Editor's Note: Seventy years ago, the new People's Republic set out against the rising sun, completely changing the tragic fate of China's poverty, weakness and bullying for more than 100 years after modern times, and the Chinese nation embarked on a grand road to achieve great rejuvenation. Over the past 70 years, the face of our great motherland, the face of our great people and the face of the Chinese nation has undergone unprecedented changes. Under the guidance of the Network News and Information Communication Bureau (Network Theory Communication Bureau) of the Central Cyberspace Office, the People's Daily Online, the History and Documentation Network of the Communist Party of China, and the National History Network of the People's Republic of China jointly launched a series of theoretical videos of the "National History Lecture Hall" to sort out the brilliant achievements and historical experience of New China in various fields in the past 70 years, Please pay attention to the historical and practical significance of adhering to and developing the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Profile of guests in this issue:
Zhang Guozuo, director of the Chinese Cultural Soft Power Research Center, president of the College of Marxism of Hunan University, once served as the deputy director of the Theory Bureau of the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee, director of the National Philosophy and Social Science Planning Office, has been engaged in theoretical research and publicity for a long time, and has published many influential works in the fields of sinicized Marxism, cultural issues, international issues, scientific philosophy, etc.
Highlights:
·At the beginning of the founding of New China, it was almost poor and white; After 70 years of struggle, our country has become the world's second largest economy and entered a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
·Why are we so poor and backward 70 years ago, and now we can enter a new era like today, in which cultural construction can be said to play a vital role.
·General Secretary Xi Jinping said that if culture flourishes, the country will prosper, and if culture is strong, the nation will be strong. Without a high level of cultural self-confidence and cultural prosperity, there will be no great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The 70 year history of the founding of New China can be said to confirm this truth.
·The cultural development in the 70 years since the founding of New China can be summed up as follows: it is magnificent, vibrant, full of infinite vitality and vigor, and the future development will be more beautiful.
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Lecture Record:
New China has gone through the glorious course of 70th anniversary. Let's think about it. Seventy years ago, since the Opium War, China was repeatedly invaded, partitioned, trampled and humiliated by Western powers, which can be said to be a disaster prone country. At the beginning of the founding of New China, it was almost poor and white; After 70 years of struggle, our country has become the world's second largest economy and entered a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
The new era means that the long suffering Chinese nation has finally ushered in a great leap from standing up, getting rich to becoming strong, and ushered in a bright prospect for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation; It means that scientific socialism radiates strong vitality and vigor in China in the 21st century, and the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics is held high all over the world; It means that the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics are developing continuously, which broadens the way for developing countries to move towards modernization, provides a new choice for countries and nations in the world who want to accelerate development and maintain their independence, and contributes Chinese wisdom and solutions to human problems.
People have to ask why we are so poor and backward 70 years ago, and now we can enter a new era like today, in which cultural construction can be said to play a vital role. General Secretary Xi Jinping said that if culture flourishes, the country will prosper, and if culture is strong, the nation will be strong. Without a high level of cultural self-confidence and cultural prosperity, there will be no great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The 70 year history of the founding of New China can be said to confirm this truth.
In the early days of the founding of New China: establishing the development direction of socialist culture
Seventy years ago, at the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, we could say that there was a hundred pieces of waste waiting to be rebuilt. At that time, the long suffering Chinese nation finally stood up; However, standing up is not the ultimate goal. We should move towards prosperity and rejuvenation.
The literacy campaign removed the illiteracy hat from hundreds of millions of people. What difficulties did we face at that time? The first difficulty is that our country had 550 million people at that time, but 80% of them were illiterate. How to make these 80% illiterate people be able to read, read books and newspapers, understand the Party's principles and policies, and build socialism is an arduous task.
Therefore, in the early days of the founding of New China, a literacy campaign was launched, which can be said to be magnificent. At the beginning, our factories, villages, streets and communities, as well as the army, and many illiterate workers, peasants and soldiers were eager to learn. Who will be the teacher of 550 million illiterates? This is the first problem to be solved. Therefore, there was a policy that our government officials, our primary and secondary school graduates, our school teachers, as well as all literate workers, farmers, staff and cadres, could be teachers. At that time, people generally believed that it was a glorious thing to be a teacher. Teachers had a sense of honor and responsibility, and they could teach others to read and read without any pay. Therefore, such a literacy campaign has been carried out vigorously, and many women are reading and studying with their children in their arms. In the daytime, farmers may go to the fields to plant land, and in the evening, they will go to night school, and also need to read. Agricultural cooperatives simply put the literacy blackboard in the field, and learn to read during the rest of farming. Workers in factories and soldiers in the army should also study at night classes after entering and leaving work. It can be said that at that time, the whole literacy movement could be said to cover all sectors and all strata of the country.
After such a movement, the literacy rate of our whole country has been constantly improving. As Comrade Mao Zedong said in those days, "With the arrival of the climax of economic construction, there will inevitably be a climax of cultural construction. The era when Chinese people are considered uncivilized has passed, and we will emerge as a highly educated nation in the world."
In fact, Mao Zedong's prediction has come true. By the year 2000, the illiteracy in our country had already dropped from 80% in the early days of the founding of New China to what? It dropped to 6.72%, down to this. We can say that if we can say when the foundation of the 70 year cultural construction of New China began, it is from the mass movement of literacy. When we look back on the 70 years of cultural construction, this is a major event that must be talked about.
Criticize the "Wu Xun Zhuan" to correct the direction of cultural construction. Another thing worth mentioning is the criticism of Wu Xun Zhuan. Wu Xun was born in the late Qing Dynasty. He was a beggar in Shandong Province. His surname was Wu. He had no name at all. Because he was the seventh, the local people used to call him Wu Qi. How did the name Wuxun come from? It was granted by the Qing Dynasty. Because Wu Qi used the money he earned from begging for more than 30 years to run three free schools to teach children who can't afford to read books. It should be said that his original intention and motivation are kind-hearted and worthy of double promise. Later, the man was granted a yellow mandarin jacket by the Qing Dynasty, and he became a "righteous scholar", actually equivalent to an official. In 1948, our Shanghai Film Studio made the film "The Biography of Martial Training", which was later revised in 1951 and put on again. After the broadcast of the "Biography of Military Training", many articles have been published in Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin to praise the film, even extol the spirit of military training, which is the spirit of the new democratic revolution, and so on. It has been blown without borders. Even some of our party members and leading cadres applauded the film.
However, Mao Zedong felt very heavy after watching this film. He didn't sleep well for several nights and finally decided to criticize the Biography of Martial Training. Why criticize the Biography of Martial Training? After 28 years of bloody struggle under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people finally overthrew imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism and established New China, making the Chinese nation stand up with pride. What did we stand on? We do not run schools by begging, we do not run education by begging like the feudal ruling class, and we save the country by education, but by revolutionary struggle. What should we celebrate at this time? We should sing praises of the Communist Party of China leading the Chinese people to turn over and liberate through bloody struggle, and we should sing praises of this. However, this film praises an image that does not want to overthrow the feudal system, but only wants to learn from the feudal aristocracy. Mao Zedong believes that this is not in line with Marxist dialectical historical materialism.
Our new China wants to carry out cultural construction, but we must understand that our cultural construction is socialist cultural construction. As a socialist cultural construction, we must be clear and adhere to the correct ideological guidance. Therefore, Mao Zedong believed that the Biography of Martial Training should be criticized. He does not deny that the original intention of Wu Xun is good and understandable, but the value orientation of what Wu Xun Zhuan preaches is wrong and should be criticized. Because it completely ignores class struggle, political struggle and revolutionary struggle, and it is obviously wrong to place the fate of the people on the so-called "education to save the country". The criticism of Wu Xun Zhuan was recognized by the whole party and society. What is the significance of this matter? It is about setting the right direction for our future cultural construction. It is of great significance. It should be pointed out that the criticism of Wu Xun Zhuan at that time was mainly to solve the ideological and cognitive problems, and did not target the film directors, actors and other main creators. At that time, Premier Zhou Enlai also talked with them specifically to help them lay down their ideological burden.
The mass culture is flourishing, and the mass boutiques are constantly emerging. After the founding of New China, the broad masses of the people turned over and liberated, became masters of the country, and their enthusiasm for construction was high. A large number of literary works were created by the people. In an article entitled "Introducing a Cooperative", Mao Zedong was very gratified, encouraged and full of admiration for the people's enthusiasm for construction and mental state in that period. He said, "In addition to the leadership of the Party, 600 million people are a decisive factor. There are many people, many discussions, enthusiasm, and enthusiasm. I have never seen the people as excited, ambitious, and high spirited as they are now." He was talking about the cultural and spiritual state of the people at that time.
For example, the "Dongfanghong" large-scale music and dance epic has brought the comprehensive and large-scale literary and artistic creation form to an unprecedented peak. The modern Peking Opera created by a large number of writers and artists, such as The Story of the Red Lantern, The Harbor, Winning Tiger Mountain and Shajiabang, has brought new vitality and charm to the traditional Peking Opera and made a new sublimation and leap. Another example is the ballet Red Detachment of Women, which is also a very representative literary and artistic work. Ballet was originally an art form in the West, but the characteristics we gave to China reflect the revolutionary content of China, which is very fresh, the artistic level is also very high, and has been widely praised by foreign artists in the same industry.
Building a socialist culture with Chinese characteristics
After years of development in our cultural construction, we can say that our culture, whether in terms of category, content or form, is much richer than before the reform and opening up. For example, in terms of culture, the culture we talk about should mainly include four aspects: theory, public opinion, literature and art, and press and publication.
Philosophy and social sciences have flourished. Theoretically, it is mainly reflected in the development of our philosophy and social sciences. Since the reform and opening up, our entire philosophy and social science should be said to have been fully developed, which is no doubt. For example, we now have 26 disciplines selected by the National Social Science Fund, which was unprecedented before the reform and opening up.
However, we should also see that the development of philosophy and social sciences should have a broader space. General Secretary Xi Jinping said at the symposium on philosophy and social sciences, "History shows that the era of great social change must be the era of great development of philosophy and social sciences. Contemporary China is experiencing the most extensive and profound social change in our history, and is also carrying out the most grand and unique practical innovation in human history. This unprecedented great practice will provide strong impetus and broad space for theoretical creation and academic prosperity. This is an era that needs theory and can certainly produce theory. This is an era that needs thought and can certainly produce thought. We cannot fail this era. " He also said that since ancient times, Chinese intellectuals have had the ambition and tradition of "making a heart for heaven and earth, making a life for the living people, inheriting the holy school, and opening peace for all generations". All philosophy and social science workers with ideals and ambitions should set the tide of the times, learn about the changes of the past and the present, make the first sound of their thoughts, and actively make statements and suggestions for the Party and the people, so as to shoulder the glorious mission entrusted by history.
These important speeches of General Secretary Xi can be said to have brought great encouragement to the majority of philosophical and social workers, and also pointed out the direction of progress. Under the guidance of General Secretary Xi, the majority of philosophy and social science workers have launched many important achievements in humanities and social sciences in recent years to serve the people, the Communist Party of China, reform and opening up and socialist modernization.
Build a socialist culture with Chinese characteristics. General Secretary Xi attaches great importance to cultural soft power. He specially organizes the Political Bureau of the Central Committee to meet for collective learning, which is to build a socialist cultural power and improve the country's cultural soft power. What supports the building of China's cultural soft power is the socialist culture with Chinese characteristics. The socialist culture with Chinese characteristics mainly includes three aspects: excellent traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture. General Secretary Xi said that we have created splendid Chinese traditional culture for 5000 years, which can be said to be extensive and profound. There are many cultural genes that transcend time and space and across countries and have contemporary value and eternal charm. Our excellent traditional culture is not only an important part of the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, but also the biggest advantage of China's cultural soft power.
Therefore, General Secretary Xi also made it very clear in this regard that we should first carry forward the excellent traditional Chinese culture in order to build a new Chinese culture. Our excellent traditional Chinese culture, we must remember that what we are talking about here is excellent traditional culture, not all traditional culture, because we should say that although our traditional Chinese culture is broad and profound, it should also be divided into two parts, which has both the essence and the dross. President Xi emphasized the excellent traditional culture, mainly including benevolence, people first, integrity Respect for justice, harmony and great harmony are the essence of our excellent traditional culture. In the past, some people in the West attacked us and said that the Chinese people were wrong in not caring about humanity and benevolence. Our ancestors always emphasized that "benevolent people love others", which must be said. People based thoughts such as "the people are the foundation of the country", "the firm nation is peaceful", "the people are the most important, the country is the second most important, and the monarch is the least important", the rule of law thought of "virtue is the main force, punishment is the auxiliary force", the diplomatic concept of "harmony among nations", the sense of anxiety of "never forget danger", and the moral principle of "do not do to others what you don't want to do to others" are all worth inheriting forever.
In addition, our traditional culture should advocate loyalty and bravery. We still need this loyalty today. Of course, today's loyalty is different from the past loyalty. The past loyalty is loyalty to the emperor, while today's loyalty should be loyalty to the party, the motherland, and the people. This loyalty should be endowed with new era connotation, which should be said. Among the excellent traditional culture of our Chinese people, there are many essences that can be learned and absorbed by us today. The most prominent one is patriotism. For example, Wen Tianxiang's "Who hasn't died since ancient times? Stay loyal and follow the history"; Lin Zexu's "If you want to benefit the country, how can you avoid it because of misfortunes and blessings?"; Fan Zhong'an's "worry about the world first, and be happy after the world" and so on are very rich in patriotism. Therefore, our excellent traditional Chinese culture can not only stimulate our patriotic enthusiasm and spirit, but also provide us with rich experience and wisdom in governing our country. These are some important contents that we must inherit and carry forward our excellent traditional Chinese culture.
Today we have entered a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Why should we take the excellent traditional Chinese culture as an important part of our cultural construction? That is because we are historicists, and we cannot cut off history. Today's China is developed from historical China, and today's culture is also developed from Chinese history and culture. We should naturally absorb the essence of history and culture. There is no doubt that it is natural, just like the excellent quality of our parents. Is it because we have entered the stage of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Don't we need to inherit the excellent qualities of our parents? This is a truth. Therefore, it is natural and reasonable for us to take the excellent traditional Chinese culture as an important part of the construction of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics.
Second, carry forward the revolutionary culture. General Secretary Xi Jinping said that we Communists cannot lack calcium in spirit. In my opinion, our calcium mainly comes from our revolutionary culture. What does our revolutionary culture include? If we talk about it, it is too much, but if we talk about its essence, it is nothing more than the Red Boat Spirit, our groundbreaking and pioneering spirit of founding the Party, which is the source of the spirit of our revolutionary culture. Jinggangshan Spirit, Long March Spirit, Yan'an Spirit, Xibaipo Spirit, and we are all the spirits of our revolution. Under the edification of our revolutionary spirit, after 28 years of bloody struggle to promote the wind and revolution, we can say that there are many such revolutionary spirit education. Our revolutionary martyrs, for the liberation of the motherland, for the victory of the revolution, for our ideals and beliefs, gave their own blood and even lives. There are too many moving stories.
For example, martyr Fang Zhimin. We know that martyr Fang Zhimin wrote a famous book called "Lovely China", which was written in prison after he was captured by the enemy, He also wrote a poem in prison: "The enemy can only cut off our heads, and can never shake our beliefs, because the doctrine we believe in is the truth of the universe. We are very willing to sacrifice for communism and bleed for the Soviet Union." What is communism here? That is the ideal and belief of our Communist Party, and the Soviet here is also the ideal of our revolution, because at that time our revolution was going to follow the socialist road of the October Revolution of the Soviet Union, which fully demonstrated the firm communist ideal and belief of Fang Zhimin.
On the eve of the victory of the national revolution, many Communists were imprisoned in Zhazidong, Chongqing. They were all loyal to the revolution and unyielding. Among them, a young Communist named Chen Ran. The Kuomintang said that he was very young and wanted to induce him to surrender. It said that as long as you wrote a confession, you could go out and give you freedom. But our young Communist answered the enemy's luring in with a poem that can be said to be full of vitality. He wrote a poem entitled "My Confession": "Let the heavy chains ring at my feet, let you hold the whip high, I don't need any confessions, even if my chest faces the bloody bayonet. People can't lower their noble heads. Only fearing the dead ghost can beg for freedom. What is the plan of torture? Death can't make me open my mouth. In the face of death, I laugh loudly. The devil's palace shakes in laughter. This is me. The confession of a Communist, singing triumphant songs and burying the Chiang dynasty. " It shows that a young Communist Party member is infinitely loyal to the revolution and has firm confidence in the victory of the revolution.
Third, promote the advanced socialist culture. There is also an advanced socialist culture in our socialist culture with Chinese characteristics. In fact, we say that the spirit of two bombs and one satellite, for example, is an advanced socialist culture and the spirit of manned space flight, which is our advanced culture. There are also Daqing Iron Man Spirit, Lei Feng Spirit, Jiao Yulu Spirit, Kong Fansen Spirit, etc. These are the essence of our advanced socialist culture. Inspired by these spirits, many model workers and advanced workers have emerged in all walks of life. They have never forgotten their original intentions, kept their mission in mind, worked selflessly, and made many contributions to China's socialist construction, reform and opening up. Their deeds often touch China and urge people to forge ahead.
We will continue to strengthen the cohesion and leadership of socialist ideology. In terms of news communication, General Secretary Xi Jinping also has many important ideas. For example, his 48 word policy on news communication: "hold high the banner, lead and guide, focus on the center and serve the overall situation, unite the people, inspire morale, become a man of style, unite the heart, clarify mistakes, distinguish right from wrong, connect China and the world.", Every four words contain profound connotation, which is crucial for us to do a good job in our socialist news dissemination.
At the ideological work conference, General Secretary Xi Jinping also put forward a clear request: "holding the flag, gathering the hearts of the people, cultivating new people, rejuvenating culture, and developing image". What do these 15 words tell us? It also tells us what kind of guiding ideology we should follow in our ideological work. After presiding over the work of the Central Committee, General Secretary Xi paid special attention to ideological work. He said at the National Propaganda Ministers' Working Conference: "Ideological work is an extremely important work of our Party." Why? Because "ideological work concerns the future and destiny of the Party, the long-term stability of the country, and the cohesion and centripetal force of the nation.". Let's see if these three "concerns" cover all aspects of our Party, our country and our entire nation.
General Secretary Xi has repeatedly stressed the extreme importance of ideological work. He pointed out that historical experience shows that the disintegration of a regime often starts from the ideological field. Political turbulence and regime change may happen overnight, while ideological evolution is a long-term process. If the ideological defense line can not be defended, then all other defense lines can not be defended. Therefore, we must firmly hold the leadership, management and discourse power in ideology in our own hands, and can not be sidelined at any time, otherwise we will make irretrievable historical mistakes. Why does General Secretary Xi emphasize ideological work so much? What is the background? It refers to the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the upheaval in Eastern Europe, the color revolution, and the Arab Chung. These countries are different in size, national conditions, and the specific causes of unrest. But they have one common feature: the opposition launches an ideological war, First discredit the ruling party. So these words of Xi Jinping are very targeted, which plays an enlightening role in our cultural construction today.
Literature and art adhere to the people centered creative orientation. Speaking of advanced socialist culture, I said earlier that philosophy and social sciences should be, and literature and art should also be, our advanced socialist culture. When General Secretary Xi Jinping attended the symposium on literature and art work, he said that "the people need literature and art, literature and art need the people, literature and art should love the people". What does this mean? That is to say, all aspects of our literature and art, literary and artistic creation, literary and artistic performance, etc., and the dissemination of literature and art should be centered on entering the people. This is a purpose and a principle that must be carefully followed by the whole literary and artistic creation and the whole literary and artistic work in our new era, and also a purpose and a principle that must be followed by our entire cultural construction.
General Secretary Xi Jinping also said that the Chinese spirit must be the soul of our socialist writers and artists in literary and artistic creation. What is the Chinese spirit? It is the national spirit with patriotism as the core and the spirit of the times with reform and innovation as the core. It is the unity of patriotism and the spirit of the times. Xi Jinping said at that time that patriotism is the deepest, deepest and most eternal theme and content of our socialist core values. This is what we must be clear about. The promotion of socialist core values has a soul for our entire cultural construction.
General Secretary Xi Jinping said that, like sunshine and air, the core socialist values should be everywhere. The 24 words of socialist core values are prosperity, democracy, civilization and harmony. These eight words are from the national level. From the social level, it is freedom, equality, justice and the rule of law. From the individual level, it is patriotism, dedication, honesty and friendliness. But what is the core of these three levels? It's all about patriotism.
We want to build our country into a prosperous, strong, democratic, civilized and harmonious country. What is it based on? It is based on our patriotism. What is the basis on which we should build our society into a free, equal, just and legal society? It is also based on our patriotic feelings. As for patriotism, respect, honesty and friendliness, of course, patriotism is put first. Therefore, as the cultural construction of New China has developed to the present, we must more clearly adhere to the spirit of patriotism, that is, the core socialist values.
Inspired and guided by the spirit of General Secretary Xi's speech at the forum on literature and art, in recent years, our literary and artistic work can be said to be romantic and colorful, and many excellent works have emerged, such as some works reflecting the revolutionary era, works reflecting the Anti Japanese War, and many plays are very good. There are also some that reflect the current era, such as Warrior Wolf 2, which is also very popular internationally. Wandering Earth has also received some favorable comments from international friends. These literary and artistic works reflect the prosperity of literature and art in our new era.
Our literature and art should be said to be in the ascendant. The prospect is becoming more and more beautiful. The ideological, artistic and ornamental nature of our literature and art is constantly improving, and it is increasingly loved by the broad masses of the people. There are also various cultural forms, such as group cultural forms.
For example, what does our "Belt and Road" mean? Our "Belt and Road" is about policy communication, facilities connectivity, smooth economy and trade, financial integration, and people to people connectivity. The most important part of the "Five Links" is people to people. If people to people are not connected and there is no emotion between them, then there is no other link. Therefore, popular support is the first. In other words, culture should go first in the construction of the "Belt and Road". Over the years, with the continuous implementation of the "Belt and Road" concept, we have begun to have "Belt and Road" cooperation negotiations with more than 100 countries in the world, many of which have cultural cooperation projects. China's culture has gone to the world, and countries along the "Belt and Road" have played a very good role in connecting China and the world, So that all countries in the world can know more about China, know more about China, identify with China, and be more willing to carry out economic cooperation with us in all aspects.
What needs to be pointed out in particular is that the greatest highlight, the most valuable content, the most instructive culture of Chinese culture in the new era, the culture with the greatest influence inside and outside the Party, and at home and abroad, is Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. To conclude, the Chinese nation has created an extensive and profound traditional culture for five thousand years, and has been ahead of the world for a long time, which is worthy of our great pride. However, I think what we are more proud of is that 70 years after the founding of New China, after the reform and opening up, especially after the 18th National Congress, our cultural development has become more and more prosperous, more and more prosperous, more and more full of vitality and vitality. To sum up, we can say that it is magnificent, vigorous, full of infinite vitality and vigor, and the future development will be more beautiful.
