Chinese culture stands out during golden week

As China’s National Day holiday draws to a close, people have flocked to cities and attractions rich in cultural heritage. According to data from Trip.com, Four of the five most searched topics during this holiday are related to culture, highlighting a strong interest in “Traveling with Textbooks”, popular museums, music festivals and study trips.

The concept of “Traveling with Textbooks” involves parents taking their children to visit cities or places highlighted in their school materials. For example, some have visited Tsinghua University, inspired by the renowned Chinese poet Zhu Ziqing and his work “Moonlight over the Lotus Pond,” or have traveled to the ancient city of Fenghuang in Hunan province, after reading “Border Town” by Shen Congwen. Shen is one of China’s great modern writers.

Furthermore, tourism has been strongly influenced by movies and video games. Fans of the television series “To the Wonder” have taken special interest in Altay, a county-level city in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the northwest of the country. Meanwhile, some have explored northern China’s Shanxi province, inspired by the popular game “Black Myth: Wukong” as the location features most of the game’s filming locations.

Visits to museums also recorded a significant increase. The Sanxingdui Museum, for example, in Sichuan province, recently launched the first immersive virtual reality experience of an archaeological site in the country, leading to it being sold out over the holidays.

In recent years, as China’s economy and society has developed rapidly, people have placed greater emphasis on cultural and spiritual life.

The Chinese president commented that: «Culture is the soul of a nation. A country will only prosper if its culture prospers, and a nation will only be strong if its culture is strong. “Without high confidence and cultural prosperity, there can be no great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” Xi Jinping made this statement during a report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in October 2017.

Making China a culturally strong country

Xi has strongly defended the importance of Chinese culture and during his administration has dedicated himself to fostering cultural confidence and prosperity in the new era. Since 2012, he has visited numerous cultural sites and articulated various strategies for cultural development.

In October 2023, at a key meeting in Beijing, Xi Thought on Culture was formally presented. Theorists claim that the establishment of this thought shows that the Party’s historical and cultural confidence has reached new heights.

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In recent years, the Chinese government has intensified its efforts to transform the nation into a country with a strong socialist culture. In 2022, the 20th CPC National Congress set the goal of creating a culturally powerful nation with significant soft power by 2035.

Following this meeting, the central government issued a five-year plan for cultural development, outlining plans to boost this industry in the next five years, improve public cultural services and deepen its integration with tourism.

The plan also aims to improve the morale and scientific literacy of the population. In addition, it is hoped to increase the international influence of Chinese culture through deeper exchange and dialogue between nations.

Guided by the cultural vision of the current president, China focuses on preserving culture, safeguarding intangible heritage and promoting free access to libraries and museums. In addition, an attempt is made to bridge the cultural gaps between urban and rural areas as much as possible. At the international level, it has initiated several programs of civilizational dialogue and cultural exchange.

In September this year, the country organized a series of cultural exchange events. Among them, the 2024 Belt and Road Media Cooperation Forum, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the Beijing Cultural Forum and the 7th Silk Road International Cultural Exhibition (Dunhuang).

Xi has also shown great interest in the cultures of other countries, expressing the importance of mutual learning and respect for different civilizations.