In order to study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, carry forward family and country sentiment, inherit traditional Chinese culture, revitalize the cultural industry, provide suggestions and accumulate strength for the high-quality economic development of Xi’an, the 2023 Traditional Culture Inheritance and Development Forum, themed “Family and Country Sentiment · Seek Truth in Xi’an”, was opened in the lecture hall of the library of Xi’an Peihua University on November 6. The forum was jointly organized by Xi’an Peihua University and Shaanxi Traditional Culture Development Promotion Association, and its opening ceremony was presided by Li Yingfang, president of Xi’an Peihua University.
Li Yingfang, president of Xi'an Peihua University, presided over the opening ceremony of the forum.
Guests attending the forum were: Ye Xiaowen(present via video), deputy director of the Committee for Literature, History and Studies of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and former secretary of the Party Group of the Central Academy of Socialism; Deng Li, deputy director of the Standing Committee of the 10th Shaanxi Provincial People’s Congress; Ding Maozhang, chief expert of the Institute of Socialist Development with Chinese Characteristics of the Southeast University, and former editor-in chief of the Newspaper Agency of the Central Party School (the National School of Administration); Zeng Yesong, former inspector, deputy director of the Research Office of the Central Party School, and vice president of China Leadership Research Association; Zhou Gaode, former deputy secretary general of China Taoist Association, professor of China Taoist Academy, honorary president of Taoist Academy across Taiwan Strait; Mou Shanrong, vice president of China Development Research Institute and executive director of Traditional Chinese Culture Research Institute of Xi’an Peihua University; Tan Shaotang, instructor of Chinese Studies, director of Beijing Tang Zhi Tang Culture and Art Development Center; Huang Jianhai, vice president of China Development Research Institute; Wang Kaizhi, brand marketing expert, and vice president of Hunan Danong You Ken Company; Xiao Yunru, famous cultural scholar, “artist with both virtue and art” in Shaanxi Province, and honorary life president of Shaanxi Association for the Promotion of Traditional Culture; Chen Aimei, president of Shaanxi Association for the Promotion of Traditional Culture; Shang Ziyong, famous cultural scholar and supervisor of Shaanxi Association for the Promotion of Traditional Culture; Dr. Jiang Bo, chairman of the board of Xi’an Peihua University; Prof. Luo Xinyuan, secretary of the Party Committee; Liu Yueyuan, chairman of the Academic Committee and vice president of the Xi’an Peihua University; Li Xiahe, member of the board of Xi’an Peihua University. Among them are leaders and representatives from Xi’an Municipal Party and Government, experts and scholars in traditional culture research, artists of Shaanxi Traditional Culture Development Promotion Association, Shaanxi Association for the Promotion of International Exchanges of Social Organizations, Shaanxi Family Education Research Association, Shaanxi Volunteer Association of Parental Education, and teachers and students of Xi’an Peihua University, and so on.
Dr. Jiang Bo, chairman of the board of Xi’an Peihua University, delivered a welcoming speech, in which he expressed his warm welcome and heartfelt thanks on behalf of the organizers of the forum to all the experts and guests for their presence. He pointed out that the excellent traditional Chinese culture is the spiritual lifeblood of the Chinese nation and an important source for the cultivation of socialist core values, and that it is the duty of institutions of higher education to deeply excavate, refine and sublimate the essence of traditional culture, and ensure the inheritance and development of Chinese culture. At the time when Xi’an Peihua University was celebrating its 95th anniversary. The purpose of hosting the 2023 Traditional Culture Inheritance and Development Forum was to promote the integration of traditional cultural innovation and economic and social development, inherit new changes, make coordinated progress, form a new economy-based cultural form, better promote the creative transformation of China’s excellent traditional culture, provide suggestions and accumulate strength for the high-quality development of Xi’an’s economy. At the same time, this forum can also allow young students and teachers who are committed to cultural inheritance and innovation to listen to the teachings of experts at close range, so that they can learn from each other, learn more about moral principles, achieve greater righteousness, and disseminate innovative results achieved by inheriting the Chinese traditional culture and carrying forward the spirit of the new era, and finally the positive energy of traditional culture would be widely spread, and the foundation of ideals, beliefs and spirit would be laid.
On behalf of the Association for the Promotion of Traditional Culture, Chen Aimei, president of the Association, paid high respect to all the guests who have long been committed to the study of traditional culture. She said that, with the source of culture, exploring its connotation and integrating various resources to “establish the legacy of old masters, pass on their artistry, revive the old customs, and empower the old traditions” are important means to promote traditional culture. Make the tradition up-to-date, and bring those to life from the history, where every one of us can be the practitioner, keeper, pioneer and witness of these innovation, development and inheritance.
Jiang Bo, chairman of the Board of Xi’an Peihua University, awarded Appointment Certificates of Visiting Professors of Peihua to four experts: Ding Maozhan, Zeng Yesong, Tan Shaotang, and Zhou Gaode.
Jiang Bo, chairman of the Board of Xi’an Peihua University, awarded Appointment Certificates of Consultants of Traditional Chinese Culture Research Institute of Xi’an Peihua University to five experts, including Ding Maozhan, Zeng Yesong, Zhou Gaode, and Tan Shaotang.
Jiang Bo, chairman of the Board of Xi’an Peihua University, awarded Appointment Certificates of Special Experts of Traditional Chinese Culture Research Institute of Xi’an Peihua University to three experts, including Huang Jianhai and Wei Dong.
Deng Li, deputy director of the Standing Committee of the 10th Shaanxi Provincial People’s Congress, pointed out in his speech that to carry forward country sentiment and spread traditional culture is not only everyone’s responsibility, but also a useful way to bring traditional culture into the campus and to strengthen the culture inheritance. He encouraged students of Peihua to strengthen their confidence in traditional Chinese culture, nourish their soul and improve their realm of thought with it, guide themselves with common ideals and core values, and become a new generation of young people to shoulder the mission of realizing national rejuvenation in the new era.
In the report session of the forum presided by Professor Liu Yuelian, chairman of the Academic Committee and the vice president of Xi’an Peihua University, eight experts, including Ye Xiaowen, Xiao Yunru, Ding Maozhan, Zhou Gaode, Zeng Yesong, Tan Shaotang, and Shang Ziyong, talked about the development path of traditional Chinese culture in the modern society from different perspectives, shared their experiences in culture inheritance, and discussed in depth the cultural revitalization in the current society. The shared topics cover cultural inheritance, cultural integration, development and innovation, etc., adding rich connotation to the forum and charting a better future for the revitalization of traditional culture.
Professor Liu Yuelian, chairman of the Academic Committee and the vice president of Xi’an Peihua University presided over the report session of the forum.
Ye Xiaowen, deputy director of the Committee for Literature, History and Studies of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and former secretary of the Party Group of the Central Academy of Socialism, delivered a report titled “The Contribution of Chinese Modernization to Human Civilization” via video. With the background of the Renaissance in the West, he shared his views of the important role of culture for China and for the whole world, the challenges and conflicts of human development, and the critical situation of the development of the future for humanity. The modernization of a country or a nation is not only on the material level, but also on the civilization level. Cultural innovation and the progress in civilization are not only the aspiration and shared vision of mankind for a better life, but also the on-going pursuit of the Chinese people for a better life.
Xiao Yunru, famous cultural scholar, “artist with virtue and art of Shaanxi Province, and honorary life president of Shaanxi Association for the Promotion of Traditional Culture, delivered a report titled “Traditional Culture and Silk Road”, in which he talked about the history from the marine Silk Road to the land Silk Road, and the two-way role of Silk Road between China and the world. Taking his own travelling experience as an example, he encouraged students to uphold fundamental principles and promote innovations starting from Silk Road, to contribute to the inheritance of the excellent traditional Chinese culture.
Ding Maozhang, chief expert of the Institute of Socialist Development with Chinese Characteristics of the Southeast University, and former editor-in-chief of the Newspaper Agency of the Central Party School (the National School of Administration), delivered a report entitled “The History and Two Paths of Culture Communication Between China and the West”. With referring to the expression “Different Regions, Different Customs”, prof. Ding stressed the importance of geographical location to Chinese development, and pointed out that if we have firm confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we will definitely realize national rejuvenation.
Zhou Gaode, former deputy secretary general of China Taoist Association, professor of China Taoist Academy, honorary president of Taoist Academy across Taiwan Strait, delivered a report entitled “The Moral Pursuit of Taoism: ‘the Highest Goodness is Like Water’; ‘Doing Without Contention’.” Prof. Zhou majorly explained this moral pursuit, and then he explained the importance of seeking “Tao” from his own point of view, encouraged students to try to become the talented people for China, and pursued the moral principle like “Tao creates but not controls; supports but not subdues.” Porf. Zhou’s detailed explanation was very important for us to understand the characteristics of Chinese civilization, uphold the confidence in our culture, keep opening-up and tolerance, and develop the Chinese civilization in modern time.
Zeng Yesong, former inspector, deputy director of the Research Office of the Central Party School and vice president of China Leadership Research Association, delivered a report entitled “The Implication of the Excellent Traditional Chinese Culture to the Governance of the Country”. Prof. Zeng explained in detail the essence of the excellent traditional Chinese culture from six aspects, which contains rich experience and great wisdom of the governance of the country, and is the cause for us to keep the eternal vitality of our civilization.
Mr. Tan Shaotang, a renowned Chinese scholar mentor and director of the Beijing Tangzhitang Cultural and Art Development Center, delivered a report entitled “Family Traditions and instructions: Inheritance and Innovation”. He pointed out that, family traditions and instructions are a precious part of traditional Chinese culture, and the soul and cultural foundation of Chinese family education. He emphasized that family traditions and instructions are not just preaching but a system of education. He showed the value of family traditions and instructions by referring to famous literature classics, folk culture, history and geography, national art, and scientific and technological civilization, in order to spread the core of family and country sentiment.
Shang Ziyong, a famous cultural scholar and a supervisor of Shaanxi Association for the Promotion of Traditional Culture, delivered a report entitled “The History of Culture”. He analyzed the current situation of cultural development from three aspects: the nature of culture, the trend of contemporary cultural development, and the contradictions of contemporary culture. He also explained the relationship between these three pairs: man and nature, culture and civilization, material and mental culture, which was quite helpful for us to understand the nature of culture.
High-level Dialogue
The high-level dialogue session of the forum was presided by Ms. Mou Shanrong, vice president of China Development Research Institute, and executive director of Traditional Chinese Culture Research Institute of Xi’an Peihua University.
Ms. Mou Shanrong, vice president of China Development Research Institute and Executive Director of Traditional Chinese Culture Research Institute of Xi’an Peihua University, presided over the high-level dialogue session of the forum.
Five experts and honorable guests had a conversation on “how to spread traditional Chinese culture”, who were Jiang Bo, chairman of the board of Xi’an Peihua University; Shang Ziyong, famous cultural scholar and supervisor of Shaanxi Association for the Promotion of Traditional Culture; Tan Shaotang, instructor of Chinese Studies, director of Beijing Tang Zhi Tang Culture and Art Development Center; Zhou Gaode, former deputy secretary general of China Taoist Association, professor of China Taoist Academy, honorary president of Taoist Academy across Taiwan Strait; Zeng Yesong, former inspector, deputy director of the Research Office of the Central Party School, and vice president of China Leadership Research Association.
Scene of High-Level Dialogue on Traditional Culture
The wonderful dialogue and discussion of the experts opened a window of wisdom: from family culture, “family and country sentiment” and “virtues to shape the new trend of social civilization” to “ the application of the cultural essence of Taoism ‘harmony and tolerance’ to social life”; from the cultivation of “family and country sentiment” with virtue education among college students in the new era, to the practical application of traditional culture in empowering new rural construction and new economic development. The forum ended with two guest speakers, Mr. Tan Shaotang and Mr. Zhou Gaode, presenting calligraphy works to Peihua University .
Guest speakers at the keynote forum collectively presented calligraphy works to the organizer, Xi’an Peihua College
Group Photo of Some of the Guests
By actively exploring the introduction of excellent traditional Chinese culture into campus in recent years, Xi’an Peihua University has been continuously enhancing the teachers’ and students’ understanding and recognition of excellent traditional Chinese culture, strengthening their confidence in it, cultivating their family and country sentiment, and promoting patriotic education. The success of this forum was another teaching practice of Xi’an Peihua University in spreading and inheriting excellent traditional Chinese culture and moral education, and contributed to the development of Peihua with a history of 95 years.
