Attach importance to history education to promote national identity-Interview with Wu Zhiliang, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and vice chairman of the National Hong Kong and Macao Research Association

　　China News Service, Macau, June 18, Wire Title: Pay attention to history education to promote national identity-Interview with Wu Zhiliang, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Vice President of the National Hong Kong and Macau Research Association

　　China News Agency reporter Long Tuyou

　　"Amidst the unprecedented changes in the world, how to better inherit history, strengthen cultural self-confidence, strengthen national concepts, and strengthen national identity is a major task facing China, especially after returning to the motherland. The tasks of Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions are even more arduous."

　　Wu Zhiliang, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and vice chairman of the National Hong Kong and Macau Research Association, made the above remarks in an exclusive interview with a reporter from China News Agency during the 2021 academic seminar of the National Hong Kong and Macau Research Association on the 18th.

　　"Where do we come from" and "who are we" determine our "where to go" and determine the destiny of the nation and country. How should we understand "national identity"?

　　Wu Zhiliang believes that the connotative elements of "national identity" include five dimensions, namely the identity of the subject dimension, the territorial identity of the space dimension, the historical identity of the time dimension, the cultural identity of the ideal dimension, and the political identity of the power dimension.

The complete "national identity" must cover these five aspects, and none of them are indispensable.

　　"The reason why China is able to remain invincible is to be grateful for the profound accumulation of five thousand years of civilization, for the nourishment of the long-standing, extensive and profound Chinese history and culture, for the inheritance of historical and cultural traditions, and for the socialist system. The full use of the advantages, thanks to the continuous progress of national construction and the continuous improvement of people's lives, has made the people's "national identity" continuously strengthened."

　　Wu Zhiliang pointed out that although Macau was colonized by Portugal in history, strictly speaking, Portuguese colonial rule did not penetrate deeply into Chinese society, especially in terms of cultural values. China and the West coexist and Chinese culture has always been dominant; economically, Macau is completely dependent on the mainland of China. The prosperity of the country and the decline of the country are directly related to the rise and fall of Macau.

Therefore, Macao has always shared the same fate and breathed with the motherland, has a deep and simple tradition of patriotism, and many people of insight have also persistently spread Chinese history and culture.

　　Adherence to Chinese cultural traditions and a sense of closeness to the country have not only created a good social environment for the smooth return of Macao and the establishment of the SAR, but also laid a social foundation for the patriotism education of the SAR.

Wu Zhiliang said: "The first policy address of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government set patriotism as the overall goal of educational development, and it was formally implemented in the form of law in 2006. Ten years later, the education department officially launched high school history textbooks and it was the most important one. Adopted by most schools, history education is on the right track."

　　Wu Zhiliang pointed out that in the middle school history textbooks, both Chinese history and world history have included the topic of Macau history.

This arrangement not only reflects that the history of Macau is a part of the history of China, and that Macau is the relationship between the local and the central government in the overall situation of the country, but also highlights the special status of Macau in the exchanges between China and the world, and fully affirms Macau's economic, trade and cultural exchanges between China and the West. The special role of the Chinese Academy of Sciences enables students to better understand Macau’s position in the domestic and international landscape, which is conducive to the formation and determination of their own identity and national identity in a clearer and more complete manner.

　　“It’s worth mentioning that history teaching in Macau is not limited to classrooms. Many schools encourage and guide students to go out of the classroom, inspect Macau’s historical and cultural monuments, customs and customs, write investigation reports, and then share them with more students. The students' interest in learning history has also enabled them to have a more perceptual and intuitive understanding of historical figures and events, and increase their personal experience and sense of belonging to Macau." Wu Zhiliang said.

　　As a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, Macau has many well-conserved cultural relics and historic sites, which provide students with good inspection targets.

　　Wu Zhiliang pointed out that these cultural relics and historic sites are the mark of the vicissitudes of history and the testimony of the glory and humiliation of the Chinese nation.

On the other hand, the recent and modern history of Macau is a microcosm of the modern and modern history of China. These characters and events are closely related to the recent and modernization process of China. Through study and inspection, the students have also deepened their understanding of Chinese history and strengthened the people. awareness.

　　Macau’s history education is not only promoted in schools, many public institutions and social organizations also regularly organize different forms of guided tours and inspection activities to increase citizens’ understanding of cultural relics and Macau’s history, thereby enhancing citizens’ home and country feelings.

　　Wu Zhiliang introduced that the Macau Foundation, the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the Macau Society of History and Education, and the Macau Cultural Relics Ambassadors Association have trained thousands of cultural relics ambassadors over the years. Through their guided tours and explanations, hundreds of thousands of citizens have increased their support. The cognition of Macao's history and culture and the understanding of its relationship with Chinese history.

　　He also revealed to reporters that, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China, the Macau Foundation and Shanghai People’s Publishing House jointly published the "Half-Hour Comic Party History", focusing on introducing the history of the Communist Party of China to young people in an easy-to-understand format.

　　"Knowing history is clear, and history is wise. We believe that as long as we persevere, Macau history research and history education will achieve greater success, and the national identity of Macau residents will be stronger." Wu Zhiliang is full of confidence in Macau's future history education.

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