed that the people are "both the 'characters' in the play of history and its 'playwrights,'" further clarifying that the people are the creators of culture. From the perspective of origin, culture stems from the production and life practices of the people; from the perspective of content, culture is the product of collective wisdom; from the perspective of motivation, changes in people's needs drive cultural innovation. Therefore, culture is essentially the product of the objectified activity of the masses. We must fully respect the principal position and pioneering spirit of the masses, transforming them from passive recipients into active participants and creators, continuously creating new cultural forms. Second, the people are the vital force for cultural inheritance. The creative subject of culture is the human being, and the key carrier of inheritance is also the human being. Whether it is the master-disciple transmission of intangible cultural heritage skills or the intergenerational continuation of folk customs and etiquette, all require the practice of the people. Finally, the people are the source of inspiration for cultural creation. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Adhere to the people-centered creative orientation and launch more excellent works that strengthen the people's spiritual power." This requires drawing inspiration from the lives of the people and integrating their life experiences, emotional perceptions, and aesthetic pursuits into cultural creation to create authentic, vivid, and infectious works. In recent years, under the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, Chinese cultural workers have actively responded to this call, staying close to the people's livelihoods and remaining loyal to their will. They have explored new interpretations and deep expressions of people-centered cultural creation in the New Era, resulting in a continuous stream of excellent original works with contemporary characteristics and national spirit.
Concentrating the people's wisdom: Learning from and drawing on all fine achievements of human civilization
The fine civilizational achievements of all countries are the shared spiritual wealth of humanity. General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the creativity of the people's wisdom in the cultural sphere. From a global perspective, he has profoundly noted that "the various civilizations created by humanity are the crystallization of labor and wisdom" and emphasized the need to "more actively and proactively learn from and draw on all fine civilizational achievements created by humanity." This fully demonstrates the humanistic sentiments of Marxism and the global responsibility of seeking the Great Harmony [16]. On one hand, this involves promoting people-to-people exchanges and adopting an open and inclusive cultural attitude toward absorbing the shared wisdom of the world's people. The world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century; the global landscape is evolving and being reshaped rapidly. Issues such as the malignant expansion of individualism, the continuous erosion of social credit, and the decline of ethics and morality have become prominent, exacerbating the estrangement between different civilizations. In response, General Secretary Xi Jinping has countered the "clash of civilizations" theory with the Eastern wisdom of "harmony without uniformity" [17]. He emphasizes maintaining an open and inclusive cultural attitude and has proposed four principles for treating world civilizations: "maintaining the diversity of world civilizations," "respecting the civilizations of all countries and ethnic groups," "correctly conducting civilizational learning and borrowing," and "treating cultural traditions scientifically." These principles promote mutual learning and common prosperity among the wisdom of different cultures and peoples. Meanwhile, General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the unique role of the masses in building China's international communication capacity. He has consistently insisted on the people as the main body for promoting Chinese-foreign people-to-people exchanges, hosting events such as the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, the World Forum on China Studies·Shanghai Forum, and the China International Friendship and Culture Festival. He has also carried out activities like "Perceiving China," "Happy Chinese New Year," and "Silk Road Cultural Journey" to promote cultural exchange. On the other hand, it involves promoting cultural innovation by drawing on the fine achievements of human civilization while consolidating cultural subjectivity. At the Seminar on Cultural Inheritance and Development, General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward the major proposition of "cultural subjectivity," emphasizing that "cultural confidence comes from our cultural subjectivity." He profoundly elucidated that the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation is built upon the subjectivity of all sons and daughters of the Chinese nation in the historical process of creating, inheriting, and developing Chinese culture. For a long time, Western countries have dominated the basic facets of modernization, with Western film and television serving as important carriers of cultural hegemony, exhibiting clear tendencies toward cultural appropriation and value assimilation. However, as Chinese-path modernization continues to achieve new successes, our Party has continuously promoted the "Two Combinations" [18], further consolidating cultural subjectivity and gradually breaking the "strong West, weak East" pattern. Chinese artistic and cultural creation upholds the standpoint of Chinese culture, deeply mines the essence of fine traditional Chinese culture, and actively absorbs international narrative modes, artistic styles, and key technologies for advanced cultural equipment with an open and inclusive posture. By integrating these into the innovative development of Chinese culture, it pushes Chinese culture to better engage with the world.
III. The Practical Path of the People-Oriented Characteristic of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Anchor the strategic goal of building a culturally powerful country, and continuously develop the socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the New Era." He emphasized: "We must always ensure that cultural construction focuses on the people and lands on the people." In cultural construction in the New Era, we must profoundly grasp and practice the people-oriented characteristic of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, continuously develop cultural undertakings to satisfy the people’s spiritual and cultural needs, and continue to launch masterpiece works that reflect the new atmosphere of the times and eulogize the new creations of the people. This will stimulate the powerful spiritual force of all people to strive for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and forge new glories for Chinese culture.
Establish mechanisms for high-quality cultural resources to reach the grassroots, and promote the "downward shift" of cultural projects for the benefit of the people
The Decision [19] emphasizes:
"Improve the public cultural service system and establish mechanisms to deliver high-quality cultural resources directly to the grassroots." Placing the protection of the people's cultural rights and interests within an institutional framework has anchored the direction for deepening the reform of public cultural services in the New Era. On one hand, we must promote the construction of a public cultural community and expand new types of cultural spaces in both urban and rural areas. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "We must deepen the development of spiritual civilization [20] in urban and rural areas, optimize the supply of cultural products and services, and empower economic and social development through culture." Currently, certain urban and rural areas still face phenomena such as gaps in the supply of high-quality cultural resources, imbalances in resource allocation, and a decline in the effectiveness of cultural services. It is necessary to establish mechanisms to deliver high-quality cultural resources directly to the grassroots, based on local conditions and the specific characteristics of urban and rural areas. We should build urban-rural public cultural communities to meet the expectations of residents for a high-quality cultural life, embedding cultural facilities, activities, and services into communities, villages, and industrial parks. By creating modernized public cultural spaces that combine the virtual and the physical, we can allow cultural resources—originally concentrated in traditional public cultural service institutions—to "sink" [21] to the local level.
The core of establishing mechanisms to deliver high-quality cultural resources directly to the grassroots lies in increasing the coverage and applicability of basic public cultural services. This can be achieved by updating physical cultural spaces—creatively transforming public libraries, rural opera stages, and intangible cultural heritage [22] practice sites—and combining them with local folk culture and ethnic characteristics to promote the "activation" and innovative development of excellent traditional rural culture. Simultaneously, we can expand virtual cultural spaces by guiding cultural resources toward the grassroots and remote areas, increasing specialized investment in cultural infrastructure in these regions. Relying on cutting-edge technologies such as digital twins and the metaverse, we can encourage physical venues like libraries and art galleries to develop virtual cultural products such as "public digital reading rooms," constructing digital cultural sharing spaces that link online and offline activities. Furthermore, we should fully leverage the dissemination advantages of new digital cultural formats, such as live streaming and micro-dramas, to effectively break down regional barriers and spatial-temporal constraints on the flow of cultural elements, thereby bridging the urban-rural digital divide and lowering the threshold for the masses to enjoy high-quality cultural content.
On the other hand, we must improve the mechanisms for social forces [23] to participate in public cultural services and cultivate diverse, socialized service providers. The Decision [24] emphasized: "Improve the mechanisms for social forces to participate in public cultural services." We must persist in government leadership, social participation, shifting the focus downward, and joint construction and sharing. This involves improving the public cultural service system, clarifying the boundaries of rights and responsibilities between the government and social forces, and encouraging diverse, socialized service providers—such as social resources and private-sector forces—to participate more proactively and voluntarily in mass cultural activities. The government’s role must be clearly defined, shifting its function from "running culture" to "managing culture." We must maintain the government’s leading role in developing non-profit cultural undertakings and cultural industries, improve the mechanisms and methods for government procurement of public cultural services, and promote "order-based," "menu-based," and "appointment-based" services. Through policy guidance and financial support, social forces should be encouraged to participate in the supply of public cultural services via government procurement, village-enterprise cooperation, and the construction of public cultural facilities. We must allow the market to play its decisive role in resource allocation, actively cultivating market entities and guiding social capital into the construction of public cultural service facilities. Driven by demand, we should promote the socialized development and professional operation of public cultural services, encouraging public libraries, cultural centers, and museums to expand channels for social participation through co-creation, institutional sponsorship, and public welfare crowdfunding. These efforts should target different cultural communities with diverse and personalized services, providing endogenous momentum for the sustainable development of public cultural undertakings. Finally, we must give play to the principal role of the masses by implementing training programs for "National Reading Promoters" and "National Art Popularization Promoters," facilitating the spread of high-quality cultural resources to suburban, rural, and remote areas. We should encourage social forces to organize and participate in non-profit cultural activities, bringing excellent public cultural products and services to the side of the grassroots masses, thereby completing the "last kilometer" [25] of public cultural services.
Cultivating New Quality Productive Forces in Culture to Empower the Diversified Supply of High-Quality Cultural Products
The Decision stated: "Optimize the mechanism for the supply of cultural services and cultural products." With the continuous development of the economy and society and the rising living standards of the people, the masses have put forward higher requirements for the high-quality supply, diversified choices, and profound connotations of cultural products and services. Advancing the construction of a culturally powerful nation urgently requires optimizing the supply mechanisms for these services and products. However, some cultural services and products suffer from deviated value orientations, a lack of creative design, and "high quantity but low quality" supply, as well as a tendency to "prioritize technology over content." The contradiction between instrumental rationality and value rationality has become a difficult problem restricting the high-quality development of culture. General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward important propositions such as "developing new quality productive forces is an inherent requirement and an important focal point for promoting high-quality development" and "exploring effective mechanisms for the integration of culture and technology to achieve the digital empowerment and informational transformation of cultural construction." These provide a scientific direction for cultivating new quality productive forces in the cultural field and empowering the diversified supply of high-quality cultural products.
First, we must stimulate new demand in the cultural market through technological innovation. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must adapt to the trends of digital industrialization and industrial digitization... and improve quality, efficiency, and core competitiveness." Currently, digital technologies such as algorithmic recommendation and VR/AR have been deeply integrated into cultural supply. However, if the focus is solely on user retention time, it is easy to fall into the trap of "traffic is king" (liuliang zhishang). Some cultural services and products fall into the rut of over-commercialization, vulgarity, and "entertainment-ization," eroding the spiritual foundation of mainstream values. To liberate cultural supply from being "kidnapped by traffic," we must use technological innovation to continuously assess and satisfy the spiritual and cultural needs of the masses. Intelligent digital technology should be integrated into the entire process of cultural resource development and the optimization of supply-demand relationships. We must construct big-data evaluation models that incorporate mainstream value dimensions, optimize content recommendation mechanisms, and strengthen precise pushing and long-term exposure for high-quality, classic works with cultural depth. This will promote the personalized recommendation and customized development of cultural products that prioritize cultural value and social benefits, guiding the creation of more digital cultural products characterized by profound ideological content, exquisite artistry, and excellent production.
Second, we must inject momentum into the creative research and development of cultural products through the coupling of elements. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must correctly use new technologies and new means... to enable literary and artistic creation to present a new realm with more substance and potential." If digital technology is used only for sensory stimulation or formal innovation without being deeply coupled with the historical memories, spiritual connotations, and value concepts carried by culture, it will result in cultural services and products that have a digital form but lack the content core that supports spiritual attributes and cultural value. This constrains the cultivation and application of new quality productive forces in culture. We need to use cutting-edge technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence to carry out digital collection, standardized storage, and intelligent correlation of scattered cultural resources, solving the problem of "having technology but no culture, having form but no substance," and improving the efficiency and utilization of digital cultural resource integration.
Third, we must create immersive experiences for cultural services through the iterative upgrading of industries. The Decision emphasized: "Explore effective mechanisms for the integration of culture and technology and accelerate the development of new types of cultural business formats." Technology facilitates the formation of new forms of expression, dissemination, and industry in culture, helping to explore "Culture+" content and forms involving multi-sensory participation and situational interaction. This helps break down the cognitive barriers of "knowing but not believing" or "understanding but not using" among the masses during cultural dissemination. We must integrate new experience technologies such as holographic presentation, digital twins, and multi-language interaction to promote the iterative upgrading of traditional industries like books, newspapers, and performing arts. By transforming cultural symbols into interactive digital scenes and developing new cultural formats such as digital museums, micro-dramas, and virtual digital humans, we can expand the application of immersive experiences in scenic areas, streets, and cultural venues. Building a batch of digital application scenarios for the cultural industry will guide the masses to deeply participate in the creation and experience of cultural content, providing them with more convenient, efficient, and rich cultural consumption experiences.
Developing High-Quality Original Cultural Resources and Stimulating the "Source of Living Water"—Innovative Vitality in the People's Practice
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must strive to stimulate the cultural innovation and creativity of the whole nation... and around the goal of improving original cultural capacity, improve the service, guidance, and organizational mechanisms for literary and artistic creation and production." The practice of the people is an inexhaustible and eternal fountain for all literature and art. We must respect the principal position and pioneering spirit of the masses, promote academic and artistic democracy, and continuously improve original cultural capacity, productivity, and innovation, maximizing the enthusiasm and synergy for cultural innovation and creativity across the entire nation.
On one hand, we must accumulate cultural materials and deeply mine the "rich ore" of grassroots resources. We should lead a creative style that is rooted in the people, solid in life, and down-to-earth, ensuring and encouraging cultural workers to go deep into the grassroots and the front lines of production to carry out creative practices. This facilitates the accumulation of high-quality original cultural materials from both life and art. Simultaneously, we must properly build online cultural positions and mobilize the enthusiasm of the masses for cultural creation. We need to break down the invisible barriers in the cultural field where "one profession is separated from another as if by a mountain." Through activities such as hosting online culture festivals, selecting "Good Young Netizens of China," and showcasing "online positive energy" works, we can encourage the masses to create original online cultural products—such as short videos, micro-movies, animations, photography, and web literature—that are drawn from their surroundings and maintain a healthy tone. this will help drive the leapfrog upgrading of cultural production factors and modes, allowing the cultural spirit hidden in the people's practice to be fully unleashed both online and offline.
On the other hand, we must gather the wisdom and strength of the people to build a grassroots cultural talent team. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Many famous literary and artistic figures, past and present, Chinese and foreign, have emerged from society and the people." We should support the masses in participating in cultural creation and actively discover and cultivate grassroots cultural talents, especially representative successors of intangible cultural heritage. We should promote the sustainable development and utilization of folk cultural resources, ensuring they adapt to the development of advanced socialist culture, and continuously endow them with new connotations of the times and modern forms of expression to achieve creative transformation and innovative development. We should encourage cultural enthusiasts to join grassroots cultural talent teams and explore new mechanisms for training rural cultural talents. Through grassroots service projects such as "Three Supports and One Assistance" [26], "Special Post Teachers," and the "Rural Talent Return Program," we can actively introduce folk cultural talents, support the development of local art troupes, and assist rural intangible heritage successors and folk artists in taking on apprentices. By cultivating more local cultural backbones, we can drive the construction of the entire grassroots cultural talent team. We must also improve the protection mechanisms for cultural achievements and the incentive mechanisms for grassroots public cultural service personnel, strengthening rewards and protection measures for individual original intellectual property, and increasing the recognition, awards, and salary levels for innovators in public cultural services, thereby providing a guarantee for the development of high-quality original cultural resources.
Promoting International People-to-People Exchanges and Telling China’s Story Well Through the "Voice of the People"
"Amity between people" is an important prerequisite for "relations between states" [27]. Individual dissemination by the masses, with its unique advantages, has become a key path for promoting the social interaction and overseas dissemination of Chinese culture. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture adheres to the standpoint of the people, establishes the pursuit of "spreading the Dao" [28] by having the whole world in mind and educating people through culture, and profoundly perceives the laws of human history and civilizational development with a grand vision. It emphasizes promoting Chinese culture's "going global," consolidating the common values of all humanity, and building a new form of human civilization. We should give full play to the important role of overseas Chinese and international students in China in telling the China story well and expanding the international influence of Chinese culture.
On one hand, we must leverage the interactive advantages of overseas Chinese to promote the "lifestyle-based" and "concrete" expression of Chinese cultural spiritual symbols. General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the overseas Chinese community, emphasizing...
"The vast number of overseas Chinese compatriots should utilize their own advantages and conditions to actively act as bridges for exchanges and cooperation between their countries of residence and China in various fields." Overseas Chinese organizations—of which overseas Chinese federations, student unions, professional associations, and think tanks are important components—serve as "natural spokespersons" for the international dissemination of Chinese culture; they possess the advantages of vast numbers, wide distribution, linguistic proficiency, multiple cultural backgrounds, and rich local life experience. We must leverage the interpersonal interaction advantages of overseas compatriots within heterogeneous cultural environments. Through self-disclosure and social interaction in daily life—within families, communities, and social organizations—they can demonstrate the cultural essence of Chinese civilization to overseas publics through their own actions. They should actively organize and participate in characteristic international humanities exchange activities, such as international conferences, economic and trade interactions, and mutual study tours. Relying on carriers of overseas Chinese cultural dissemination such as Chinese cuisine, traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese language education, and folk performances, they can attract overseas publics to proactively engage with Chinese culture. By publicizing China's advanced practices on topics of international concern, such as environmental protection and cultural dissemination, they can further enhance the effectiveness of overseas communication, increase the sense of cultural identity within environments of social mobility, and promote the everyday integration and concretization of the spiritual symbols of Chinese culture [29].
On the other hand, we must promote cross-cultural exchanges between Chinese and foreign students to open international communication channels for those who "know China and are friendly toward China." General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "It is hoped that the vast number of students studying abroad will give full play to their advantages, strengthen internal and external connections, act as bridges, and serve as folk ambassadors for promoting friendly exchanges between China and foreign countries." In cross-cultural communication, due to the ambiguity of linguistic symbols and differences in contextual backgrounds, cultural content is prone to information distortion and interpretive bias during the transmission process. Therefore, it is necessary to leverage the talent advantages of students studying abroad who "understand China and are familiar with the world." We must establish internationalized cross-cultural exchange mechanisms involving the government, academia, industry, and the public. By utilizing local alumni platforms of students studying abroad to conduct dialogues with overseas academic and industrial institutions, they can transmit excellent traditional Chinese culture [30] as well as contemporary Chinese experience and development models, building a more solid and broad bridge of friendship between China and foreign countries, and telling stories of China-foreign friendly exchanges characterized by diversity, inclusion, and "each appreciating the other's beauty" [31].
We should assist international students in China to understand China and tell China's stories well. By organizing interactive cultural activities such as the University Alliance of the Silk Road summer camps, traditional Chinese art performances, and handicraft making, we can enhance the added value of the "Study in China" brand construction. This provides a high-quality platform for international students in China to promote excellent traditional Chinese culture and tell the stories of China's development. Furthermore, we must rely on both Chinese students studying abroad and international students in China to tell "the people's stories" in international communication, activating ideological and emotional resonance between Chinese culture and overseas audiences. This will achieve the transcendence of cultural barriers through civilizational exchange, promote Chinese culture's movement toward the world, facilitate China's better communication with the world, and allow the world to better understand China.
Source: World Socialism Studies (Issue 12, 2024) Editor: Huihui