(East and West Questions) Short Commentary: Why did China set up a "Cultural and Natural Heritage Day"?
China News Agency, Beijing, June 11th: Why did China set up the "Cultural and Natural Heritage Day"?
Author Xu Xueying
June 11 is China's sixth "Cultural and Natural Heritage Day", and this year's theme is "Cultural Relics Protection: The Times Advance Together and the People Share".
From the popularity of online cultural and creative stores in major museums, to the fashion of "cloud" museum tours, cultural relics science has gradually "flyed into the homes of ordinary people".
In addition to contributing to holiday and play check-in places and adding cultural symbol inspiration to commodities, how can the value of cultural and natural heritage be manifested in contemporary times?
Why did China set up the "Cultural and Natural Heritage Day"?
The provincial intangible cultural heritage of Shandong Province "Baoshan Yangko".
Photo by Han Jiajun issued by China News Agency
Strengthen protection and learn from the stones of other mountains.
In 1984, France became the first country in the world to establish a "Cultural Heritage Day".
In the following decades, most countries in Europe have followed suit. The "Cultural Heritage Day" has raised the public's awareness of cultural heritage, helped to deepen their love for cultural history, and turned it into a conscious action to protect cultural heritage.
Chinese people have always respected their ancestors and respected history.
From unearthed bamboo slips to famous mountains and rivers, there are countless unearthed cultural relics and cultural and natural heritage, which not only condense the wisdom and worldview of the ancients, but also forge the root and soul of Chinese civilization.
In China, the tradition of inheriting ancestral heritage and benefiting future generations has existed since ancient times, and the modernization of Europe has provided an important reference for China to better protect cultural and natural heritage.
In 2005, the State Council of the People's Republic of China took suggestions from various parties and decided that starting from 2006, the second Saturday of June each year will be China's "Cultural Heritage Day"; since 2017, it will be adjusted and established as "Cultural and Natural Heritage Day".
In recent years, the popularity and influence of "Cultural and Natural Heritage Day" have been increasing day by day. This year, various provinces in China plan to hold more than 6,200 related intangible cultural heritage publicity and display activities.
On the occasion of China's 16th "Cultural and Natural Heritage Day" in 2021, the protection and repair project of 5 enemy towers and 4 sections of side walls in the Jinshanling Great Wall, a world cultural heritage in Chengde City, Hebei Province, was officially launched.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Zhang Guiqin
Learn from the past and know the present, and inherit the genes of civilization.
To recreate the universe within a short distance, Suzhou gardens reproduce the peaceful and far-reaching life of ancient literati with flowing three-dimensional landscape paintings; "The color is like Wodan, the splendor is like Mingxia", the Danxia landform adds strange color to the vast land of China; Liangzhu Ancient City The ruins have become the evidence of the five thousand years of Chinese civilization; the Ming and Qing Forbidden City provided rich research samples for the evolution of Chinese palace architecture and the Ming and Qing cultural relics regulations... Visiting cultural and natural heritage is like appreciating Wang Ximeng's "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains", The scroll unfolds slowly, and the magnificence of the land of China and the splendor of Chinese civilization come to the fore.
The shape and scale of cultural and natural heritage often correspond to the social, political and cultural existence of the same period. Therefore, we can often see and know little about the historical context of Chinese civilization and the formation and development of the pattern of pluralism.
The Chinese civilization is the only civilization in the world that continues to this day in the form of a state. Various cultural and natural heritages are evidence of the long history and inclusive development of the Chinese culture.
In 2017, Beijing's Prince Kung's Mansion launched a series of activities of "Splendid China----Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage Costume Show".
Photo by Guo Junfeng issued by China News Agency
Make good use of heritage to promote Sino-foreign dialogue.
The establishment of "Cultural and Natural Heritage Day" can also make heritage "live" and act as a bridge between China and foreign countries.
In recent years, China's home diplomacy has been selected for many times in the "City of Heritage".
The 4th China-CEEC Summit was held in Suzhou. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with foreign ministers in Dujiangyan. The 3rd Afghan Neighboring Foreign Ministers' Meeting was located in Mount Huangshan. The representation of cultural heritage outlines the characteristics of a country's civilization, and it has become a common language for countries to demonstrate confidence and release goodwill in international exchanges.
Overlooking Dujiangyan.
Photo by Chen Xianlin issued by China News Agency
From the Acropolis Museum in Greece to the Luxor Temple in Egypt, from the ancient city of Bukhara in Uzbekistan to the ancient temple complex of Mahabalipuram in India, the “civilization footprints” of Chinese leaders’ visits also reflect China’s commitment to other civilizations. Respect and appreciation express China's friendliness and sincerity that China is willing to communicate and learn from each other with other countries.
Cultural and natural heritage is the crystallization of the glorious years of mankind. It is not only the annotation of civilization, the measurement object and analysis tool of archaeologists, but also the testimony of civilization's glorious existence in the world.
Regardless of the bronze fragments or the carved beams and painted buildings, they all support people's imagination and remembrance of history, and also carry the awe and cherishment of human civilization by the people of all countries.
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