China News Service, Beijing, July 26th. Title: From Song and Yuan Dynasty to the present, China's "worldview" behind cultural heritage

  China News Agency reporter Zhang Weiran

  "Quanzhou: China's World Ocean Trade Center in Song and Yuan Dynasties" was successfully included in the "World Heritage List" on the 25th, adding a bright pearl from the East to the list.

  Among the 56 World Heritage Sites in China, Quanzhou in the Song and Yuan Dynasties is of special significance.

This is the starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, the "largest port in the East" comparable to Alexandria in Egypt, and the "City of Light" described by Marco Polo.

  The cultural heritage of the "City of Light" not only "lives" the dusty history, but also conveys the spiritual temperament of a city and a country.

Ancient China is well-known for its advanced farming and agricultural civilization. The historical culture attached to Quanzhou in the Song and Yuan Dynasties recorded the interaction between Chinese agricultural civilization and the world’s marine commercial civilization. This provides the world with an understanding of how ancient China “faced the ocean” and “sea world”. Importing into China adds a new perspective.

  For China, the meaning of Quanzhou in the Song and Yuan Dynasties runs through ancient and modern times.

The active exchanges between Chinese and foreign people, the rich cultural exchanges between ethnic groups, and the prosperous maritime trade pattern all express the "world outlook" of diversity and co-prosperity.

This belief has been cherished by the Chinese for many centuries.

  Faced with different groups of people, the Chinese choose to live together instead of building walls.

Historical relics show that Chinese and foreign businessmen, messengers, officials, monks, people and other people from all walks of life in Quanzhou have left splendid cultural and life imprints. Housing, office space, and infrastructure have their own distinctive characteristics, but also reflect the exchanges. Fusion development.

  Faced with different religions, the Chinese choose to accept rather than reject them.

In Quanzhou, heritage sites such as Qingjing Temple, Islamic Holy Tomb, Kaiyuan Temple, Cao'an Maniguang Buddha Statue, Tianhou Palace, Quanzhou Confucian Temple, etc., all demonstrate the spread of various religions in the southeast coastal area at that time. The density of “gods” can be described as great. "Turn around" can be encountered.

  Faced with the vast ocean, the Chinese choose co-prosperity rather than colonization.

From the 15th to the 17th centuries, the "Great Navigation Era" brought the colonial system and colonial culture to the world; from the 10th to the 14th centuries, the Song and Yuan Quanzhou maritime trade covered East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia, East Africa and other vast regions, promoting prosperity through tolerance It became the theme of dialogue between China in Song and Yuan Dynasties with different countries and different civilizations.

  Looking back, Quanzhou in Song and Yuan dynasties closely linked the land of China with the world's maritime trade network, and China became an important participant and contributor to maritime trade and exchanges. Looking at the present, the diverse and co-prosperous "world outlook" behind Quanzhou in Song and Yuan dynasties has been inherited and integrated. Update, the Chinese are deeply participating and contributing to the world.

  Statistics show that the “Belt and Road” initiative, which advocates openness and inclusiveness, has received responses from 140 countries and 32 international organizations.

In the context of the severe impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic on the world, dialogue, trade and cooperation between China and other countries did not press the pause button, but went against the trend to show resilience and vitality.

Many landlocked countries are gaining new opportunities for development towards the ocean and into a broader world through the cooperation of the "Belt and Road Initiative".

  Looking back on the history of civilization, mankind has experienced a bloody hot war and an icy cold war, and has also achieved amazing development and tremendous progress.

In today's world, there are still many problems to be resolved, many differences to be clarified, and the topic of "clash of civilizations" is still hotly discussed.

Through the ancient "telescopes" of Quanzhou in the Song and Yuan Dynasties, people should understand the meaning of "multiple co-prosperity". Only by continuing this "world view" can we better face the future.

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