Chen Dan: The Intellectual Essence of Xi Jinping's Important Expositions on Farming Civilization

The Chinese nation is a nation with a long history and deep cultural background, possessing a million-year history of humanity, a ten-thousand-year history of culture, and a history of civilization spanning over five thousand years. Xi Jinping has pointed out: "Only by comprehensively and deeply understanding the history of Chinese civilization can we more effectively promote the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, and more forcefully advance the construction of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics." A deep understanding of the history of Chinese civilization is inseparable from a grasp of our country’s profound traditions of agrarian civilization. Since the dawn of the New Era, Xi Jinping has profoundly elucidated the internal relationship between Chinese civilization and agrarian civilization, the status, role, and contemporary value of agrarian civilization, and has put forward practical requirements for the inheritance, development, and elevation of agrarian civilization. This has provided the fundamental guidance for continuing the lineage of agrarian civilization and advancing the modernization of agriculture and rural areas.

I. Chinese civilization is rooted in agrarian civilization

Agrarian civilization centrally embodies the knowledge, experience, and wisdom of the Chinese nation's agricultural practices over thousands of years; it is the very foundation of Chinese civilization. Xi Jinping noted: "Chinese civilization is rooted in agrarian civilization." This assertion profoundly reveals the great significance of agrarian civilization for the origin and development of Chinese civilization. Xi Jinping has deeply explained the connotations and significance of agrarian civilization from several perspectives: that our country's agrarian civilization has a long and remote source, that agrarian culture is a precious treasure of our agriculture, and that rural civilization is the mainstay of the history of the Chinese nation's civilization. At the same time, from the perspective of ethnic and civilizational integration, he has profoundly clarified how agrarian civilization, alongside steppe civilization and maritime civilization, jointly forged the Great National Spirit, revealing the roots of formation and the civilizational core of this Great National Spirit.

(1) Agrarian civilization has a long and remote source, carrying the genetic code for the unceasing vitality of Chinese civilization

Since ancient times, China has established the state through agriculture ^[1]; agrarian civilization is the civilizational form shaped with agriculture as its mainstay. Xi Jinping pointed out: "Our country's agrarian civilization has a long source and is broad and profound; it is the root of fine traditional Chinese culture." From the perspective of human development history, the Chinese nation is one of the earliest nations in the world to engage in agriculture, having shifted from a hunter-gatherer civilization to an agrarian civilization very early on. Agriculture constitutes the basis for the survival and development of the Chinese nation; it is the material condition and practical basis for the formation and development of agrarian civilization. Shennong ^[2], in Chinese mythology and legend, is the God of Agriculture revered by the Chinese nation for generations. As early as approximately five to six thousand years ago, Shennong followed "the seasons of heaven and the advantages of the earth, fashioned the lei and si ^[3], and taught the people farming." From the perspective of the history of civilizational development, our country's agrarian civilization occupied a leading position in the world for a long period. This glorious and magnificent agrarian civilization has become an important spiritual signifier distinguishing the Chinese nation from others. Xi Jinping noted: "From the agricultural solar terms with Chinese characteristics to the ecological ethics of 'following the Way of Nature' and the 'unity of heaven and humanity' ^[4]; from the distinctive courtyards and villages to the agricultural landscapes of exquisite craftsmanship; from the rural-flavored festivals to the rich and colorful folk arts; from the ancestral family instructions of 'farming and study passed down through generations' and 'filial children and kind parents' to the rural customs of 'neighborly watchfulness, honesty, and emphasis on etiquette'—all of these are distinct labels of Chinese culture. They all carry the genetic code of the unceasing vitality of Chinese civilization and manifest the intellectual wisdom and spiritual pursuits of the Chinese nation."

(2) Agrarian culture is the spiritual accumulation of agrarian civilization and an important component of Chinese culture

Xi Jinping pointed out: "China is a major agricultural country with a long history of farming and a magnificent agrarian culture." Agrarian culture was formed and developed during long-term agricultural production and farming life. It includes agricultural-centered ideological concepts, institutional culture, ritual and custom culture, "farming and study" culture, folk culture, social interaction culture, and sacrificial culture, among others. It possesses unique content and characteristics and is the crystallization of the wisdom of agrarian civilization.

Our country's agrarian culture has been deeply integrated into Chinese culture. For example, "stressing agriculture and strengthening the foundation" (zhongnong guben) is a political concept formed based on our status as a major agricultural nation; this concept has become an important political thought and governance mindset within our cultural tradition. Furthermore, the philosophy, religion, science and technology, literature and art, dietary habits, and folk customs formed on the basis of agrarian life were developed to satisfy agricultural production or within agricultural production. They carry the typical characteristics of an agrarian society and have profoundly influenced the way of thinking and value systems of the Chinese nation. Because of this, Xi Jinping pointed out: "Agrarian culture is a precious treasure of our country's agriculture and an important component of Chinese culture." He is extremely concerned about the protection and inheritance of agrarian culture, emphasizing that it "not only cannot be lost, but must be continuously carried forward and expanded."

(3) Rural civilization is the concrete form of agrarian civilization and constitutes the mainstay of the history of the Chinese nation's civilization

The countryside is the solid social foundation for the continuous development of our country's agriculture; it is the basic reliance and reliable support upon which agrarian civilization was generated and developed. Rural civilization constitutes the core component and concrete existential form of agrarian civilization. Xi Jinping pointed out: "Rural civilization is the mainstay of the history of the Chinese nation's civilization, and the village is the carrier of this civilization."

The reason rural civilization is the mainstay of the ethnic history is closely related to the traditional Sino-agricultural socio-economic structure. Our traditional agriculture was a smallholder economy based on households. The villages where farmers engaged in smallholder production lived together naturally became the birthplace of agrarian civilization. Numerous archaeological discoveries prove that our ancestors not only invented and used various agricultural tools, cultivated crops, domesticated wild animals, sought medicine, observed astronomy and geography, created writing, discovered and invented technology, and created and developed literature and art very early on—but they also formed concentrated, sedentary villages very early. As agriculture developed, the scale of these villages grew larger and their distribution became denser. The village became the anchor for long-term communal life, thereby forming a village community system based on kinship relations. This system undertook many functions such as production coordination, weddings and funerals, and making sacrifices to heaven and ancestors; rural civilization was generated and developed on this basis. This village community system and household-based smallholder economy in traditional Chinese agricultural society possessed high stability and tenacious vitality, constituting the solid foundation of traditional Chinese society and providing reliable support for the generation-to-generation continuity and stable development of rural civilization. Because of this, Xi Jinping pointed out: "Smallholder production plays an irreplaceable role in inheriting agrarian civilization, stabilizing agricultural production, solving farmer employment and income growth, and promoting rural social harmony, among other aspects." It can be said that the village is the starting point for the generation and development of our country's agrarian civilization and the very root that allowed Chinese civilization to remain continuous over the long term.

(4) Agrarian civilization, together with steppe and maritime civilizations, forged the Great National Spirit and constitutes the spiritual core of Chinese civilization

The history of China is a history of various ethnic groups continuously blending and converging into a "pluralistic unity" of the Chinese nation. The blending and convergence among ethnic groups stem both from economic interdependence and from cultural inclusiveness and assimilation. Xi Jinping pointed out: "Chinese culture is the great synthesis of the excellent cultures of all ethnic groups." Cultural inclusiveness and fusion are important driving forces for the development of the Chinese nation and Chinese civilization; they are also the ideological basis for the Chinese nation's ability to survive tenaciously and develop continuously over thousands of years.

Historically, the agrarian civilization of the Central Plains region of China was a relatively early and developed civilization. However, agrarian civilization was not closed or isolationist; rather, it possessed a very strong capacity for tolerance and absorption, moving forward through continuous exchange and fusion with other civilizations. Xi Jinping pointed out: "Our great spirit was jointly nurtured by all ethnic groups. In the long river of history, the industry and simplicity, emphasis on etiquette, and kinship-benevolence of agrarian civilization; the passion and unrestraint, bravery and vigor of steppe civilization; and the all-embracing inclusivity, courage to strive, and will to win of maritime civilization have been continuously injected into the character and endowment of the Chinese nation, jointly smelting the Great National Spirit with patriotism at its core." The national spirit jointly nurtured and developed by all ethnic groups constitutes the spiritual core of Chinese civilization. It has been deeply integrated into the blood and soul of the people of all ethnic groups, becoming a powerful spiritual force driving the continuous progress of the Chinese nation.

II. The path of rural cultural prosperity requires the inheritance, development, and elevation of agrarian civilization

History cannot be severed, and civilization cannot be broken. Promoting the prosperity of rural culture in the New Era is by no means a rejection of the historical traditions of rural development; on the contrary, it is a continuation of fine rural traditions and an inheritance and development of agrarian civilization, in order to maintain our civilizational genes and sustain our cultural lineage. To this end, Xi Jinping clearly identified "inheriting, developing, and elevating agrarian civilization, and taking the path of rural cultural prosperity" as an important task in following the path of rural revitalization with Chinese characteristics. This both clarifies the indispensable status and role of agrarian civilization in rural cultural construction and reveals the modern value of agrarian civilization.

(1) Inheriting, developing, and elevating agrarian civilization is an inevitable requirement for creating Chinese characteristics in rural cultural development

To promote the prosperity of rural culture, one must take a path of rural cultural development with Chinese characteristics. How can these "Chinese characteristics" be manifested? Xi Jinping pointed out: "Without the five thousand years of Chinese civilization, where would Chinese characteristics come from?" He explicitly identified "continuing the lineage of agrarian civilization" as one of the Chinese characteristics of becoming a global agricultural powerhouse. Therefore, we must base ourselves on the long history of agrarian civilization, inherit, develop, and elevate it, and create Chinese characteristics for rural cultural development. Inheriting, developing, and elevating agrarian civilization does not mean returning to the scenes of the traditional agrarian era, but rather walking the path of the present and future while sustaining the roots and lineage of agrarian civilization. Agrarian civilization is the deep nourishment for rural cultural construction and the civilizational root for rural cultural prosperity. Promoting rural cultural prosperity is a long-term process of "moistening things silently" ^[5]. During this process, we must follow the laws of the countryside's own development, fully excavate the ideological and cultural values contained within agrarian civilization, and ensure that the fine "farming and study" culture, rural atmosphere, and folk customs of traditional agricultural society can be passed down.

(2) Inheriting, developing, and elevating agrarian civilization is an inevitable requirement for ensuring that "the roots of rural culture are not severed"

Agrarian civilization gave birth to a rich and colorful rural culture. In the long historical process of human development, the Chinese nation underwent a developmental trajectory different from other civilizations. As mentioned earlier, China formed rural settlements very early, which became places for production, residency, and various activities. Xi Jinping pointed out: "Agriculture flourished because of human settlement, and villages gathered because of agricultural activities. The countryside is not only the spatial carrier of agricultural production but also the homeland where the vast number of farmers were born and raised." Rural culture originated in the countryside and persists there, becoming the spiritual root of Chinese civilization. Xi Jinping emphasized: "Small towns and villages are the birthplace of our country's traditional civilization. The roots of rural culture cannot be severed; the countryside cannot become a wasteland, a place of 'left-behind' ^[6] people, or a homeland that exists only in memory." He also noted: "Fine rural culture can uplift the rural spirit, enhance the cohesion of farmers, and nurture good social trends." If this root of rural culture is severed, the countryside will lose its soul and its spirit. Therefore, to ensure the roots of rural culture are deeply planted in the countryside, we must inherit, develop, and elevate agrarian civilization in the process of promoting rural cultural prosperity.

Rural culture contains the most primitive and simple cultural factors from the evolution of agrarian civilization, some of which influence us to this day. Xi Jinping pointed out: "Many villages in our country have histories of several hundred or even a thousand years and remain intact today. Many customs, habits, and village regulations/pacts possess deep genes of fine traditional culture and continue to play an important role today." For example, rural culture has a very strong function of "rule by virtue" (dezhi), which still plays an important role in contemporary rural governance. The governance system led by Party organizations that combines self-governance, the rule of law, and the rule of virtue is the basic reliance for rural governance. Rural culture can not only promote the formation of cultural identity, the establishment of moral order, and the resolution of various disputes, but it can also promote the virtues of helping those in need, industriousness and thrift in managing the household, and neighborly harmony, playing an important role in social edification and order maintenance within rural "rule by virtue." Xi Jinping pointed out that to advance rural revitalization, "while implementing self-governance and the rule of law, we must emphasize the role of the rule of virtue, and promote the complementary construction of a 'land of ceremony and propriety' (liyizhibang), fine traditional culture, and a society under the rule of law. We must continue exploration and innovation in this area and continuously summarize and promote our findings." This, in fact, fully affirms the important role of rural culture in the "rule by virtue" in the countryside.

(3) Inheriting, developing, and elevating agrarian civilization is an inevitable requirement for advancing agricultural modernization

Modernization is a process of civilizational transformation from a traditional society to a modern society, but it does not mean a rupture between the traditional and the modern...

"Tradition" and "modernity" do not exist in a relationship of binary opposition. Xi Jinping has pointed out: "Chinese-path modernization is a modernization that continues ancient civilization, not one that destroys it; it is a modernization that has grown out of Chinese soil, not one that mechanically copies other countries; it is the result of the renewal of civilization, not the product of a civilizational rupture." This important discourse profoundly reveals the internal connection between Chinese-path modernization and Chinese civilization, and elucidates the cultural and civilizational roots of Chinese-path modernization. On one hand, the manner in which agricultural modernization is promoted is closely linked to rural historical and cultural traditions. On the other hand, farming civilization manifests the long-standing intellectual wisdom, value concepts, and spiritual pursuits of the Chinese nation, providing profound intellectual resources and spiritual support for agricultural modernization. These are all major issues that must be grasped in the promotion of agricultural modernization. Therefore, promoting agricultural modernization cannot entail the abandonment of farming civilization; rather, it requires continuing and developing it. We must not, in the name of modernization, discard our fine traditional culture or sever our civilizational roots. As Xi Jinping once remarked: "I have heard that in the areas of the Hani Rice Terraces ^[7] in Yunnan, the number of people in the villages who can sing ancient songs like the 'Hani Four Seasons Production Song' or dance the 'Hani Lezuo Dance' is becoming smaller and smaller. We cannot lose the good things passed down by our ancestors in the name of pursuing modernization!"

III. Firmly Grasping the Practical Requirements for Inheriting and Promoting Farming Civilization

In the New Era, to comprehensively promote rural revitalization and advance modernization of agriculture and rural areas, we must vigorously inherit and promote farming civilization. Proceeding from positions such as grounding ourselves in the historical depth of farming civilization, combining the building of rural spiritual civilization with the inheritance of fine farming culture, and vigorously inheriting and promoting "farming-study civilization" (耕读文明), Xi Jinping has clarified the practical requirements and feasible paths for continuing farming civilization and promoting the modernization of agriculture and rural areas in the New Era.

(1) The modernization of agriculture and rural areas must be grounded in the historical depth of farming civilization

The most arduous and heavy tasks in the comprehensive building of a modern socialist country remain in the rural areas. Only by realizing the modernization of agriculture and the countryside can our socialist modernization be comprehensive. Xi Jinping emphasized that the agricultural powerhouse we aim to build and the modernization of agriculture and rural areas we aim to realize possess both the common characteristics of general modern agricultural powerhouses abroad and, more importantly, Chinese characteristics based on our own national conditions. "The so-called Chinese characteristics mean grounding ourselves in our national conditions—specifically our resource endowment of having a large population and limited land, the historical depth of our farming civilization, and the contemporary requirements for the harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature—to follow our own path, rather than simply copying the models of modern agricultural powerhouses from abroad." This defines the requirement to "be grounded in the historical depth of farming civilization" while promoting the modernization of agriculture and rural areas.

First, we must combine the fine heritage of our country's farming civilization with the elements of modern civilization. The ideas and concepts of farming civilization both advance with the times as history moves forward and possess their own continuity and stability. How should we inherit farming civilization while promoting the modernization of agriculture and rural areas? Xi Jinping explicitly proposed: "Combine the fine heritage of our country's farming civilization with the elements of modern civilization, endowing them with new era connotations, so that fine traditional Chinese culture thrives endlessly, and our country’s long-standing farming civilization displays its charm and elegance in the New Era." On one hand, emphasizing the combination with "elements of modern civilization" refers to the "fine" heritage of farming civilization, which necessarily excludes outdated or dross parts. Therefore, the primary task in inheriting and developing farming civilization is to deepen the research and interpretation of traditional farming civilization and strengthen the excavation and elaboration of its fine heritage. On the other hand, to realize the combination of fine farming heritage and modern civilizational elements, we must "find the connection points between traditional culture and modern life," inheriting and carrying forward the fine content of farming civilization in light of contemporary conditions to activate its excellent "genes." For example, farming civilization contains not only rich wisdom for handling relations between people and between individuals and society, but also ecological wisdom for handling the relationship between humanity and nature, forming the unique ecological culture of the Chinese nation. Xi Jinping pointed out: "The Chinese nation has always respected and loved nature; more than five thousand years of Chinese civilization have nurtured a rich ecological culture." He cited many classical expressions from ancient texts such as the I Ching (Book of Changes), Laozi, Mencius, Xunzi, and Qimin Yaoshu ^[8] to summarize the ecological thought of Chinese civilization, which "unifies heaven, earth, and humanity, links the natural ecosystem with human civilization, acts according to the laws of nature, harvests in the proper season, and consumes with moderation." He emphasized that "following nature's laws" (道法自然) and "the unity of humanity and nature" (天人合一) ^[9] are the inherent survival philosophies of Chinese civilization. These ecological concepts and ideas are important components of farming civilization and remain valuable references for solving ecological problems today. Xi Jinping attaches great importance to drawing from the ecological wisdom of farming civilization. His important discourses such as "harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature," "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," and "a good ecological environment is the most universal public welfare" fully embody the concepts of respecting nature, conforming to nature, and the unity of humanity and nature. A beautiful ecological environment is the greatest advantage and most precious wealth of the countryside. In pursuing the modernization of agriculture and rural areas, we must never do so at the cost of destroying the rural ecology. Rather, we should integrate the scenes of farming civilization with modern life to create beautiful natural and cultural rural landscapes and build beautiful, livable rural homes.

Second, attention must be paid to preserving the original appearance of villages and retaining the "rural flavor, rural style, and nostalgia" (乡风乡韵乡愁). In the process of promoting the modernization of agriculture and rural areas, a major issue is how to properly handle the relationship between rural construction and village protection. To this end, Xi Jinping clearly pointed out: "In the integrated development of urban and rural areas, it is entirely possible to preserve the original appearance of villages—to be cautious in cutting trees, avoid filling lakes, and minimize the demolition of houses—improving the living conditions of residents within the original village framework as much as possible." "In carrying out new rural construction, we must pay attention to ecological environmental protection and rural character, reflecting rural characteristics and preserving the rural landscape. We cannot simply copy the methods of urban construction, making cities not look like cities and villages not look like villages." China has a vast territory and numerous ethnic groups; rural areas in different regions vary greatly in geographical location, economic development, resource endowment, and historical inheritance, resulting in distinctive rural cultures. Promoting rural construction requires creating development models for villages that each possess their own cultural characteristics, avoiding the homogenized development of "a thousand villages with one face." To achieve this goal, an important aspect is to fully tap into unique historical and cultural backgrounds, especially the resources of farming civilization. Xi Jinping pointed out: "The layout and appearance of villages in various places were formed over history in response to geographical, climatic, and cultural conditions. We must have reverence for history, culture, and ecology to retain the rural flavor, rural style, and nostalgia."

(2) The building of rural spiritual civilization must be combined with the inheritance of fine farming culture

Fine farming culture is the crystalline wisdom and essence of farming civilization and an important cultural resource for rural revitalization. Rural revitalization requires both "shaping" (physical construction) and "soul-casting" (cultural/ideological building); we must grasp both material civilization and spiritual civilization together. Xi Jinping pointed out: "Rural spiritual civilization construction is very important. The idea that matter turns into spirit and spirit into matter is a dialectical viewpoint ^[10]. In implementing the rural revitalization strategy, we must grasp material and spiritual civilization together, paying particular attention to enhancing the spiritual outlook of farmers." Rural spiritual civilization construction is work that nourishes, moralizes, and unites the hearts of the people. We must draw wisdom from farming civilization, promote the "creative transformation and innovative development" ^[11] of fine farming culture, create a rural civilization with Chinese characteristics, and enhance the level of civility in rural society. To this end, Xi Jinping explicitly proposed the practical requirement that "rural spiritual civilization construction must be combined with the inheritance of fine farming culture."

First, we must deeply excavate the ideological spirit and precious resources contained in fine traditional farming culture. Xi Jinping pointed out the need to "strengthen ideological, moral, and public cultural construction in rural areas, guided by the Core Socialist Values, and deeply excavate the ideas, humanistic spirit, and moral norms contained in fine traditional farming culture." To promote rural spiritual civilization construction, we must draw upon our country's fine farming culture resources to achieve a modern transformation of the values that farmers have passed down through generations and "use daily without even realizing it." For example, the "society of acquaintances" (熟人社会) ^[12] is a prominent feature of our country's rural society and an important social foundation for rural moral construction. A significant difference between our country's rural and urban societies is that the countryside is a homeland where people are born and raised, making the characteristics of a society of acquaintances extremely prominent. To this end, Xi Jinping proposed: "We must strengthen moral construction in the countryside, deeply excavate the moral norms contained in the rural society of acquaintances, innovate in line with the requirements of the times, strengthen the role of moral education, and guide farmers to love the Party and the country, to be upward-looking and kind, to show filial piety to the elderly and love for relatives, to value righteousness and keep their word, and to manage their households with diligence and thrift." Although the society of acquaintances emerged and persisted for a long time under the conditions of a natural economy, the beneficial elements it contains remain important resources worth excavating, utilizing, transforming, and innovating for the rural areas under today’s conditions of a socialist market economy.

At the same time, traditional local culture (乡土文化) is rooted in the vast countryside and is of great value for strengthening rural spiritual civilization. it is an important cultural resource for promoting the transformation of social traditions (移风易俗), improving the spiritual outlook of farmers, and raising the level of rural social civility. Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must deeply excavate, inherit, and innovate fine traditional local culture, promote new trends and upright qi, advance the transformation of social traditions, cultivate civilized rural customs, good family traditions, and simple folkways, and bring a new atmosphere to rural civilization." On one hand, we must "ensure that tangible rural culture remains." The long-term continuation and development of our country's farming civilization have left us with extremely rich agricultural artifacts and local cultural heritage. This material cultural heritage belongs to "tangible rural culture"; it carries the genes and lifeblood of fine local culture and is a non-renewable, irreplaceable civilizational resource. Regarding how to protect and utilize these material agricultural cultural heritages, Xi Jinping has conducted profound reflections, proposing the important idea of "ensuring that tangible rural culture remains." This means implementing the protection of material agricultural cultural heritage and agricultural ruins, "fully excavating material cultural heritage with farming characteristics, ethnic features, and regional traits, and increasing the intensity of protection for ancient towns, ancient villages, ancient buildings, ethnic villages, cultural relics, and agricultural ruins," so that the value of agricultural artifacts and cultural heritage can be fully manifested and given new life. On the other hand, we must "pass down living local culture." The many agricultural intangible cultural heritages passed down in our country are important symbols and forms of existence for farming civilization, carrying vital agricultural cultural information and possessing multifaceted value; they are "living local culture." However, with the huge changes in rural production and life, some agricultural intangible cultural heritages face the risk of being lost or even disappearing. Therefore, Xi Jinping emphasized the need to "deeply excavate intangible cultural heritage such as folk art, traditional opera and storytelling, handicrafts, ethnic costumes, and folk activities," and to "pass down living local culture," ensuring that rural cultural development is filled with historical depth. On this basis, the protection and inheritance must be organically combined with development and utilization, allowing fine traditional local culture to radiate new brilliance in the New Era.

Second, we must cultivate and excavate local cultural talents. The key to rural revitalization lies in people. Xi Jinping pointed out: "The economic and social development of rural areas, in the final analysis, depends on people. Without people, without labor, food security is out of the question, modern agriculture is out of the question, and new rural construction is out of the question; it will also affect the protection and inheritance of traditional farming culture." When discussing the "hollowing out" of villages and the "three left-behind" ^[13] groups, he pointed out: "Village hollowing and the 'three left-behind' groups are two sides of the same issue. The outward manifestation is that the village is empty; in essence, it is people leaving the countryside generation after generation." He also noted: "If there are not even people to till the land, who can we rely on to inherit farming culture?" Therefore, rural work, including the protection and inheritance of farming civilization, depends crucially on retaining people. Farmers are the main subjects for the protection and inheritance of farming culture. We must "make agricultural operations profitable, make agriculture a promising industry, make farming a respectable profession, and make the countryside a beautiful home for living and working by enriching, improving, and supporting farmers." Only in this way can the inheritance of farming culture be effectively implemented. At the same time, we must build a professional rural cultural construction team. To this end, Xi Jinping explicitly proposed the requirement to "cultivate and excavate local cultural talents." He emphasized: "We must cultivate and excavate local cultural talents, carry out cultural pairing and assistance, and formulate policies to guide entrepreneurs, cultural workers, science popularizers, retirees, and cultural volunteers to involve themselves in rural cultural construction, forming a new force for rural cultural construction." This points out the path for solving the issue of talent support for the inheritance of fine farming culture.

(3) Vigorously inherit and promote farming-study civilization

Farming-study civilization carries our country's thousands of years of agricultural practice and farming traditions. It contains a view of nature centered on the unity of heaven and humanity, a view of practice centered on the unity of knowledge and action, a spirit of self-reliance and struggle, and a moral pursuit of self-cultivation and family regulation. It manifests...

The high degree of unity between agricultural production practices centered on "tilling" (gēng) and learning and educational practices centered on "reading" (dú) highlights the unique developmental path of agrarian civilization. Xi Jinping has pointed out: "Agrarian civilization ^[14] is our soft power." He attaches great importance to the inheritance of agrarian civilization, emphasizing not only the promotion of the excellent tradition of "passing down the family legacy through tilling and reading" (gēng dú chuán jiā) ^[15], but also the integration of "tilling and reading" into contemporary society, thereby endowing agrarian civilization with new connotations for the New Era.

First, we must inherit the "tilling and reading" lifestyle and carry forward the traditional virtues of "passing down the family legacy through tilling and reading." In traditional Chinese agricultural society, "tilling and reading" was a lifestyle passed down through generations. As a significant hallmark of agrarian civilization, this tradition embodies our nation’s spiritual pursuit of industriousness, progress, learning, and innovation. it was an important avenue for our ancestors to conduct production and daily life, acquire knowledge, and cultivate personal morality; it served as the primary channel for the construction of traditional rural civilization and cultural inheritance, occupying a vital position in the development of agrarian civilization. Xi Jinping places great emphasis on the traditional virtues of "passing down the family legacy through tilling and reading" within agrarian civilization, stressing that it is a precious spiritual asset for the construction of "family civilization." He pointed out: "Traditional Chinese family virtues—such as respecting the elderly and caring for the young, virtuous wives and peaceful husbands, maternal kindness and filial sons, fraternal harmony, passing down the family legacy through tilling and reading, managing the household with industry and thrift, being well-educated and polite, abiding by the law, and the belief that 'harmony in the family brings prosperity to all'—are inscribed in the hearts and blended into the blood of the Chinese people. They are important spiritual forces supporting the continuous growth and legacy of the Chinese nation and are precious spiritual assets for the construction of family civilization."

Second, we must strengthen labor education and nationwide reading to continuously endow agrarian civilization with new connotations for the New Era. In the present era, society has undergone tremendous changes, yet the spiritual pursuits and value concepts embodied in agrarian civilization remain as relevant as ever. Agrarian civilization emphasizes the unity of "tilling" and "reading," which essentially integrates labor with learning, possessing significant practical significance and contemporary value. Inheriting agrarian civilization in the New Era means establishing the concept that "labor is glorious" by strengthening labor education, while simultaneously fostering a strong atmosphere of loving reading throughout society, ensuring that the concepts and values of "tilling" and "reading" are fully reflected in today's society. Xi Jinping pays close attention to labor education and nationwide reading, pointing the way for inheriting and promoting agrarian civilization and facilitating the modern transformation of the "tilling and reading" tradition. He emphasized: "We must adopt effective measures suited to current environments and conditions, strengthen labor education, and organize diverse forms of labor practice, so that students develop labor habits through practice and learn how to work, as well as how to be industrious and thrifty." At the same time, he expressed his earnest hope that "the whole of society participates in reading, forming a strong atmosphere of loving to read, reading good books, and being good at reading." He places high hopes on the youth; in his reply letter to the students of the "Science and Technology Backyards" ^[16] of China Agricultural University, he required them to "closely combine classroom learning with rural practice, cultivate a deep love for agriculture, master the skills to revitalize agriculture, and make contributions on the great stage of rural revitalization, contributing youthful strength to accelerating the promotion of agricultural and rural modernization and the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country." These important expositions indicate the basic path for inheriting and promoting agrarian civilization.

Xi Jinping has pointed out: "Our country possesses a brilliant and long-standing agrarian civilization. We must ensure its roots and veins continue without end, ensuring that the social form of rural areas remains complete and effective, that cultural genes and beautiful virtues are inherited and promoted, that agrarian civilization and urban civilization shine upon each other, and that material and spiritual civilizations develop in coordination, so that the broad masses of farmers are self-confident, self-reliant, inspired, and high-spirited, with abundant spiritual strength." On the new journey of the New Era, we must deeply study and grasp Xi Jinping’s important expositions on agrarian civilization, deeply excavate and elucidate its spiritual connotations and ideological essence, and persist in the inheritance, development, and elevation of agrarian civilization. This will ensure that agrarian civilization continuously radiates new vitality in the practice of promoting agricultural and rural modernization and building a strong agricultural country.