In midsummer, the sun shines like fire on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.
Deep in the lush jungle, towering pyramids and solemn temples stand quietly, as if the Mayans who lived here did not live here thousands of years ago, but just left yesterday.
On June 6, 2013, the Mayan civilization site of Chichen Itza welcomed guests from afar.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan were accompanied by the then Mexican President Peña and his wife.
From the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent to the ruins of the ball arena and the temple of the warriors, President Xi Jinping strolled through it, watching carefully and asking questions from time to time.
Chichen Itza was founded in the 5th century AD and was once the most prosperous city-state in the ancient Mayan kingdom.
Jose Uchim, a senior Mayan archaeologist in Mexico and the head of the Uxmal Mayan civilization site, remembered that when he introduced the Mayan traditional rituals, the history of ball games and their manifestations, President Xi Jinping listened carefully. , and also asked about the meaning of the relief patterns on the base of the site.
When talking about the Mayan worship of the Kukulkan pyramid, Uchim mentioned the similarities between related elements and Chinese elements such as dragons, and President Xi Jinping was very interested.
President Xi Jinping and Peña Nieto talked about the long history of cultural exchanges between China and Mexico, and talked about the reasons why the cultures of the two countries have spread far and wide and remain alive forever.
President Xi Jinping said: "The world is rich and colorful. Different civilizations and cultures can develop and prosper together only when they maintain their own characteristics, tolerate each other and live in peace with an open-minded and open attitude."
Uchim was impressed by President Xi Jinping's keen interest in different cultures.
In March 2014, on the stage of the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, President Xi Jinping once again talked about the harvest of his visit to Chichen Itza and the ancient city of Samarkand in Central Asia: "I deeply feel that it is necessary to understand the The truth is that we must uphold an attitude of equality and humility. If you treat a civilization condescendingly, not only will you not be able to understand the mystery of this civilization, but it will also be incompatible with it. History and reality show that arrogance and prejudice are the biggest obstacles to exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations. "
Uchim listened to the speech carefully.
President Xi Jinping explained to the world China's view of civilization in the new era, and called for the promotion of mutual respect and harmonious coexistence of different civilizations, so that exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations can become a bridge for friendship between peoples of various countries, a driving force for the progress of human society, and a bond for maintaining world peace.
These words reached Uchim's heart.
In his impression, it is rare to see leaders of other major countries make similar statements, especially on occasions like UNESCO.
"It is very admirable for a national leader to express this kind of intention and make such a statement like Xi Jinping."
Recalling the "Civilization Walk" in 2013, Uchim is still unforgettable.
President Xi Jinping's concern for cultural heritage and his enthusiasm for different civilizations deeply touched Uchim.
"We Mexicans are very concerned about the country's large number of archaeological sites and cultural traditions. When we ask ourselves where we come from, we say we are from a millennium civilization."
Under the promotion of President Xi Jinping, China-Mexico people-to-people and cultural exchanges have been splendid, and cooperation in cultural heritage protection has been fruitful.
The two ancient civilizations complement each other, and the dialogue spanning thousands of years is writing a new chapter.
On November 13, 2014, President Xi Jinping and visiting President Peña Nieto jointly witnessed the opening of the cultural exhibition "Maya: The Language of Beauty" at the National Museum of China.
Pieces of exquisite cultural relics present the Mayan civilization's outlook on life, cosmology and aesthetics, making people stop and contemplate.
Uchim and his colleagues have been paying attention to the progress of Sanxingdui archaeology in China. He has participated in many expert exchange seminars on the subject of ancient Shu civilization and Mayan civilization, and has also visited Sanxingdui on the spot.
Archaeologists from the two countries believe that the latitudes of Sanxingdui and the ancient Mayan country are similar, and the natural environments for the formation and development of the two civilizations are very close, so they have similar cosmology.
"Sanxingdui residents and Mayans once looked up at the same sky and counted the same stars," a Mexican archaeologist once said emotionally.
In March 2021, a large number of newly unearthed cultural relics such as golden mask fragments and bronze sacred trees from Sanxingdui will be presented to the world.
Uchim was amazed at the advanced archaeological technology used by his Chinese counterparts. He expected that China's experience, talents and technology could empower the protection of global cultural heritage, and he hoped that Mexico and China would continue to work together to protect the common civilization memory and spiritual wealth of mankind.
General planner: Fu Hua
Director system: Zhang Sutang
Planning: Sun Chengbin and Chen Erhou
Producer: Zhao Cheng Liu Jie Sun Zhiping Chen Kaixing Huo Xiaoguang Lai Xiangdong Fan Hua Qi Huijie
Coordination: Li Zhongfa Wu Dan Huang Yue
Text: Han Liang Wu Hao Zhu Yubo
Photography: Rao Aimin
Audio: Wu Weiling, Yang Muqian
Design: Jiao Xufeng Yin Zhe Lunma Development
Vision: Tang Jingwei and Zheng Lixin
Coordinator: Hu Ruohan and Wang Xiaojiao
Promotion: Li Ming Zhao Peng
Produced by the first studio of Xinhua News Agency