People's Daily - October 4, 2026

"All 56 Ethnic Groups Are One Big Family"

By: 本报记者 李昌禹 刘博通

“My motherland and I, not for a single moment can we be separated…”

In this golden autumn of October, New China ushers in the 77th anniversary of its founding. From Tiananmen Square in Beijing, to Barkhor Street in Lhasa, Tibet, to Liuxing Street in Yili, Xinjiang… one after another Five-Star Red Flag flutters in the wind, songs such as “My Motherland and I” and“Ode to the Motherland” are sung among the masses of all ethnic groups, and the sincere love of the sons and daughters of all ethnic groups for the great motherland wells up from the depths of their hearts.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: ““The Chinese nation is a big family, and the fifty-six ethnic groups are one family that loves each other dearly.”

Fifty-six ethnic groups, one shared dream; all ethnic groups cling tightly together like pomegranate seeds. Wherever the eye reaches, wherever the heart turns, the forging of a sense of community for the Chinese nation takes root across the length and breadth of the land, and everywhere on this divine continent there is unity, endeavor, and vigorous progress, and the flower of ethnic unity blooms ever more brilliantly.

A Shared Voice from the Heart: Be Guardians of the Great Motherland

A grand birthday of a flourishing age, praising the motherland. Identification with family and country, bloodlines interwoven.

On the morning of October 1st, on the Pamir Plateau, in Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County, Xinjiang, at the Khunjerab National Gate, over 5,000 meters above sea level, over a thousand people of all ethnic groups gathered together to witness the sacred moment of the raising of the Five-Star Red Flag.

On the same day, on the southern foothills of the Himalayas, at the Yumai Border Police Station in Longzi County, Tibet, they raised the same flag together and sang the same song together. On the snowy plateau, the heartfelt cry that“home is Yumai, country is China” burns hot.

Though the borderlands are far away, families and country share one heart. Cry after cry of“Long live the motherland” expresses deep feeling, and the Five-Star Red Flag bears witness to the most steadfast identification with family and country of the sons and daughters of all ethnic groups.

This identification comes from a spiritual self-awareness forged by thousands of years of civilizational immersion and a hundred years of storms and trials—

The history of China is a history of all ethnic groups blending and converging into the pluralistic-yet-unified Chinese nation. The heroic vigor of the Qin and Han dynasties, the grandeur of the High Tang, were jointly forged by all ethnic groups; the Silk Road, the Tea-Horse Ancient Road, were jointly opened up by all ethnic groups; the epic of the Long March and the All-Nation War of Resistance, was jointly written by the compatriots of all ethnic groups.

The great motherland and great nation nurtured by over five thousand years of Chinese civilization will forever be the deepest and most enduring emotional anchor of all Chinese sons and daughters.

This identification comes from the natural bond of all ethnic groups—bloodlines interwoven, beliefs shared, cultures connected, economies interdependent, affections intimate—

One round of bright moon shines upon“one heart.” During the Mid-Autumn Festival, from north and south of the Tianshan Mountains to Yunnan, the Land of Colorful Clouds, whether in urban streets and alleys or rural courtyards, people of all ethnic groups sit together in a circle, savoring delicacies, admiring the bright moon, singing and dancing… Scene after scene of mortal life, freeze-frames the moving tableau of the sons and daughters of all ethnic groups being on intimate terms like siblings.

Each beautifies its own beauty, and beauty is shared with all. Whenever a traditional festival of the Chinese nation arrives, all households of all ethnic groups celebrate together; a mooncake, a joyful gathering—these seemingly ordinary festive rituals in fact illuminate the gathering of hearts, and are vivid living proof of a sense of community for the Chinese nation soaking into people's hearts and taking root in the ground.

This identification comes from the deepening advancement of the building of the Chinese national community since the new era—

On September 21st, at the main event of the 2026 Ethnic Unity and Progress Publicity Week, representatives of 56 ethnic groups jointly issued an initiative:“We must be guardians of the great motherland. Resolutely uphold the Party's leadership, love our motherland ardently, and firmly establish the community concept of sharing both joys and sorrows、sharing both honor and disgrace、sharing both life and death、sharing a common destiny…”

This is the common voice from the heart of fifty-six ethnic groups, and also the affectionate declaration of Chinese sons and daughters to the great motherland.

“People of all ethnic groups must keep a sense of community for the Chinese nation firmly in mind and merged into their blood, jointly guard the territory of the motherland, jointly build a beautiful homeland, and let the flower of ethnic unity and progress bloom ever more brilliantly.” On September 24, 2024, General Secretary Xi Jinping's reply letter to the descendants of the oath-taking representatives of the Puer Ethnic Unity Oath Monument was earnest and heartfelt.

The Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law has been promulgated and implemented, activities such as“Ethnic Unity, One Family” have been carried out in depth… People of all ethnic groups have their hearts returning to one another and their spirits leaning on each other, advancing the Chinese nation into a community with a shared future that has higher recognition and stronger cohesion.

Common Development: Not a Single Ethnic Group Can Be Left Behind

Families and country celebrate together; happiness is the most vivid footnote.

Beside the Keriya River in Hotan, Xinjiang, a village called Daliyaboyu quietly tells the story of development, progress, and the changes of the times.

Villagers relocated from the“sea of sand” to a new village, putting an end to the days when there was no road. The development of desert tourism is flourishing and prospering day by day, the lives of the villagers are getting better and better, and the way of life of generations living in“wattle houses” has also become history.

During this National Day holiday, villager Eziretihan·Musha is beaming with joy, warmly greeting guests. In her smile is the happiness and sense of security of days getting better and better.

Today, walking through the streets, alleys, villages, and hamlets of ethnic regions, what people talk about most and feel most deeply is the earth-shaking change.

Life is changing; development is changing.

The“large power grid” has lit up the canyon villages on the Pamir Plateau; in the deep mountains of the Dulong River Township in Nujiang, Yunnan, there is now 5G network signal… Infrastructure, distinctive industries, education, healthcare—one preferential policy after another has been implemented and delivered results, injecting vigorous vitality and momentum into the development of ethnic regions.

Disposition is changing; spirit is changing.

The towering Tianshan Mountains were once a natural barrier between the north and south of Xinjiang. With the smooth completion of the 22.13-kilometer Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, the natural barrier has become a thoroughfare.

“It's not that piercing through the Tianshan Mountains is easy, but that on the other side of the Tianshan Mountains there are people…” A introduction by Xinjiang tour guide Dilinuer·Tuerxunjiang reveals the profound foundation of“the Chinese nation is one family, united in heart to build the Chinese Dream.”

Vision is changing; realm is changing.

A grand canal carries the dream of the Chinese nation striving for strength through maritime development. On September 16th, the first canal connecting rivers and seas built since the founding of New China—the Pinglu Canal—officially opened to navigation, linking together regions inhabited by Zhuang, Yao, Miao, and other ethnic groups.

Cutting through mountains, opening rivers! Builders from all corners of the world formed the“Pinglu Canal Battle Team,” building the canal into a connecting-hearts river of ethnic unity.

Since the new era, the rapid development of ethnic regions has made people of all ethnic groups deeply realize that only when the country is strong and the Chinese nation is well can they themselves live good lives.

The Chinese nation is a big family; in advancing Chinese modernization and achieving common prosperity, not a single ethnic group can be left behind.

From villagers in Jingmai Mountain, Puer, Yunnan, who have taken up an ecological livelihood and a cultural livelihood, to industrial workers in Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, who have turned the grassland's“wind and light” into new momentum for the digital age—people of all ethnic groups share in the fruits of reform and development, strive to be builders of Chinese modernization, the endogenous momentum of ethnic regions is fully unleashed, advancing all ethnic groups together toward socialist modernization.

Common Endeavor: Promote Chinese Modernization through the Great Unity of the Chinese Nation

Ethnic unity is the lifeline of the people of all ethnic groups in our country.

Sharing the same sky, tilling the same field, drinking from the same river, building the same home. Behind a happy life is the mutual support and looking out for one another of people of all ethnic groups, who are on intimate terms like siblings.

During the National Day holiday, at the Changcheng Garden Community in Jinfeng District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, red flags flutter and songs surge like tides. Ethnic dances, square dances, fan dances are graceful and varied; residents chat and laugh, everyone sings together, dances together, and in the process their feelings have grown deep, just like pomegranate seeds clinging tightly together.

“The community is home to compatriots of the Han, Hui, Manchu, Mongol, Tibetan, and other ethnic groups; everyone helps each other, visits each other often, and people of all ethnic groups unite as one to build a beautiful homeland and share a happy life.” Community Party Secretary Zhao Naiixiang's words were brief, but within them lay a weighty hope for a better life.

Realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the common dream of all ethnic groups, and it cannot be achieved without the strength of the great unity of the people of all ethnic groups across the country.

Baohan Community in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, is home to people of over 30 ethnic groups including Han, Uyghur, and Hui, making it a typical multi-ethnic inter-embedded community.

From holding rich and varied“Ethnic Unity, One Family” activities, to building the“Pomegranate Seed Council,” everyone works together to find solutions when difficulties arise.“Once you come to Guangzhou, you are a Guangzhou person.” Wu Suiling, Party Secretary of Baohan Community, revealed the warmth of the community in one sentence; she said that in over ten years of working here, the popularity has grown, exchanges have become closer, and life has more hope.

A set of data reflects the depth and breadth of interactions, exchanges, and integration among people of all ethnic groups—China's floating population of ethnic minorities has reached over 33 million, with more than one-third of the ethnic minority population living in cities and scattered areas, and the social conditions for people of all ethnic groups to live together, learn together, build together, share together, work together, and rejoice together have become more complete.

Minning Cooperation, paired assistance to Tibet, paired assistance to Xinjiang, paired assistance to Qinghai… On the journey of advancing hand in hand toward modernization, people of all ethnic groups have formed deep brotherly affections, performed moving“mountain-and-sea romances,” left behind countless touching stories, and formed a powerful spiritual bond of hearts converging and striving together in unity.

The new era is an era of strivers. On the evening of September 30th, the important speech delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the reception celebrating the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China was inspiring and galvanizing:“As long as we strengthen our confidence, anchor our goals, and march forward steadily step by step, success will surely belong to the great Communist Party of China, the great Chinese people, and the great People's Republic of China!”

Looking back along the millennia-old road, the glory accumulated by over five thousand years of Chinese civilization is vast, weighty, and radiant.

Gazing ahead at the magnificent journey, the sons and daughters of all ethnic groups will turn their deep patriotic feelings into the ambition to serve the country in striving for the 15th Five-Year Plan, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, promoting Chinese modernization through the great unity of the Chinese nation, and charging bravely forward toward the glorious shore of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!

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Inject More Certainty and Positive Energy into a World Interwoven with Change and Turmoil

By: 本报评论员

“We must adhere to an independent foreign policy of peace, promote the implementation of the four major global initiatives, advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, and inject more certainty and positive energy into a world interwoven with change and turmoil.”

At the reception celebrating the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping's sonorous and powerful words displayed the Chinese Communists' broad-minded concern for the whole world (天下情怀, tian xia qing huai - "under heaven, feeling, sentiment") in seeking progress for humanity and common good for the world, and demonstrated the bearing of a major country with which China shares opportunities with the world and seeks common development.

Advancing in the logic of historical progress, developing in the currents of the times, China has always placed its own development within the coordinate system of human development, and has always closely linked its own destiny with the destinies of people of all countries in the world.

“We have the determination to steadfastly advance Chinese modernization, and also the breadth of mind to share development opportunities with the world through high-standard opening up, and will inject confidence and momentum into global economic growth through our own development.” This is the new atmosphere, the new shaping that this ancient Eastern great power, as it strides step by step toward great rejuvenation, brings to the world.

“Walking together with China is walking together with opportunity.” Today's China means opportunity.

Boasting 25 of the world's top 100 innovation clusters, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period the number of domestic effective invention patents reached 5.394 million, and in 2025 whole-society R&D investment exceeded 3.92 trillion yuan. Opportunity, it lies hidden in the pulse of innovative development.

China has provided 70% of the world's wind power equipment and 80% of photovoltaic module equipment, helping numerous developing countries enhance their energy transition capacity, making clean energy a global public good that is universally beneficial and shared. Opportunity, it is engraved in the pace of green transformation.

“I never thought there would be a day like this, when washing machines, laptops, big refrigerators, freezers, and ovens could all be affordable.” A Kenyan netizen thus praised Chinese mechanical and electrical products on social media. Opportunity, it is embodied in every aspect of ordinary people's daily lives.

Relying on its super-large market, complete industrial system, vibrant innovation ecosystem, and more, China is using new quality productive forces to shape “China Opportunity 2.0,” and is providing the world with growth-oriented opportunities through high-quality development.

“The 15th Five-Year Plan is not only China's own development blueprint, but also a cooperation list oriented toward the world.” Continuously providing the world with new opportunities through China's new development, Chinese modernization, in benefiting oneself while helping others, empowers the globe.

By adhering to open development in answering the question of the world, today's China proclaims certainty.

From building the Hainan Free Trade Port to high standards, creating an important gateway leading our country's opening up in the new era, to the opening of navigation on the Pinglu Canal, a backbone project of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, opening a new pattern of China-ASEAN connectivity;

From hosting the China International Import Expo, the Canton Fair, the China International Fair for Trade in Services, the China International Consumer Products Expo, and more, providing countries with broad market space and investment opportunities, to fully implementing zero-tariff measures for the 53 African countries that have established diplomatic relations with China, demonstrating China's sincerity in mutual benefit and win-win outcomes (互利共赢, hu li gong ying - "mutual, benefit; together, win") in jointly developing with countries of the Global South……

Today's China, its pace of opening up is expanding toward deeper levels and broader fields. “In an increasingly unpredictable global environment, China is an oasis of certainty,” has become a consensus of the international community.

A person in charge of a foreign enterprise believes: “China's unswerving expansion of opening up and promotion of high-quality development will continue to play the role of a ‘stabilizing anchor,’ providing the world economy with highly valuable and rare (难能可贵, nan neng ke gui - "difficult, to be able; can, be precious") confidence and certainty.”

“Taking the people's hearts as one's own heart, taking the world's benefits as one's own benefit,” China is an advocate and a doer in global development cooperation.

Contributing Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to the cause of human peace and development, today's China is playing a leading role.

From taking the lead in proposing the Global AI Governance Initiative, to releasing the Global AI Capacity-Building Inclusive Plan, to initiating and promoting the establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, Chinese solutions are leading global AI governance.

Since the Global Development Initiative was proposed five years ago, it has been transformed from a Chinese proposition into international consensus; since the Global Governance Initiative was proposed one year ago, it has received support and response from nearly 160 countries and international organizations…… The four major global initiatives provide clear strategic guidance for promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Leading the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to rally people's hearts and strengths together (凝心聚力, ning xin ju li - "condense, heart; gather, strength") and move steadily to achieve long-term success (行稳致远, xing wen zhi yuan - "walk, steadily; reach, far") with the “Four Adherences,” clarifying the historical mission and elevating the strategic positioning of BRICS cooperation with the “Four Pioneers,” and providing clearer strategic guidance for exploring the way major countries should interact with each other through the “China-U.S. constructive strategic stable relationship based on respect, fairness, and reciprocity”…… Chinese concepts are gaining greater support among the people, the role of major countries is becoming more prominent, and international influence is further enhanced.

Chinese modernization is committed to peaceful development, high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, all for the sake of jointly creating a more beautiful future for human society.

Currently, the centennial transformation is accelerating, the world has entered a new period of turbulence and change, and humanity once again stands at a crossroads of where to go.

“More than 190 countries around the world are riding in a great ship of shared destiny, and should work together through difficulties in the same boat (同舟共济, tong zhou gong ji - "same, boat; together, cross") and jointly respond to global challenges.”

A China that “stands on the side of historical correctness and on the side of human progress” has always been a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, a defender of international order, anda provider of public goods.

Following the general trend, shouldering the great cause, walking the great path, our struggle will surely continue to be engraved in the annals of human civilization.

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Carry Forward the Red Legacy and Deepen Patriotic Sentiments

During the National Day holiday, people visited revolutionary sites, memorial halls, and other places, continuing a lineage or tradition (赓续血脉, geng xu xue mai - "continue, blood, vein") of the red heritage and deepening their patriotic sentiments.

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Walking Through Mountains and Rivers, Culture and Tourism Open a New Chapter

By: 本报记者

Magnificent landscapes, a grand and diverse spectacle.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "The cultural industry and the tourism industry are inseparable. We must persist in shaping tourism with culture and in showcasing culture through tourism, promote the integrated development of culture and tourism, and let people, while appreciating the beauty of nature, come to appreciate the beauty of culture and cultivate the beauty of the soul."

During the National Day holiday, across the length and breadth of the land, culture and tourism have deeply integrated, consumer vitality is surging, and people step out of their homes, walking into history, walking toward mountains and rivers.

One revolutionary site after another, one red venue after another, have become the most moving "classrooms" of the holiday.

On October 3, at the Anyuan Road-Mine Workers' Movement Memorial Hall in Anyuan District, Pingxiang City, Jiangxi Province, sonorous vows echoed for a long time."It feels as if one can hear the strike sirens of those years."said Liu Wenbing, a tourist from Hunan, who stood there for a long time.

Not far away, the series of activities at the Anyuan Memorial Hall of the Chinese Children's Movement attracted many parent-child families. At the "Fingertips Impress Red Marks, Fan Painting Original Aspirations" experience area, elementary school student Wang Zihanextremely cautiously and carefully (小心翼翼, xiao xin yi yi - "small, heart, one, one") pressed a seal engraved with the characters "a single spark" onto a round fan,"I want to bring this fan back to school and tell my classmates that the red scarf began waving right here."

At Xibaipo, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, at the former site of the CPC Central Committee, Li Fujun, an elderly Party member of advanced years, insisted on walking the entire route, looking as he walked and telling his granddaughter the stories of the forebears. At the nearby 1948 Culture-Tourism Commercial Street, tofu was steaming with heat, the aroma of bread wafted in all directions."Learning red history, experiencing the street's everyday bustle — it is both meaningful and a fresh experience."said tourist Hu Yingjie from Shanxi. In recent years, Pingshan County has integrated 132 red revolutionary sites, using red resources to promote comprehensive rural revitalization.

Amid coconut groves, at the Red Detachment of Women Memorial Park in Qionghai City, Hainan, red flags fluttering in the wind (红旗招展, hong qi zhao zhan - "red, flag, wave, flutter")."At 21, my grandmother shouldered a gun together with the sisters of her village; at the age of 102, she, though illiterate, took her oath to join the Party..."Before a wall of photographs, Ma Shiju, granddaughter of veteran fighter Wang Yunmei, spoke with deep emotion, and many tourists' eyes reddened. The Red Detachment of Women series of cultural and creative products has developed 113 products, and last year's sales grew nearly 60 percent year-on-year. Tourists walk in, cultural and creative products walk out, red stories cross mountains and seas, passed down from generation to generation.

In Tongling City, Anhui Province, a special public performance of the "Long March Suite" was held; in Guigang City, Guangxi, recitation activities of red classic poems were carried out...People in various localities expressed their patriotic feelings in multiple forms.

This holiday, the cultural experiences on the itinerary were very rich.

On the 3rd, inside the ancient city of Taierzhuang, Zaozhuang City, Shandong Province, live-action performances "Brother Company Commanders" and "Taierzhuang 1938" told a story in a charming and engaging manner (娓娓道来, wei wei dao lai - "softly, softly, speak, come") of the War of Resistance story of jointly resisting foreign aggression. Chen Shouke, a 67-year-old performer of Lunan shadow puppetry, taught children hand-in-hand to make shadow puppets and perform them. As night fell, over the ancient Grand Canal, "fire dragon, steel flowers" burst forth into the sky, and the songs of the boat punters rippled with the waves."Full of cultural flavor, experience level maxed out!"exclaimed tourist Song Shuang from Anhui.

At the Hunan (Liling) International Ceramic Industry Expo, crowds of tourists flocking to a place (游人如织, you ren ru zhi - "traveler, person, like, weave"). Ding Xiaoni, municipal-level representative inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage "Liling underglaze multicolor porcelain firing technique," explained to tourists the unique craft of "outlining lines and separating colors."The expo set up an on-site experience area — a refrigerator magnet, a three-dimensional cup, a small porcelain tile — tourists could trace and color stroke by stroke on blank bisque, experiencing the entire process from throwing clay to firing.

Meituan data shows that since the National Day holiday, cultural root-seeking, intangible cultural heritage check-ins and other activities have become travel keywords. In Guizhou, participating in intangible cultural heritage handicrafts; in Yunnan, experiencing ethnic minority culture — intangible heritage experiences, handicraft making and other "cultural immersion" routes lead in popularity.

Service guarantees have kept pace. Various localities have rolled out numerous people-benefiting measures, letting tourists play happily, travel with peace of mind, and stimulating consumer enthusiasm.

In Zhejiang, State Grid Quzhou Power Supply Company conducted item-by-item inspections of electrical facilities at ancient towns, red-themed venues and surrounding homestays, deployed mobile charging piles to scenic area parking lots, and dispatched emergency power supply vehicles to stand by on duty. In Zhangzhen Town, Shaoxing City, resources such as old drying grounds and idle farmhouses are being gradually transformed into cultural exhibition spaces, folk custom experience points and small performance squares, enriching tourists' experiences.

In Anshan City, Liaoning Province, the "Celebrate National Day, Happy Shopping in Steel Capital" series of activities covers home appliances, automobiles, culture and tourism and many other fields. At Dashang New Mart shopping mall, all-format limited-time discounts and additional full-reduction promotions kicked off lively, tourists could receive vouchers with scenic area tickets, and sales in the first three days of the holiday grew by more than 30 percent compared with ordinary days. In Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, the 2026 Chengdu Rowing Open was held on the urban section of the South River in Xinjin, attracting citizens and tourists to watch and cheer with enthusiasm.

From the deep gazes at red venues to the fingertip inheritance in intangible cultural heritage workshops, from the lights of one hall and one garden to the "everyday bustle" of one city and one county, the vibrant vitality of the holiday culture-tourism market is a vivid microcosm of the resilience of the Chinese economy, and also carries the people's longing for a better life. Amid mountains and rivers, within culture, people share the fruits of development and accumulate strength to forge ahead.

(People's Daily reporters Qi Zhiming, Shao Yuzi, Dong Zeyang, Li Rui, Shen Zhilin, Liu Jiahua, Xu Jing, Wang Mingfeng, Pang Geping, Liu Junguo)

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Family and country celebrate together, civilization advances in step

By: 新华社记者

When the family and the country celebrate together, civilization advances in step. During the National Day holiday, new-era civilization practice centers (stations, points) across the country extensively carried out themed activities of "Welcoming National Day · Civilization Practice, I Act," further arousing the patriotic feelings in people's hearts and creating a warm, festive, civilized, and peaceful holiday atmosphere.

In the early morning of October 1, the "Our Festival · Our Mount Tai" civilization practice and "China's Mount Tai   Peace and Prosperity for the Country and Its People" flag-raising ceremony was held at Mount Tai, head of the Five Great Mountains. Tourists from all over, 17,000 in number, gathered at the summit of Mount Tai, facing the magnificent sunrise, witnessing the five-star red flag rise slowly, taking mountains and rivers as witnesses, deeply blessing the motherland.

Xu Yuwen's family from Handan, Hebei, climbed to the summit over six hours by night. She said: "On National Day itself, seeing the sun and the national flag rise together at the summit of Mount Tai, I was extremely moved. I hope the child can remember the emotion of this moment, cherish the family and the country in one's heart, and live life to the fullest and make the most of one's youth (不负韶华, bu fu shao hua -"not, fail, beautiful, youth")."

At the ceremony site, there was also a volunteer team composed of hearing-impaired people, who "sang" the national anthem in sign language. Xu Peng, chairman of the Tai'an City Association of the Deaf, said:"We use sign language to express our love for the motherland and sincerely wish the motherland peace and prosperity for the country and its people (国泰民安, guo tai min an -"country, peaceful, people, safe"). We also hope more people will approach the hearing-impaired community and share the glory of this prosperous era together."

From the Mid-Autumn Festival to the National Day holiday, Hengshui City, Hebei Province, continuously carried out the "Double Festivals Celebrated Together   Enjoying the Lakeside City" civilization practice activities. Various counties (cities, districts) organized organ units, volunteer groups, art troupes, etc., to go down to the urban-rural front line, entering communities, residential compounds, village courtyards, and activity squares, delivering service items such as mobile convenience markets and cultural-art performance exhibitions.

In the "Full Moon, Splendid National Day   Family and Country Celebrate Together" themed literary and art performance activity in Dali Guan Village, Shenpo Town, Wuyi County, literary volunteers' carefully choreographed programs took the stage in turn. During breaks in the performance, medical staff measured blood pressure and blood sugar for villagers for free and popularized health knowledge, and volunteers also provided free haircuts for the elderly and children.

Taocheng District held an exhibition of achievements in Cuojiao ancient weapons and ancient boxing manuals, along with a National Day holiday study-tour activity. Song Junjie, representative inheritor of the national-level intangible cultural heritage representative project Cuojiao, led the audience to experience Cuojiao techniques; everyone planted their feet in horse stances, threw punches, and kicked, experiencing the unique charm of Cuojiao through every move and stance.

"My child has always been interested in martial arts. This time, not only did we get up close with ancient weapons and ancient boxing manuals, we also received personal guidance from the intangible cultural heritage inheritor, truly feeling the charm of traditional martial arts." Said citizen Liu Yuanyuan.

On National Day itself, citizens of Yuxi City, Yunnan Province, and out-of-town tourists came to Nie Er Square, keeping an appointment — singing the national anthem together. As the melody of the "March of the Volunteers" sounded, everyone stood at attention, sang aloud in unison, and the singing resounded across the square.

Afterwards, literary programs took the stage. The Qunyuan Chorus of the Yuxi City Cultural Center presented the grand chorus "Forward   Forward"."To prepare for this performance, we rehearsed for a very long time." Said conductor Li Jia, adding that every time he sang the line "Forward, forward," he felt his blood boil.

Beyond the festive activities, Yuxi's civilization practice had long been integrated into daily life. In recent years, Yuxi City has built the "Singing the National Anthem Along the National Border" civilization practice project, organizing a cumulative total of 269 volunteer service teams to enter 25 border counties (cities) across Yunnan Province.

In autumn, within the Qingjiangpu Scenic Area of the Huai'an Li Canal Cultural Corridor, gently undulating waves (碧波荡漾, bi bo dang yang -"green, waves, surging, rippling") rippled and ancient charm lingered. The flag-raising ceremony celebrating the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the"Models Going to the Grassroots" themed activity of Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province, were held here, where teachers and students from multiple local schools and the general public gathered together, feeling the charm of models beside the ancient canal and drawing strength for striving forward.

"China Good Person" Gu Chunyan and "Jiangsu Good Person" Zhang Guoru had face-to-face exchanges with teachers and students, transmitting positive energy of striving upward and toward goodness; citizens visited the Qingjiangpu Memory Hall, feeling the city's changes and continuing the cultural lifeline; teacher-and-student representatives boarded a cruise ship, beginning a completely new way of doing things (别开生面, bie kai sheng mian -"separate, open, new, face") canal "waterborne ideological and political lesson."

Student Wang Yiwen, who participated in the activity, said:"I felt extremely proud on site. I will transform this patriotic enthusiasm into motivation for learning, study diligently, keep my feet on the ground, and strive to become a good teenager of the new era."

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, October 3)

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Understanding the General Secretary’s Harvest Wishes (One Look)

By: 本报记者 祁嘉润

In this golden autumn October, it is the season to salute the Republic.

On Tiananmen Square, the giant flower basket "Blessings to the Motherland" conveys the heartfelt wish for the motherland's prosperity and flourishing. Inside the basket, 15 kinds of flowers and 5 kinds of fruits bearing auspicious meanings were selected, symbolizing the bright prospects of striving forward in the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

A scene of beautiful flowers and splendid scenery (花团锦簇, hua tuan jin cu - "flower, group, brocade, cluster"), bearing abundant fruits and many successes (硕果累累, shuo guo lei lei - "large, fruit, accumulate, accumulate"), the divine land of China once again welcomes a scene of bountiful harvest.

What is a bountiful harvest?

It is granaries being full and the years being peaceful, it is the wisps of fruit fragrance hanging from the branches, and it is also the commendation for those who till the soil.

"Strive to make the lives of the vast number of farmers more happy and beautiful." Not long ago, upon the arrival of the first "Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival" of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, General Secretary Xi Jinping's festival congratulations and sincere greetings arrived as promised.

One season of harvest, one share of concern.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has always cared about agriculture, remembered rural areas, and kept farmers in his heart. On many occasions he has used crops as metaphors, wishing the lives of fellow villagers — "as red-hot as pomegranate fruits," "as sweet as sugarcane," "as red-hot as apples," "as beautiful as flowers," "as sweet and beautiful as golden pomelos"……

The harvest wishes are imbued with deep affection for agriculture, rural areas, and farmers (三农), and contain making long-term plans with foresight (深谋远虑, shen mou yuan ly - "deep, plan, far, thought") for advancing the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas.

Development and security — within the wishes there is strategic consideration.

"Apart from planting sugarcane, do you usually have other income?" "I wish the lives of fellow villagers to be as sweet as sugarcane!" In December 2023, on the land of the Eight Gui region, amid the sugarcane groves, General Secretary Xi Jinping chatted cordially with sugarcane farmers.

A word of care, a sentence of blessing, point to the same concern — how to enable fellow villagers to live even more happy and beautiful lives?

"Explore establishing more stable benefit-linking mechanisms, so that the vast number of farmers can share in the fruits of rural reform and development." The General Secretary points out the direction and offers the methods.

Agricultural affairs are also affairs of state. Developing well the sweet cause of strengthening agriculture and enriching farmers also involves a deeper layer of consideration.

"Guard well the nation's 'sugar jar'." A single sugarcane stalk, on one end connects to high-quality development, on the other end connects to high-level security.

"The layout of agricultural production bears on development and security." Wheat, rice, soybeans, corn…… When inspecting various places, General Secretary Xi Jinping "wants to look at the representative products in our nation's planning and layout." One by one, agricultural industries with their own distinctive features, one by one, weighty harvests, are the solid foundation of happy lives and also the strategic reliance of national development.

In light of local conditions (因地制宜), the wishes contain methods for enriching the people.

In March 2025, in the land of colorful clouds (Yunnan), inside a rose-planting greenhouse, a warm scene was left behind.

"Do you all live nearby?" "How is your income?" "Growing flowers here, you must be in a good mood, right?"…… Asking about distances, calculating income increases, chatting about feelings, General Secretary Xi Jinping wished everyone's lives "as beautiful as flowers."

How can a "beautiful industry" become a "happy industry" that benefits the masses?

"The resource endowments, basic conditions, etc. of different places differ; when pursuing industrial transformation and upgrading, one must proceed from reality, follow economic laws, and highlight one's own characteristics."

The General Secretary emphasized that when localities promote industrial revitalization, they must thoroughly understand the three characters "local specialty products" (土特产)..

Zhashui black fungus, Datong yellow flowers, Maoming lychees…… The "local specialty products" that General Secretary Xi Jinping has always cared about contain the code to advancing the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas — the divine land of China is vast in territory, with local customs differing across a thousand villages in a thousand ways; when developing industries, rural areas must act in light of local conditions and each show their own strengths (各展其长, ge zhan qi chang - "each, display, its, long"), take the revitalization path that suits themselves, and seek the exclusive key that opens the door to enriching the people.

Taking solid work as the essential, within the wishes there are earnest entrustments.

Abundant harvests in the years, deep affection in the land.

105 years ago, at the founding of the Party, seeking happiness for the people was already written into the annals of Chinese Communists. "Let the people live good lives," a plain yet profound truth, which General Secretary Xi Jinping has measured time and again with his footsteps.

"May your days be as sweet and beautiful as golden pomelos." In November 2025, amid the golden pomelo groves of Meizhou, Guangdong, witnessed the General Secretary's beautiful wishes for fellow villagers, and also recorded his earnest entrustment —"The Party and the government must continue to strengthen policy support for old revolutionary base areas, and the vast number of cadres and masses in old revolutionary base areas must work together with one heart and mind (齐心协力, qi xin xie li - "together, heart, cooperate, strength") and strive for strength and development (奋发图强, fen fa tu qiang - "exert, spirit, plan, strong")."

"Always place protecting farmers' interests first," "Continue to reduce burdens at the grassroots level, so that village cadres have more time and energy to serve the masses and promote development," "Think with one mind, exert strength in one direction, sweat in one stream, and jointly handle well the affairs of fellow villagers"…… When inspecting rural areas, there is always a reminder that brings warmth.

The harvest hopes for fellow villagers also contain earnest words of practical work for grassroots cadres. Only by cultivating and building a contingent of "agriculture, rural areas, and farmers" work teams that understand agriculture, love rural areas, and cherish farmers, can the Party's cause of "agriculture, rural areas, and farmers" obtain a solid foundation and strong support.

"Party committees and governments at all levels must conscientiously implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee, solidly advance the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas, improve the effectiveness of policies for strengthening agriculture, benefiting farmers, and enriching farmers, focus on enhancing comprehensive agricultural production capacity and quality efficiency, and broaden channels for farmers to increase income and become prosperous"……

The new journey is vast and mighty, the fertile fields greet the wind.

The 15th Five-Year Plan period is a critical period for basically realizing the modernization of agriculture and rural areas. The harvest wishes, traversing the rotation of the years, surging across the vast fields, are being transformed into the surging momentum of agricultural and rural modernization.

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Accelerate the Building of a Strong Domestic Market

By: 金 轩

General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to expanding domestic demand, emphasizing that "we must adhere to the domestic great circulation as the mainstay, correctly handle the relationships between consumption and investment, demand and supply" and "make domestic demand the primary driver of economic development." At present, the external environment is complex and severe, and we must firmly implement the strategy of expanding domestic demand, using the stable development of domestic demand to offset the uncertainty of external demand. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, expanding domestic demand in all respects and accelerating the building of a strong domestic market are of great significance for implementing the new development philosophy, building the new development pattern, and promoting high-quality development.

The role of domestic demand as the primary driver and stable anchor of economic growth continues to manifest itself

Since the beginning of this year, all regions and departments have conscientiously implemented the deployments and requirements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, firmly implemented the strategy of expanding domestic demand, and focused on promoting consumption and stabilizing investment, laying a good foundation for the stable operation of the economy. In the first half of this year, domestic demand contributed 82.1% to economic growth, of which final consumption expenditure and gross capital formation contributed 46% and 36.1% respectively, and the role of domestic demand as the primary driver and stable anchor of economic growth continued to manifest itself

On the consumption front, enriching product supply and innovating consumption scenarios better meet diversified consumption needs

The special action to boost consumption has been deeply implemented. In the first eight months, total retail sales of consumer goods and services increased by 2.5% year on year, of which service retail sales increased by 4.9%. The trade-in program for consumer goods has cumulatively driven sales of related goods exceeding 1.55 trillion yuan, benefiting over 2.08 billion person-times. Innovative consumption scenarios and lower consumption thresholds have further stimulated potential demand in tourism, performing arts, and sports events. For example, popular films and TV dramas have driven visitor flows to filming locations, achieving "one drama bringing one city to life"; the "ticket-stub economy" of concerts, music festivals, and sports events has been comprehensively promoted, opening up the chain from performing arts and sports traffic to comprehensive urban consumption

On The investment front, continuously adjusting and optimizing the investment structure drives new technologies and new products into daily life

The lists of projects under the "two major constructions" and equipment renewal have all been issued, and the modern infrastructure system represented by the "six networks" is being accelerated. In the first eight months, the equipment renewal policy drove investment in purchases of equipment and tools to increase by 9.3%. Investment demand in emerging fields continues to be released; in the first eight months, investment in intellectual property products increased by 9.2%, investment in high-tech industries increased by 5.2% year on year, of which investment in integrated circuit manufacturing increased by 12%, driving down the cost of AI (artificial intelligence) computing power; the large-scale construction of 10-gigabit optical networks and 5G-A, and the accelerated piloting of satellite internet, have enabled smooth network connectivity even in remote areas, outdoor scenic spots, and mountain sports event sites

On The livelihood front, continuously improving the multi-level public service system and handling practical matters for the people with universal benefits

The "Action Plan for Stabilizing Employment, Expanding Posts, and Improving Quality" has been issued and implemented, cultivating new occupations around AI, the low-altitude economy, new energy, health and wellness, cultural tourism and performing arts, and sports consumption; the scale of work-relief investment continues to expand, and the average surveyed urban unemployment rate in the first eight months was 5.2%. Resident incomes have grown steadily, with per capita disposable income in the first half of the year growing 5.2% nominally year on year and 4.2% in real terms after deducting price factors. The level of social security and public services has steadily improved; the per capita government subsidy standard for basic medical insurance for urban and rural residents has been raised by 24 yuan, and the pilot of occupational injury protection for workers in new forms of employment has been extended nationwide. Home-based door-to-door care for the elderly is encouraged, services such as meal assistance, bathing assistance, and medical assistance for the elderly have been strengthened, and units and communities are supported in establishing childcare spots to ease the child-rearing burden on young families

There remains enormous potential and broad space for expanding domestic demand

Looking ahead to the coming period, China still has enormous potential and space for expanding domestic demand. China has a population of over 1.4 billion and a middle-income group of over 400 million, and the super-large market scale and innovation-driven development reinforce each other in a positive, self-sustaining loop, forming a domestic market that is vast in scale, diverse in levels, and full of potential

On The one hand, consumption upgrading contains considerable potential. According to international experience, once a country's per capita GDP (gross domestic product) exceeds $10,000, its residents' consumption structure will accelerate upgrading, with the share of physical goods consumption declining and the share of service consumption in transportation and communications, health care, culture and entertainment rising. In 2025, China's per capita GDP reached 99,700 yuan, exceeding $13,000 for the third consecutive year, and consumption upgrading is at a critical period. At the same time, scientific and technological products, digital technologies, AI, and other fields continue to make breakthrough progress, giving birth to new business formats and models; immersive and experiential consumption scenarios are being accelerated in innovation and cultivation, e-commerce, the livestream economy, and online culture and entertainment are flourishing, and enormous consumption potential will continue to be released in the coming period

On The other hand, the space for effective investment remains broad. China is at a critical juncture of transforming its development model, optimizing its economic structure, and shifting growth drivers, and consolidating the foundation for economic and social development will bring broad investment space. At present, China's per capita capital stock still lags considerably behind developed countries, and there remain many shortcomings in fields such as water conservancy, energy, and municipal infrastructure; traditional infrastructure construction and renovation can still generate long-term comprehensive economic and social benefits. Coordinating the advancement of new urbanization and comprehensive rural revitalization, gradually solving the problem of unregistered resident populations enjoying basic urban public services, requires greater investment in infrastructure and public services. At the same time, filling shortcomings in key core technology fields also requires continuously increasing investment;the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries creates strong demand for technological renovation investment such as equipment renewal, process replacement, and digital-intelligent transformation;industries such as AI, biomedicine, quantum information, and future energy are accelerating development, all of which will form a continuous and unending stream of new investment and development demand

At The same time, it must also be noted that the current domestic great circulation still faces many problems, such as weak endogenous momentum in consumption, with pressure on residents' employment and income growth constraining consumption capacity and willingness;investment faces considerable pressure to stabilize after a decline, investment returns need further improvement, and the vitality of private investment has somewhat weakened

To solve these problems, we must firmly implement the strategy of expanding domestic demand, improve the quality of economic circulation and operational efficiency, enable production, distribution, circulation, and consumption to rely more on the domestic market, and achieve mutual promotion between supply and demand and upgrading of circulation

Continue to strengthen and optimize the domestic great market

The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan clearly proposes that by 2030, "the role of domestic demand as the primary driver of economic growth will continue to strengthen, and the potential for economic growth will be fully released" and "the construction of the unified national market will advance in depth, with the advantages of the super-large market continuing to manifest." In The next step, we must thoroughly implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, adhere to expanding domestic demand as this strategic basis, focus on where the potential lies, where the key lies, and where the shortcomings lie, build a strong domestic market, strengthen the endogenous momentum and reliability of domestic great circulation, promote the formation of more economic development models led by domestic demand, driven by consumption, and generated by endogenous growth, promote supply and demand to achieve a positive, self-sustaining loop and dynamic balance at a higher level, and provide strong guarantees for accelerating the building of a new development pattern and striving to promote high-quality development

Adhere to combining benefit-to-the-people measures with consumption promotion, and vigorously boost consumption. Coordinate the promotion of employment, income growth, and expectation stabilization, reasonably raise the share of public service expenditure in fiscal expenditure, and enhance residents' consumption capacity. Increase direct-to-consumer inclusive policy efforts, and increase government funds for livelihood security expenditures. Expand the supply of high-quality consumer goods and services. Guide consumption of AI phones, intelligent agent services, and other products. Support all localities in light of local conditions to optimize and improve supply in areas such as automobile modification, RV camping, automobile racing events, and automobile rental. Optimize management policies in fields such as cultural performing arts, tourism services, and sports events. Further expand inbound consumption. Improve institutional mechanisms for promoting consumption, clean up and abolish unreasonable restrictive measures in the consumption field. Strengthen the protection of consumer rights and interests

Adhere to closely combining investment in physical assets with investment in people, and actively expand effective investment. Strengthen the coordinated advancement of the 109 major projects deployed in the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan with the planning and construction of the "six networks," and organize the demonstration of "six-network coordination" scenarios. Make good use of ultra-long-term special treasury bond funds, implement the "two major constructions" construction and large-scale equipment renewal policies. Accelerate the disbursement and use of new policy-based financial instrument funds. Strengthen planning and demonstration, implement a number of major landmark engineering projects, explore the compilation of full-caliber government investment plans in places with good work foundations, and improve the quality and efficiency of government investment. Improve the long-term mechanism for private enterprises to participate in major projects, give play to the guiding and driving role of government investment funds, and stimulate the vitality of private investment. Adapt to changes in population structure and mobility trends, improve the layout of infrastructure and public service facilities, strengthen human resources development, and expand effective investment covering the entire population and the entire life cycle

Break through the bottlenecks and blockages hindering the construction of the unified national market, and further smooth the circulation between supply and demand. Issue regulations on the construction of the unified national market, unify basic institutional rules of the market, improve systems such as property rights protection, market access, information disclosure, social credit, mergers and acquisitions, and market exit, eliminate barriers in factor acquisition, qualification recognition, bidding, government procurement, and other areas, regulate local government economic promotion behaviors, and break down local protectionism and market segmentation. Improve integrated and interconnected circulation rules and standards, connect market facilities with high standards, and reduce the circulation costs of the whole society. Comprehensively rectify "involution-style" competition. Strengthen antitrust and anti-unfair competition enforcement. Improve statistical, fiscal, tax, and assessment systems conducive to the construction of the unified national market.

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New Stories on the Gold and Silver Beach (Carrying Forward the Long March Spirit, Forging Ahead on the New Journey of National Rejuvenation·Reporters Retrace the Long March Route)

By: 本报记者 江 萌

The mountains rise and fall, the grasslands stretch out, and in the distance stand rows of old factory buildings. This is the Atomic City Memorial Hall in Xihe Town, Haiyan County, Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province — the site of the former State Factory 221, China's first nuclear weapons research and development base, where the spirit of the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" was born and nurtured.

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army's Long March. Ninety years ago, revolutionary forebears climbed snow-capped mountains and crossed grasslands, measuring faith with their footsteps; more than sixty years ago, another group of people advanced onto the Jinyintan Grassland, using abacuses to calculate the "bomb of self-respect." The two stretches of history are separated by decades, yet they share a common spiritual foundation.

At the Atomic City Memorial Hall, Deputy Director Du Wenlin spoke of the past days of preparing the exhibition.

"'Is it hard? Think of the Long March's 25,000 li' — this was the phrase heard most often during our research visits," Du Wenlin said with emotion. The conditions at the nuclear weapons research and development base were extremely harsh, and it was precisely the great spirit of the Long March that inspired scientists to strive for self-reliance (自力更生, zi li geng sheng - "self, power, more, live"), make hard struggles (艰苦奋斗, jian ku fen dou - "hard, bitter, struggle, fight"), overcome all setbacks and difficulties (踏平坎坷, ta ping kan ke - "tread, flat, bumpy, uneven"), and bravely scale new heights (勇攀高峰, yong pan gao feng - "brave, climb, high, peak").

Stepping into the former site of the No. 3 Branch Factory of Factory 221, one sees this spirit being passed down from generation to generation.

The No. 3 Branch Factory is now a red-education study camp, where children are lining up to get their meals in the cafeteria. Three dormitory buildings converted from old factory buildings can accommodate 420 children at a time.

The staff recounted a small matter: washing socks. "Some children discover upon arrival that many things must be done by themselves. The younger ones cannot carry the water, so the older children lend a hand. After staying together for a few days, some children even shed tears at parting."

Some study courses put questions into the children's hands: How does milk turn into yogurt? Learn to read the thermometer, control the temperature, add the bacterial culture, and check each other's results the next day.

The local area also links the memorial hall, the former sites, and ecological and ethnic cultural resources to design study routes with different themes.

"We have launched study special trains, with lectures and local culture courses arranged on board, and on the return trip we hold themed class meetings to exchange what we have learned," said Liu Haiyan, deputy director of the Haiyan County Red-Education Study Practice Center. Departure, exploration, and reflection — a single trip gains a sense of echo from beginning to end.

When it comes to residential communities, matters become more detailed and more everyday.

When Qinghai Rongcheng Property Management Company came to Haiyan County in 2019, local property services were still relatively weak, with dangling charging cables and disorderly parking being common phenomena.

Where there is need, Party members step forward. "Party members take the lead in management and service, providing free door-to-door repair services for elderly people living alone and households covered by the five guarantees," introduced Ma Xuezhen, a relevant person in charge of the company.

History is guarded from generation to generation, and the spirit is passed down from generation to generation. The new stories on the Jinyintan Grassland are still being written.

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Shanghai's Inbound Tourism Keeps Heating Up

By: 本报记者 黄晓慧

"Pandas, giraffes... This is my first time (头回来, tou lai hui - "head, come, return") in Shanghai, and the first time in my life to see so many cute animals up close!" On October 3rd, Shanghai's lingering autumn rain could not stop Russian tourist Yelena from touring the Shanghai Wild Animal Park, holding up her phone to film continuously along the way.

One zoo, showcasing the enthusiasm for inbound tourism.

At the Giant Panda Pavilion and the Water Realm Exploration spots, new foreign-language explanations and interactions have been added; guide maps, signboards, and science-popularization display boards now feature multiple languages; internationalized ticket machines offer interfaces in 8 languages including Chinese, English, Russian, and Japanese; at the park's restaurants, not only Shanghai local light meals, but Korean-style set meals and Russian flavors are also warmly received, with sales surging...

Meeting visitor needs, weaving denser service details. "Giant pandas, red pandas, and Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkeys are all 'Chinese stars' in the eyes of foreign visitors." Tan Zhihua, head of the Planning and Development Department of Shanghai Wild Animal Park, introduced that, "During the National Day holiday, we planned a series of 'National Treasure Party' activities, creating an all-day park-visiting experience." Data show that, since the beginning of this year, the proportion of foreign visitors at Shanghai Wild Animal Park has risen from 2% in the same period last year to 8%.

A small street, adding new consumption experiences.

In the Jing'an Temple commercial district, there is a 500-meter-long Yongyuan Road. With over 2,000 square meters of lawn, comfortable beach chairs, and pet-friendly spaces, this bustling commercial area now has a relaxed, leisurely "urban oasis."

Customized sneakers, specialty-brewed Chinese teas, "Shanghai Scent" fragrances... Wandering through the shops along the street, inbound visitors have more "Shanghai gifts" for their "buy, buy, buy."

A cup of hand-brewed tea, bridging the cultural distance.

The national first store of Akalcha, a new tea beverage brand opened just a few months ago, attracted quite a few foreign visitors during the National Day holiday.

Using a coffee machine to extract the tea base, a cup of "tea Americano" feels familiar yet strange; a cup of "Winter Ends, Spring Comes" sees jasmine tea sending up dry-ice mist, as the staff prepare tea the way one would make a cocktail, while explaining the history of Chinese tea-making to visitors.

"Many foreign visitors are full of interest in the novel preparation of tea, and also yearn to understand deeper Chinese tea culture. We innovate our products to attract more inbound visitors to fall in love with Chinese tea beverages." Said Tang Liang, the store's operator.

Inbound travel has become more convenient. The "Hu Xiaoyou" service center, multilingual inquiry services, foreign-card payment, fingertip tax refunds, and 99 inbound-tourism-friendly restaurants form a closed loop of "able to understand upon arrival, able to pay upon purchase, able to get refunds upon departure."

The inbound travel experience has become richer. Not content with the classic "Bund—Nanjing Road" route, more and more foreign visitors are extending their steps to the Wild Animal Park, Yongyuan Road, cruise terminals, Yuyuan Garden trend shops, and elsewhere, with intangible-heritage handicrafts and traditional Chinese medicine experiences becoming particular "favorites."

From January to August this year, Shanghai received a cumulative total of 7.0565 million overseas visitor trips citywide, a year-on-year increase of 27.84%, of which inbound overnight visitors reached 6.6608 million trips, up 30.3% year-on-year. In the first half of the year, the number of UnionPay transactions by overseas individuals in the Shanghai region increased 98.6% year-on-year, and the transaction amount increased 72% year-on-year.

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Tourism has not only an economic attribute, but also a cultural attribute

By: 桑明旭

The National Day holiday arrived as promised. Tourism has always been a key engine of the holiday economy. Massive numbers of tourists traveling across cities, visiting scenic areas, staying in hotels, enjoying food and shopping, and consuming cultural and creative products, link up a complete consumption chain and bring considerable economic returns to various localities.

The "gold content" of holiday tourism is indeed very high, but tourism has not only an economic attribute, but also a cultural attribute. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "tourism is a bridge for spreading civilization, exchanging cultures, and enhancing friendship."

For tourists, tourism is not merely the consumption expenditure on train tickets, plane tickets, accommodation, and admission tickets, nor is it merely eating, drinking, having fun, and taking photos as souvenirs; it is moreover a flowing cultural experience. Gaining knowledge and experience through extensive reading and traveling (读万卷书，行万里路, du wan juan shu, xing wan li lu - "read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles"), the ancients traveled through mountains and rivers to broaden their minds and comprehend life; "the world is so big, I want to go see it," people of today rush to distant places to get close to nature, touch history, and feel civilization. Mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas carry the beauty of nature; famous scenic sites and historical relics precipitate traditional culture; the red hot land is engraved with the stirring years of revolution; towering high-rises reflect the splendor of modernity; folk customs and local practices preserve the cultural lineage of the countryside. What tourists directly see on their journey are natural landscapes and cultural landscapes; what they feel in their hearts is the cultural genes carried by local customs, historical allusions, and folk crafts. A journey is an encounter with culture, broadening one's horizons, enriching one's inner world, increasing one's knowledge, and enhancing one's cultivation.

For operators, the economic returns brought by the surging enthusiasm for tourism are obvious; if one wishes to continue obtaining these returns, one must attach great importance to the cultural value and cultural function of the tourism industry. Culture is the inner core of tourism, tourism is the carrier of culture, and the cultural attribute is an important foundation for the sustainable development of tourism. One must not, for the sake of temporary ticket revenue, engage in excessive commercial development and thereby damage precious cultural heritage; nor must one, in order to chase a temporary trend, blindly launch homogenized, fast-food-style tourism products and thereby lose one's own cultural characteristics. The reason why scenic spots such as the Palace Museum and the National Museum of China remain popular year-round is that here one can read the long-standing lineage of Chinese civilization; the reason why the tourism heat of Jiangnan's ancient towns has remained popular for a long time (经久不衰, jing jiu bu shuai -"endure long time, not decay") is that here one can savor the gentle elegance of Jiangnan's cultural lineage. By properly protecting cultural resources and continuing cultural characteristics, one can transform "traffic" into "retention," continuously enhancing the brand power, influence, and reputation of cultural products.

The significance of tourism lies in cultural immersion and spiritual growth. Only by adhering to the integration of culture and tourism can holiday tourism have both considerable economic data and a profound humanistic foundation. Just as General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "We must adhere to shaping tourism with culture and highlighting culture through tourism, promote the integrated development of culture and tourism, and let people, while appreciating the beauty of nature, comprehend the beauty of culture and cultivate the beauty of the soul" and "let tourism become a process in which people appreciate Chinese culture and enhance their cultural confidence."

(The author is a professor at the Institute of Humanistic Economics, Soochow University)

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Chinese Delegation Achieves Best-Ever Overseas Asian Games Result

On October 3 local time, the Chinese delegation concluded its journey at the Nagoya Asian Games with an outstanding result of 169 gold, 89 silver, and 83 bronze medals, ranking first on both the gold medal table and the overall medal table. The number of gold medals this edition surpassed the 165 gold medals at the Doha Asian Games, setting the best record for a Chinese delegation at an overseas Asian Games. On that day, Chinese athletes, acting with stability and caution (稳扎稳打, wen zha wen da - "steady, stab; steady, strike"), made breakthroughs in multiple events and secured 7 gold medals.

At the golf course, the Chinese team composed of Yin Ruoning, Liu Yan, and Zhang Weiwei claimed the championship in the women's team event, which was also the first gold medal in golf history for the Chinese team at the Asian Games, and Yin Ruoning won the silver medal in the individual event. In the subsequent men's team final, the Chinese team won another gold medal.

In sailing, Chinese athletes Bi Kun and Li Wenqi respectively won gold medals in the men's and women's foil windsurfing events.

In the women's final of breaking, Chinese athlete Guo Pu defeated a Japanese athlete 3:0 to win gold, while Liu Qingyi took bronze. In the men's event, Wang Ruimiao won bronze.

In the rhythmic gymnastics group all-around final, the Chinese team composed of Wang Lanjing, Ding Xinyi, Pu Yanzhu, Zhang Xinyi, and Liu Miaoting delivered an outstanding performance and won the first gold medal in the event's history. In the individual all-around final, Wang Qi and Wang Zilu secured 1 silver and 1 bronze medal.

At the wrestling arena, Chinese athlete Hong Kexin defeated her opponent 7:2 to win gold in the women's wrestling 57 kg category. This gold medal was also the final gold medal won by the Chinese delegation at these Asian Games.

In other events, the Chinese team also added medals: at the taekwondo arena, Chinese athletes won 2 silver medals; in rugby sevens, the Chinese men's team won silver, achieving their best-ever result, and the Chinese women's team also won 1 silver medal;in football, the Chinese men's team won bronze via a penalty shootout, returning to the Asian Games podium after 28 years, which was also the first time the Chinese team won a medal in the men's football event since the Asian Games implemented the U23 (under-23) age restriction. Additionally, Chinese teams also won medals in tennis, sport climbing, water polo, judo, and other events.

(People's Daily reporters Gao Ji, Li Shuo, Sun Longfei, Tao Xiang'an, Liu Shuoyang, Fan Jiayuan, Liu Qiao, Sun Yahui, Wang Meihua)

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Page 1 editors: Hu Anqi, Guo Xueyan, Zhao Zheng; Page 2 editors: Lyu Li, Qi Jiarun, Zhang Anyu; Page 3 editors: Han Xiaoming, Jiang Bo, Guan Haoyu

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World leaders congratulate China on 77th founding anniversary, eye deeper ties

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, October 2) Comprehensive reports from Xinhua correspondents stationed abroad: on the occasion of celebrating the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, political leaders of many countries attended receptions held by Chinese embassies and consulates abroad to mark the National Day, spoke highly of China's development achievements and the results attained through cooperation with China, and expressed hope for further deepening relations with China.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz said that, under the leadership of the Party's leadership, China has made remarkable achievements on the extraordinary path of national development and national rejuvenation. Pakistan is immensely proud of the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership. The unique friendship between Pakistan and China, built on mutual trust, mutual support, and the deep affection between the two peoples, has become a strong bond connecting the two sides. The two countries' rock-solid friendship has become stronger over time (历久弥坚, li jiu mi jian - "long time, increasingly, firm"), and the two sides have always stood together in mutual assistance in the face of natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods.

Czech Prime Minister Babiš said in his address that the new Czech government is willing to pragmatically develop relations with China on the basis of dialogue, cooperation, mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, is glad to see that bilateral relations are returning to the track of healthy development, and hopes to inject new vitality into Czech-China relations.

Bahamian Prime Minister Davis said in his address that over the past 77 years, China has experienced remarkable development and transformation, having become an important global center for manufacturing, trade, technology, and innovation, and having achieved notable accomplishments in improving people's living standards and in large-scale poverty reduction. Pakistan-China pragmatic cooperation has brought tangible benefits to the Bahamian people. 2027 will mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Bahamas and China, and the Bahamian side looks forward to continuing to deepen exchanges and cooperation with China.

Irish Minister of State Noel Grealish said that Ireland-China high-level exchanges are close, people-to-people friendship is deep, and cooperation in fields such as economy, agriculture, education has yielded fruitful results, and he is willing to continue deepening pragmatic cooperation between the two countries.

Kenyan Cabinet Secretary and Minister for Foreign Affairs Musalia Mudavadi said that since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Chinese people have continuously made history, opened up the future, and achieved achievements that have attracted worldwide attention. Kenya treasures its close partnership with China in the construction of key infrastructure projects such as roads, railways, and renewable energy.

Slovak Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Richard Takáč lavished praise on China's development achievements and the results of Slovakia-China cooperation, and expressed hope that the two countries will carry forward their traditional friendship and deepen the substance of their strategic partnership.

Moroccan Minister of Health and Social Protection Khalid Ait Taleb congratulated the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in his address, spoke highly of the achievements in the development of Morocco-China relations, and expressed belief that cooperation between the two countries will help realize peace and prosperity in Africa.

Nicaraguan Presidential Advisor Laureano Ortega, together with Foreign Minister Valdrack Jaentschke, on behalf of the Nicaraguan government, congratulated the 77th anniversary of the founding of New China, lavishly praised the tremendous achievements China has made and its important contributions to world peace and development, said that China's achievements in eliminating poverty and improving people's livelihoods have brought hope to countries of the Global South, including Nicaragua. He thanked the Chinese side for its long-term support for Nicaragua's development, and expressed willingness to continue deepening friendly cooperation between the two countries in various fields, so that the fruits of cooperation can better benefit the peoples of both countries.

Representative of Libya's Government of National Unity, Minister of State for Prime Minister and Cabinet Affairs Adel Kourbu said that since the Libyan Prime Minister's visit to China in 2024, investment cooperation between the two countries has made positive progress, and he looks forward to the two sides expanding cooperation in fields such as investment, infrastructure, energy, health, and education, to help promote the common development of both countries.

Comorian Minister of Environment and Tourism Aboubacar Ben Mahamoud said that for more than half a century, the two countries have carried out many cooperation projects in important fields such as infrastructure, culture, education, health, and medical care, bringing tangible changes to the lives of the Comorian people. He expressed belief that the Comoros-China friendship will continue to be consolidated and deepened, continue to develop in a more positive and pragmatic direction, and better benefit the peoples of both countries.

German Foreign Office State Secretary Bernhard Kotsch said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Germany and China, bilateral relations have continued to develop, with a breadth that is deeply impressive. Today, Germany-China relations are very close and rich in substance. Germany wishes to maintain dialogue with China, and wishes to continue dialogue at all levels.

Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade State Secretary for Bilateral Affairs Boglárka Bródi said that Chinese enterprises have played a key role in helping Hungary build itself into a high-tech industrial hub, and the Hungarian side is willing to further expand cooperation and jointly address global challenges.

Croatian Deputy Speaker of Parliament Željko Reiner said that the first direct flight between Croatia and China was recently launched, and the two countries have jointly consolidated the solid pillars of bilateral cooperation, including cooperation in infrastructure and landmark projects, economic and trade agreements, transport, and connectivity.

Venezuelan Vice President of the Economic Council of Ministers José Gregorio Briceño said in his address that the two countries have always developed bilateral relations on the basis of the principles of mutual respect, solidarity, mutual assistance, and common development. The Venezuelan government firmly supports the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind proposed by the Chinese side and the four major global initiatives, and is willing to see the bonds of Venezuela-China friendship, cooperation, and solidarity continue to be consolidated, flourish, and be passed down from generation to generation.

Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Deputy Secretary Justin Hayhurst said that Australia and China maintain close exchanges at the national and sub-national levels, and extensive exchanges are also conducted among representatives from various fields such as business circles, as well as among groups such as students and tourists, reflecting the sustained progress achieved in Australia-China bilateral relations. He looks forward to continuing constructive engagement with the Chinese side and promoting the forward development of bilateral relations.

Panamanian Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Guevara Mann said that Panama and China share a common vision in addressing global challenges such as promoting multilateral trade, tackling climate change, and safeguarding the nuclear non-proliferation regime. He expressed hope that the two countries will continue to work hand in hand on the basis of mutual respect, solidarity, mutual assistance, continuously consolidate bilateral relations.

Chilean Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Patricio Torres said that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Chile-China comprehensive strategic partnership. China is one of Chile's most important strategic partners, and Chile is willing to continue deepening relations with China on the basis of mutual respect, mutual benefit, and win-win outcomes, continuously broaden the path of common development, bringing more well-being to the peoples of both countries.

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Head-of-State Diplomacy Steers China-U.S. Relations Steadily Forward ( International Forum)

By: 高 飞

Amid an international situation fraught with turbulence and change, the head-of-state diplomacy between China and the United States has sent to the international community a positive signal that the two countries are moving toward each other, coexisting in peace, and pursuing mutually beneficial win-win cooperation.

From September 23 to 25, 2026, President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to the United States of America. This was President Xi Jinping's first visit to the United States in 11 years, realizing mutual visits by the two heads of state within half a year and creating a historic precedent in China-U.S. interactions. Under the strategic guidance of head-of-state diplomacy, China-U.S. relations, after experiencing ups and downs (跌宕起伏, diē dàng qǐ fú - "fall, rise, surge, fluctuate"), have shown signs of stabilizing and are advancing steadily on the track of a constructive strategic stable relationship between China and the United States.

Head-of-state diplomacy is the "ballast stone" of China-U.S. relations. Since January 2025, the heads of state of China and the United States have held 3 meetings, 5 phone calls, and multiple exchanges of correspondence; the two sides have maintained close interactions, forming a mode of engagement characterized by mutual respect and sincerity, providing important strategic assurance for the improvement and development of China-U.S. relations. In October 2025, President Xi Jinping held a meeting with President Trump in Busan, the Republic of Korea, pointing out that "the two countries being partners and friends — this is the revelation of history and also the need of reality," emphasizing that the two heads of state, as helmsmen, should "grasp the direction, steer the overall situation, and let the great ship of China-U.S. relations sail forward steadily." In May this year, during President Trump's visit to China, the two heads of state interacted for nearly 9 hours;the keynote of mutual respect, cherishing peace, and exploring cooperation ran through the entire meeting, and the two heads of state agreed to build a constructive strategic stable relationship between China and the United States. During this visit, President Xi Jinping, at the invitation of the United States, paid a state visit, and President Trump, breaking years of convention, personally went to the airport to welcome him. At the talks, the two sides agreed to further enrich the connotation of the positioning of China-U.S. relations and jointly build a "constructive strategic stable relationship between China and the United States based on respect, fairness, and reciprocity." Amid an international situation fraught with turbulence and change, head-of-state diplomacy between China and the United States has sent to the international community a positive signal that the two countries are moving toward each other, coexisting in peace, and pursuing mutually beneficial win-win cooperation.

Head-of-state diplomacy, with its far-sighted and strategic vision (高瞻远瞩, gāo zhān yuǎn zhǔ - "high, look, far, gaze"), has driven positive changes in the U.S. perception of China. This year marks the opening year of China's "15th Five-Year Plan" and also the 250th anniversary of American independence. The meetings of the two heads of state in Beijing and Washington have released important information to the outside world: realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can completely coexist without contradiction (并行不悖, bìng xíng bù bèi - "parallel, walk, not, conflict"), achieve mutual success, and benefit the world. China and the United States, as the world's two largest economies, are deeply interconnected and interdependent (你中有我、我中有你, nǐ zhōng yǒu wǒ, wǒ zhōng yǒu nǐ - "you, have, me, inside; me, have, you, inside"), neither can do without the other;there is mutual benefit through cooperation (合则两利, hé zé liǎng lì - "combine, then, two, benefit") and mutual harm through conflict (斗则俱伤, dòu zé jù shāng - "fight, then, both, suffer"). China firmly safeguards its national sovereignty, security, and development interests and will not trade away its principles, prompting the U.S. side's perception of China to gradually shift from a purely strategic competition framework toward a pragmatic track that acknowledges the necessity of cooperation. On the Taiwan question, the U.S. side has begun to attach importance to China's concerns, recognizing that maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is the greatest common denominator of both sides;on the tariff issue, the U.S. side has begun to attach importance to dialogue and negotiation with China to consultatively resolve differences.

Head-of-state diplomacy provides navigation and direction, opening up the proper way for major countries to get along. At this China-U.S. summit meeting, the two sides agreed to build a "constructive strategic stable relationship between China and the United States based on respect, fairness, and reciprocity," providing clearer strategic guidance for China and the United States to explore the proper way for major countries to get along. Respect means respecting each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, respecting each other's chosen social systems and development paths, and respecting the other side's core interests and major concerns. Fairness means carrying out mutually beneficial cooperation, consulting to handle differences, not engaging in zero-sum games of you-win-I-lose, and not pursuing unilateral absolute advantage. Reciprocity means that the sovereignty of the two countries is equal, with no distinction of superiority or inferiority, not engaging in hegemonic or bullying behavior, addressing each other's concerns on a reciprocal basis, and developing cooperation in various fields in a balanced manner. Through exchange and cooperation, China and the United States continuously enhance the resilience of China-U.S. relations, jointly striving in the direction of cooperation as the mainstay, competition with restraint, differences that are manageable, and peace that is attainable, pushing bilateral relations from "stopping the decline and stabilizing" toward "setting the direction and shaping the pattern."

Head-of-state diplomacy demonstrates a sense of responsibility, making due contributions to world peace and development. On the eve of this visit, the economic and trade teams of the two sides held a new round of consultations and reached a new joint arrangement, including establishing and advancing a Trade Council and an Investment Council, setting up an agricultural working group, reciprocal tariff reductions on "$30 billion," and extending the outcomes of the Kuala Lumpur economic and trade consultations, stabilizing the economic and trade relations between the two countries and steadying market confidence, which is good news for the industries, the people, and even the global economy of both countries. During this visit, President Xi Jinping emphasized that the sovereignty and security of all countries should be respected, encouraged all parties to adhere to the choice of peace, supported the return of the United States and Iran to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, the earliest possible resumption of dialogue and negotiation, and the eventual conclusion of a comprehensive agreement including the nuclear issue, playing a constructive role in cooling down the situation in the Middle East. The two heads of state agreed to make good use of the China-U.S. AI dialogue mechanism, exchange views on its risks and benefits, and jointly prevent AI from being abused or misused. Facing the accelerating evolution of the once-in-a-century transformation, China and the United States maintaining communication and dialogue has added stability and predictability to a turbulent world.

"Striving for higher goals through continuous progress" (欲穷千里目，更上一层楼, yù qióng qiān lǐ mù, gèng shàng yī céng lóu - "desire, exhaust, thousand, mile, eye; further, go up, one, layer, building"). China and the United States shoulder the historical responsibility of promoting human development and progress. Following the direction indicated by the two heads of state, adhering to mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation, and guided by a constructive strategic stable relationship, China and the United States can completely explore a new path for major countries to get along properly, achieve mutual benefit and win-win results in pragmatic cooperation, achieve mutual success through healthy competition, and jointly create a brighter prospect for China-U.S. relations.

(The author is the President of the China Foreign Affairs University)

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An Important Force for Improving Global Governance and Promoting Multipolarity

By: 本报记者 肖新新

"Since the BRICS cooperation mechanism was established 20 years ago, it has developed into an important force for improving global governance and promoting multipolarity." Victoria Panova, chair of the BRICS–Russia Expert Council, said in a recent interview with a People's Daily reporter that the BRICS countries uphold the spirit of openness, inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation, safeguard the common interests of the Global South, and have become a model of cooperation among emerging market and developing countries, winning welcome and recognition from more and more countries.

Panova believes that by establishing a multi-level, multi-field, and all-round cooperation framework, the BRICS countries have continuously achieved fruitful results in cooperation in areas such as political security, economy, trade and finance, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges, providing strong support for the common development of the Global South. For example, the BRICS countries regard non-traditional security as an important area of cooperation, have established a counter-terrorism working group and a cybersecurity working group, and support and promote the signing and ratification of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime by all countries. Through mechanisms such as the New Development Bank, the BRICS countries provide developing countries with high-quality, low-cost, and sustainable infrastructure financing, while also promoting the improvement of the Contingent Reserve Arrangement mechanism as well as cooperation on local currency settlement and cross-border payment, creating a stable and predictable environment for the economic growth and sustainable development of the Global South. The BRICS countries also take people-to-people and cultural exchanges as a bond, and by deepening cooperation in fields such as science, education, culture, sports, and tourism, they promote non-governmental exchanges and people-to-people connectivity (民心相通, min xin xiang tong - "people's heart, mutually connect").

"The BRICS countries are committed to reforming and improving global governance and enhancing the voice of the Global South," Panova said. The BRICS countries have always actively promoted the reform of important global institutions such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, and the World Bank, making them more reflective of equality and fairness. She believes that the BRICS cooperation mechanism emphasizes sovereign equality, mutual respect, and mutually beneficial cooperation, and opposes interference in internal affairs, unilateral sanctions, and protectionism. The BRICS countries unanimously oppose forming "small circles" and work together to promote global economic growth that benefits more countries and regions. She said that as important members of the BRICS cooperation mechanism, Russia and China work closely together to promote the BRICS countries and the vast number of developing countries to strengthen policy communication, position coordination, and practical cooperation, and continuously enhance the voice and influence of the Global South on the international stage.

"China is an important force in promoting the continuous development of the BRICS cooperation mechanism," Panova said. The four major global initiatives proposed by China help promote the building of an open world economy, safeguard international peace and security, promote exchanging and learning from each other (交流互鉴, jiao liu hu jian - "exchange, mutually learn from") among different civilizations, and improve global governance, and are also of great significance to BRICS cooperation. The BRICS countries advocate a global governance concept of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, practice true multilateralism, and inject strong momentum into the development of the Global South.

Panova said that the BRICS cooperation mechanism has enormous development potential and broad prospects. She hopes that all countries will continue to expand practical cooperation in areas such as infrastructure connectivity, energy, aerospace, artificial intelligence, the digital economy, the green economy, and climate change. China will take over the BRICS presidency next year, and she looks forward to further promoting BRICS cooperation to go deeper and more substantive.

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Foreign media discuss full navigation of Pinglu Canal with keen interest (Foreign media on China)

After four years of construction, the Pinglu Canal recently opened to full navigation. This is the first large canal constructed under national-level overall planning since the founding of New China that connects inland rivers to the sea. Its project scale, innovative technologies, and major significance have sparked heated discussion among foreign media.

Vietnam's Da Nang Newspaper believes that the Pinglu Canal is an important component of the new international land-sea trade corridor, and will further strengthen economic ties between China and ASEAN through goods, investment, and cross-border cooperation. For ASEAN countries that export large quantities of fruit, rice, coffee, and aquatic products to China every year, the Pinglu Canal means an additional logistics option with large volume and low cost.

Qatar's Al Jazeera website said that, at the time of the Pinglu Canal's opening to navigation, trade between China and ASEAN is growing rapidly. Data from China's General Administration of Customs shows that, in the first half of 2026, China's imports and exports with ASEAN reached 4.34 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 18.2%. The article said that the Pinglu Canal will link inland waterway shipping with transportation networks such as the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, and is expected to provide new support for China-ASEAN trade and industrial chain cooperation.

Saudi Arabia's Al Eqtisadiah believes that the Pinglu Canal will not only promote connectivity between China's inland regions and overseas markets, but will also further advance economic and trade exchanges between China and ASEAN.

Malaysia's Malay Mail website said that the economic impact brought by the Pinglu Canal will far exceed transportation itself. The greater opportunity lies in the fact that ASEAN's agricultural products, bulk commodities, manufactured goods, and intermediate goods with increasingly high technological content will be able to penetrate deeply into China's western market. Regions should focus on issues such as customs coordination, port connectivity, multimodal transport, digitalization of trade documents, and industrial cooperation around this emerging corridor.

Rwanda's "China-Africa Review" website published an article saying that the Pinglu Canal is an important milestone in China's efforts to strengthen the connectivity between its inland economy and the global market. Its construction complexity showcases the growing maturity of Chinese engineering technology, demonstrating China's ability to coordinate these technologies with large-scale physical construction, and African countries can draw inspiration from China's construction experience. Another article published on the same website believed that this canal highlights China's ability to coordinate the allocation of financial, administrative, and technological resources around long-term development goals, "truly another infrastructure miracle, a major project capable of rewriting the economic landscape."

Kenya's news website KeNews published an article saying that the Pinglu Canal is expected to change the logistics landscape of southwest China, providing a reference for other countries exploring river-sea intermodal transport.

Radio Canada International, in its report, quoted Jean-Paul Rodrigue, professor of maritime logistics management at Texas A&M University at Galveston in the United States, as saying that direct return on investment is not the only goal of the Pinglu Canal. "Once the new corridor is established, various chain reactions will follow, such as new investment, new markets, and new trade relations."

Spain's El País published an article saying that China is also advancing multiple waterway projects in Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, and other provinces, regulating navigable rivers, reducing cargo transportation costs, stimulating local industrial development, and continuously promoting the integration of inland regions with the international market.

(People's Daily, Bangkok, Dubai, Johannesburg, Washington, Madrid, October 3rd  Reporters Zhang Jinjue, Wang Xuchen, Dai Kairan, Li Zhiwei, Yan Huan)

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Photo Report

The fourth "Understanding Chinese Modernization" workshop research delegation recently visited Quzhou, Zhejiang. As part of the 2026 "China-Brazil Cultural Year" series of activities, the workshop, themed "Walking into Common Prosperity," invited representatives from Brazil's academic, media, and business circles, both those based in Brazil and those in China, to gain an in-depth understanding, through field research and other means, of the practices of advancing common prosperity in the course of Chinese modernization, to explore practical cases in areas such as integrated urban-rural development and improvement of people's livelihoods, and to enhance understanding across Brazilian sectors of China's development path and development philosophy, thereby promoting China-Brazil people-to-people and cultural exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations (文明互鉴, wenming hujian - "civilization, mutually, exchange, learn from each other"). The photo shows the Brazilian research delegation visiting inside the Quzhou Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum.

Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Dai Mingxuan

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Cultural Exchange Bridges the Distance Between Peoples

By: 本报记者 时元皓

In the exhibition hall of the National Historical Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a round table displaying models of Chinese cuisine attracted many visitors who stopped to take a look. The "Harmonizing the Cauldron and Blending Flavors — Exhibition of Ancient Chinese Food Culture" is being held here, and each artifact spanning thousands of years tells of the Chinese people's dietary memories and wisdom of life.

From "omnivorous eating for nourishment" to "cooked food and hot drinks," and then to "reverence for Heaven and respect for ritual," a pleasing and heartwarming experience (悦目怡心, yue mu yi xin - "pleased, eye; joyful, heart"), and sharing and appreciating diverse beauties together (美美与共, mei mei yu gong - "beautiful, beautiful, and, together"), the civilized panorama of Chinese food culture slowly unfolds. The more than one hundred artifacts (sets) from the National Museum of China not only present a complete system extending from dietary structure and cooking methods to ritual and aesthetics, but also sketch the trajectory of Chinese social life and cultural change.

"'Harmonizing the Cauldron and Blending Flavors' both embodies the culinary practice of 'balancing the five flavors' and symbolizes the Chinese people's profound understanding of order, harmony, and dynamic balance; behind it lie the Chinese view of the cosmos and view of ethics." Gao Xiuqing, research curator at the National Museum of China and curator of the exhibition, said that she hopes to use food as a thread, artifacts as a medium, and interaction as a bond, so that Brazilian audiences can understand China.

Laughter came from time to time from the interactive zone: some visitors donned virtual reality headsets and tried to use "chopsticks" to pick up soup dumplings; some visitors experienced making yuanxiao (sweet glutinous rice balls).. Local visitor Diane Campos told reporters that food carries history and cultural lineage, and that this exhibition made her more interested in China's local customs, traditions, and practices—"I want to go see China even more now."

"Food is the foundation of survival and a common practice of humanity; from sowing to harvesting and then to sharing delicious food together, visitors can thereby understand Chinese food culture, which has a history of several thousand years." Said Cicero de Almeida, director of the National Historical Museum of Brazil.

In the "Sharing and Appreciating Diverse Beauties Together" section, visitors can learn about the places of origin of common crops such as citrus, peanuts, and potatoes. These foods, coming from different continents, have long been placed on each other's dining tables."The spread of ingredients and cooking techniques has never needed a 'passport.' Tea and rice, transmitted from China to the West; tomatoes and corn, transmitted from the Americas to China—have long taken root, multiplied, and achieved successful results (开花结果, kai hua jie guo - "bloom, flower; bear, fruit") in foreign lands." Fernanda Castro, president of the Association of Brazilian Museums, said that the exchange of food cultures proves that civilizations have never existed in isolation, but rather have grown stronger through nurturing one another.

This year marks the "China-Brazil Cultural Year." Currently, the"Brazilian Soul—Portinari Art Exhibition" is being held at the National Museum of China."These two exhibitions moving towards each other in a mutual direction (相向而行, xiang xiang er xing - "facing, facing, and, walk"), their significance lies not only in the exchange of collections, but more forcefully prove that cultural exchange can bring the peoples of the two countries closer." Marcio Tavares, deputy minister of culture of Brazil, said that both Brazil and China are countries full of vitality, diversity, and inclusiveness, having nurtured diverse ethnic groups, languages, traditions, and memories; when the cultures of the two countries meet, "what is brought is not only artistic display, but also creates the conditions for the two societies to achieve deeper mutual understanding."

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"All 56 Ethnic Groups Are One Big Family"

By: 本报记者 李昌禹 刘博通

“My motherland and I, not for a single moment can we be separated…”

In this golden autumn of October, New China ushers in the 77th anniversary of its founding. From Tiananmen Square in Beijing, to Barkhor Street in Lhasa, Tibet, to Liuxing Street in Yili, Xinjiang… one after another Five-Star Red Flag flutters in the wind, songs such as “My Motherland and I” and“Ode to the Motherland” are sung among the masses of all ethnic groups, and the sincere love of the sons and daughters of all ethnic groups for the great motherland wells up from the depths of their hearts.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: ““The Chinese nation is a big family, and the fifty-six ethnic groups are one family that loves each other dearly.”

Fifty-six ethnic groups, one shared dream; all ethnic groups cling tightly together like pomegranate seeds. Wherever the eye reaches, wherever the heart turns, the forging of a sense of community for the Chinese nation takes root across the length and breadth of the land, and everywhere on this divine continent there is unity, endeavor, and vigorous progress, and the flower of ethnic unity blooms ever more brilliantly.

A Shared Voice from the Heart: Be Guardians of the Great Motherland

A grand birthday of a flourishing age, praising the motherland. Identification with family and country, bloodlines interwoven.

On the morning of October 1st, on the Pamir Plateau, in Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County, Xinjiang, at the Khunjerab National Gate, over 5,000 meters above sea level, over a thousand people of all ethnic groups gathered together to witness the sacred moment of the raising of the Five-Star Red Flag.

On the same day, on the southern foothills of the Himalayas, at the Yumai Border Police Station in Longzi County, Tibet, they raised the same flag together and sang the same song together. On the snowy plateau, the heartfelt cry that“home is Yumai, country is China” burns hot.

Though the borderlands are far away, families and country share one heart. Cry after cry of“Long live the motherland” expresses deep feeling, and the Five-Star Red Flag bears witness to the most steadfast identification with family and country of the sons and daughters of all ethnic groups.

This identification comes from a spiritual self-awareness forged by thousands of years of civilizational immersion and a hundred years of storms and trials—

The history of China is a history of all ethnic groups blending and converging into the pluralistic-yet-unified Chinese nation. The heroic vigor of the Qin and Han dynasties, the grandeur of the High Tang, were jointly forged by all ethnic groups; the Silk Road, the Tea-Horse Ancient Road, were jointly opened up by all ethnic groups; the epic of the Long March and the All-Nation War of Resistance, was jointly written by the compatriots of all ethnic groups.

The great motherland and great nation nurtured by over five thousand years of Chinese civilization will forever be the deepest and most enduring emotional anchor of all Chinese sons and daughters.

This identification comes from the natural bond of all ethnic groups—bloodlines interwoven, beliefs shared, cultures connected, economies interdependent, affections intimate—

One round of bright moon shines upon“one heart.” During the Mid-Autumn Festival, from north and south of the Tianshan Mountains to Yunnan, the Land of Colorful Clouds, whether in urban streets and alleys or rural courtyards, people of all ethnic groups sit together in a circle, savoring delicacies, admiring the bright moon, singing and dancing… Scene after scene of mortal life, freeze-frames the moving tableau of the sons and daughters of all ethnic groups being on intimate terms like siblings.

Each beautifies its own beauty, and beauty is shared with all. Whenever a traditional festival of the Chinese nation arrives, all households of all ethnic groups celebrate together; a mooncake, a joyful gathering—these seemingly ordinary festive rituals in fact illuminate the gathering of hearts, and are vivid living proof of a sense of community for the Chinese nation soaking into people's hearts and taking root in the ground.

This identification comes from the deepening advancement of the building of the Chinese national community since the new era—

On September 21st, at the main event of the 2026 Ethnic Unity and Progress Publicity Week, representatives of 56 ethnic groups jointly issued an initiative:“We must be guardians of the great motherland. Resolutely uphold the Party's leadership, love our motherland ardently, and firmly establish the community concept of sharing both joys and sorrows、sharing both honor and disgrace、sharing both life and death、sharing a common destiny…”

This is the common voice from the heart of fifty-six ethnic groups, and also the affectionate declaration of Chinese sons and daughters to the great motherland.

“People of all ethnic groups must keep a sense of community for the Chinese nation firmly in mind and merged into their blood, jointly guard the territory of the motherland, jointly build a beautiful homeland, and let the flower of ethnic unity and progress bloom ever more brilliantly.” On September 24, 2024, General Secretary Xi Jinping's reply letter to the descendants of the oath-taking representatives of the Puer Ethnic Unity Oath Monument was earnest and heartfelt.

The Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law has been promulgated and implemented, activities such as“Ethnic Unity, One Family” have been carried out in depth… People of all ethnic groups have their hearts returning to one another and their spirits leaning on each other, advancing the Chinese nation into a community with a shared future that has higher recognition and stronger cohesion.

Common Development: Not a Single Ethnic Group Can Be Left Behind

Families and country celebrate together; happiness is the most vivid footnote.

Beside the Keriya River in Hotan, Xinjiang, a village called Daliyaboyu quietly tells the story of development, progress, and the changes of the times.

Villagers relocated from the“sea of sand” to a new village, putting an end to the days when there was no road. The development of desert tourism is flourishing and prospering day by day, the lives of the villagers are getting better and better, and the way of life of generations living in“wattle houses” has also become history.

During this National Day holiday, villager Eziretihan·Musha is beaming with joy, warmly greeting guests. In her smile is the happiness and sense of security of days getting better and better.

Today, walking through the streets, alleys, villages, and hamlets of ethnic regions, what people talk about most and feel most deeply is the earth-shaking change.

Life is changing; development is changing.

The“large power grid” has lit up the canyon villages on the Pamir Plateau; in the deep mountains of the Dulong River Township in Nujiang, Yunnan, there is now 5G network signal… Infrastructure, distinctive industries, education, healthcare—one preferential policy after another has been implemented and delivered results, injecting vigorous vitality and momentum into the development of ethnic regions.

Disposition is changing; spirit is changing.

The towering Tianshan Mountains were once a natural barrier between the north and south of Xinjiang. With the smooth completion of the 22.13-kilometer Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, the natural barrier has become a thoroughfare.

“It's not that piercing through the Tianshan Mountains is easy, but that on the other side of the Tianshan Mountains there are people…” A introduction by Xinjiang tour guide Dilinuer·Tuerxunjiang reveals the profound foundation of“the Chinese nation is one family, united in heart to build the Chinese Dream.”

Vision is changing; realm is changing.

A grand canal carries the dream of the Chinese nation striving for strength through maritime development. On September 16th, the first canal connecting rivers and seas built since the founding of New China—the Pinglu Canal—officially opened to navigation, linking together regions inhabited by Zhuang, Yao, Miao, and other ethnic groups.

Cutting through mountains, opening rivers! Builders from all corners of the world formed the“Pinglu Canal Battle Team,” building the canal into a connecting-hearts river of ethnic unity.

Since the new era, the rapid development of ethnic regions has made people of all ethnic groups deeply realize that only when the country is strong and the Chinese nation is well can they themselves live good lives.

The Chinese nation is a big family; in advancing Chinese modernization and achieving common prosperity, not a single ethnic group can be left behind.

From villagers in Jingmai Mountain, Puer, Yunnan, who have taken up an ecological livelihood and a cultural livelihood, to industrial workers in Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, who have turned the grassland's“wind and light” into new momentum for the digital age—people of all ethnic groups share in the fruits of reform and development, strive to be builders of Chinese modernization, the endogenous momentum of ethnic regions is fully unleashed, advancing all ethnic groups together toward socialist modernization.

Common Endeavor: Promote Chinese Modernization through the Great Unity of the Chinese Nation

Ethnic unity is the lifeline of the people of all ethnic groups in our country.

Sharing the same sky, tilling the same field, drinking from the same river, building the same home. Behind a happy life is the mutual support and looking out for one another of people of all ethnic groups, who are on intimate terms like siblings.

During the National Day holiday, at the Changcheng Garden Community in Jinfeng District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, red flags flutter and songs surge like tides. Ethnic dances, square dances, fan dances are graceful and varied; residents chat and laugh, everyone sings together, dances together, and in the process their feelings have grown deep, just like pomegranate seeds clinging tightly together.

“The community is home to compatriots of the Han, Hui, Manchu, Mongol, Tibetan, and other ethnic groups; everyone helps each other, visits each other often, and people of all ethnic groups unite as one to build a beautiful homeland and share a happy life.” Community Party Secretary Zhao Naiixiang's words were brief, but within them lay a weighty hope for a better life.

Realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the common dream of all ethnic groups, and it cannot be achieved without the strength of the great unity of the people of all ethnic groups across the country.

Baohan Community in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, is home to people of over 30 ethnic groups including Han, Uyghur, and Hui, making it a typical multi-ethnic inter-embedded community.

From holding rich and varied“Ethnic Unity, One Family” activities, to building the“Pomegranate Seed Council,” everyone works together to find solutions when difficulties arise.“Once you come to Guangzhou, you are a Guangzhou person.” Wu Suiling, Party Secretary of Baohan Community, revealed the warmth of the community in one sentence; she said that in over ten years of working here, the popularity has grown, exchanges have become closer, and life has more hope.

A set of data reflects the depth and breadth of interactions, exchanges, and integration among people of all ethnic groups—China's floating population of ethnic minorities has reached over 33 million, with more than one-third of the ethnic minority population living in cities and scattered areas, and the social conditions for people of all ethnic groups to live together, learn together, build together, share together, work together, and rejoice together have become more complete.

Minning Cooperation, paired assistance to Tibet, paired assistance to Xinjiang, paired assistance to Qinghai… On the journey of advancing hand in hand toward modernization, people of all ethnic groups have formed deep brotherly affections, performed moving“mountain-and-sea romances,” left behind countless touching stories, and formed a powerful spiritual bond of hearts converging and striving together in unity.

The new era is an era of strivers. On the evening of September 30th, the important speech delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the reception celebrating the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China was inspiring and galvanizing:“As long as we strengthen our confidence, anchor our goals, and march forward steadily step by step, success will surely belong to the great Communist Party of China, the great Chinese people, and the great People's Republic of China!”

Looking back along the millennia-old road, the glory accumulated by over five thousand years of Chinese civilization is vast, weighty, and radiant.

Gazing ahead at the magnificent journey, the sons and daughters of all ethnic groups will turn their deep patriotic feelings into the ambition to serve the country in striving for the 15th Five-Year Plan, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, promoting Chinese modernization through the great unity of the Chinese nation, and charging bravely forward toward the glorious shore of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!

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Vibrant China, Harmonious Holidays (New Era Panorama)

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Colorful Scenes Reflect Development Vitality

By: 赵川博

Holidays are a window through which one can observe the vitality of China's development.

Long queues form in front of restaurants, with local flavors and specialty snacks sending the fireworks of street life rising; hotel and homestay bookings heat up, with rural micro-vacations and camping leisure gaining favor; trains speed by and heavy and continuous traffic (车流如织, che liu ru zhi - "vehicle, flow, like, weave") flows like a woven web, with the enthusiasm for visiting relatives and traveling running high; scenic spots, cultural and museum venues are full of popularity, with red tourism, intangible cultural heritage tourism, and eco-tourism each having its own appeal; commercial districts and markets are bustling with activity, with national-chic, green, and smart products selling well; theatrical performances, music festivals, and nighttime tour shows are captivating... Eating, lodging, transportation, touring, shopping, and entertainment together piece together the colorful panorama of a vibrant China.

Holiday consumption is connected on one end to people's livelihoods, and on the other end to development. People's willingness to spend and choose to travel stems not only from their longing for a better life, but also from supply-side innovation and environmental improvement. From cities to villages, from online to offline, consumption spaces are continuously expanding. Amidst the surging crowds, what flows is popularity, what is added is confidence, and what is contained within is the enormous potential of the super-large-scale market.

Cultivate consumption scenarios well, maintain market order well, turn "traffic" into "retention," and the steps of high-quality development become solid. Scenes of happiness one after another, faces with smiles one after another, are painting the beautiful scroll of the new era.

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Page editors: Xu Nuo, Zhang Shuaizhen, Zhao Chuanbo

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Understanding the Development Ledger Behind Canal Construction (Reflections)

By: 金 言

Setting sail toward the sea!

In September this year, the Pinglu Canal, the first major canal built since the founding of New China to connect rivers with the sea, was officially completed and opened to navigation.

Clearing mountains and opening ridges (劈山开岭, pi shan kai ling - "split mountain, open ridge"), connecting rivers with the sea, this canal with a total length of 134.2 kilometers, constructed to inland Class I waterway standards, capable of accommodating 5,000-ton vessels, is the highest-navigation-grade canal in the country, at a single stroke creating multiple "world records."

Since construction began in August 2022, over more than 1,400 days and nights, more than 20,000 builders have fought on amid towering mountains and steep ridges (崇山峻岭, chong shan jun ling -"lofty mountain, steep ridge"), with total investment exceeding 70 billion yuan, the road to the sea has thus been opened. Not only the Pinglu Canal: the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal and Xiaoqing River waterway connection project has broken ground, and projects such as the Zhejiang-Jiangxi, Jiangxi-Guangdong, and Hunan-Guangxi canals have entered the feasibility-study stage…… For some time now, a new wave of canal construction has drawn widespread attention.

Some people are puzzled: in today's world of speeding high-speed trains and an ever-denser transport network, why must we spend over 70 billion yuan to build a canal? How should this account be reckoned?

"Governing water is governing the country; the way of water governance is an important way of state governance." Behind the planning and construction of canals lie deep-seated economic and social layout and long-term considerations.

Behind the canal's"engineering account" lies a logistics"cost-reduction account."

In this fast-paced era, the canal, which does not excel in speed, seems not"fashionable" enough, even somewhat"retro." Today, high-speed trains compress time and space with hour-level efficiency, pressing the"fast-forward button" for people's movement and business exchanges, but when it comes to the transport of tens of millions of tons of bulk goods, water transport's natural advantages of large capacity, low cost, and low energy consumption remain irreplaceable. By leveraging canal projects to connect natural waterways that were previously unconnected, one can reconstruct a low-cost, high-capacity transportation artery within a region.

Data are the most powerful proof. After the Pinglu Canal opened to navigation, the shipping distance for goods from Guangxi and areas along the Xijiang River to reach the sea will be shortened by more than 560 kilometers, saving over 5 billion yuan in transport costs annually. Taking Yunnan's Funing Port as an example, the all-water route to the sea saves 98 yuan per ton compared with transshipment via railway or highway, and 163 yuan per ton compared with highway transport alone.

One region reveals the whole picture. In today's China, over 3.9 million tons of steel are smelted daily, and over 90,000 automobiles are produced…… The world's largest manufacturing scale has created the world's busiest flow of goods, and the low-cost dividend of waterway corridors, released steadily, will become a powerful support for reducing logistics costs.

Looking deeper, the efficiency of a transport system has never been a single-dimensional contest of speed, but rather a systemic optimum in which different transport modes each demonstrating their own strengths (各展所长, ge zhan suo chang -"each, display, own, strength") and coordinate their efforts. Highways are flexible, railways are stable, water transport is cheap — different modes of transport each appreciating their own unique beauties (各美其美, ge mei qi mei -"each, beautiful, its, beautiful") and sharing beauty and prosperity together (美美与共, mei mei yu gong -"beautiful, beautiful, with, share"), jointly weaving China's three-dimensional, diversified, efficient, and reliable modern comprehensive transport system.

Behind the canal's"engineering account," there is even more an"overall account" of striving seaward, opening up, and developing.

The opening of a canal is far more than the addition of a transport route; it is a profound reshaping of the regional development pattern.

Spread open the planning map of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor: three corridors run north-south, of which the central and western main corridors pass through the vast majority of Guizhou's cities and prefectures, reaching the Beibu Gulf outlet to the sea. For Guizhou and even the southwest region, the Pinglu Canal means reduced costs in the short term, industrial development support in the medium term, and enhanced openness capacity in the long term — inland hinterlands thereby transform into frontiers of opening up, better connecting with global markets and integrating into the new development pattern.

From one river, see a whole network. According to the National Comprehensive Three-Dimensional Transport Network Planning Outline, by 2035 China will basically complete a 25,000-kilometer national high-grade waterway network of"four verticals, four horizontals, and two webs." The Pinglu Canal, together with the Hunan-Guangxi and Zhejiang-Jiangxi-Guangdong canals still under feasibility study, linking the Yangtze and Pearl River systems, will jointly build a water-transport backbone spanning east-west and radiating north-south. When inland regions approach the sea at lower cost, industries organize division of labor on a larger scale, city clusters and economic circles interact efficiently, the potential of the super-large market will be fully unleashed, and the prospects for opening up and development will grow even broader.

Still waters run deep (静水流深, jing shui liu shen -"quiet, water, flows, deep"). The"first chapter" of the Pinglu Canal's construction has been written with brilliance; taking the opening of navigation as a new starting point, let us jointly look forward: in the great southwest of our motherland, one river will activate the Beibu Gulf, opening a new chapter of striving seaward; across the vast territory, more rivers and seas will resonate in harmony, sounding a powerful note of high-quality development in the new era.

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Building a Canal in Guangxi (Industry & Economy Perspective)

Cheng Yaofei, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Guangxi Pinglu Canal Construction Co., Ltd. —

"On the Pinglu Canal, only scoring 100 points counts as passing"

People's Daily reporter Zhu Jiaqi

On the second day after the Pinglu Canal opened to navigation, Cheng Yaofei, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Guangxi Pinglu Canal Construction Co., Ltd., was busy with the dispatch of ship locks, operations, and cargo sourcing work after the canal's opening, confirming one by one the closed-loop operation of equipment and facilities.

In 2003, the ink on his diploma in civil engineering from Chongqing Jiaotong University was still fresh. Turning down high-paying jobs in developed regions, Cheng Yaofei shouldered his luggage and returned to Guangxi.

His hometown's transport infrastructure was weak, and he wanted to come back and do his part for his hometown. For over 20 years, he has worked on nearly 20 projects across Guangxi, from design to construction management, one after another.

He often introduces himself thus: "My surname is Cheng, the Cheng of 'engineering'."

On July 13, 2022, a transfer order brought him from Guangxi Communications Investment Group to the Pinglu Canal Group. His office had not yet been arranged, and the very next day he rushed to Qinzhou.

"Only upon arriving did I realize we had 'nothing at all.'" Cheng Yaofei's impression was deep: no people, no equipment, no premises, yet within just over 40 days they had to complete all the approvals for design, land use, forest use, and sea use, and lawfully and in accordance with regulations achieve substantive commencement of construction on August 28 and sustained construction thereafter.

In order to start construction on time, all work — engineering feasibility review, land use reporting and approval, bidding documents, and so on — was measured in hours, and it was the norm to leave work after midnight every day. The entire team moved their workstations to the construction site, pooling the strength of the "four-party resident presence" of owner, designer, supervisor, and constructor, with problems discovered on the spot and solved on the spot.

Fifteen days to complete the construction of the project department's site, 30 days to complete the land acquisition and housing relocation for Phase I works, 40 days to achieve project construction commencement... Cheng Yaofei led his team in creating the "Pinglu Speed."

"Having a difficult task assigned to you is itself an affirmation of you." As commander of the Pinglu Canal Engineering Construction Command, the engineering site has been the main battlefield of Cheng Yaofei's work over the past four years.

The Qingnian (Youth) Junction is the controlling project closest to the sea entrance along the entire canal. Seawater intrudes upstream, and concrete components are susceptible to chloride salt erosion, which directly bears on how many years the junction can serve. To overcome this challenge, Cheng Yaofei led the Qingnian Commando Team, and within five months formulated more than 10 "formulas" for concrete, conducted nearly 200 groups of tests, and tested more than 600 test blocks. "Experimentation is just like this — constant failure, summarization, improvement; no matter how exhausting or tough, one must persevere." Cheng Yaofei said.

The entire canal was a series of hard battles, but Cheng Yaofei led his professional technical team to chew through every hard bone, one by one. At the Madao Junction, the maximum head difference between upstream and downstream is 29.6 meters, with a water-saving rate exceeding 60%; at the Qishi Junction, the miter gate is 36.4 meters tall and weighs 978 tons, with steel water-stop gaps not exceeding 0.1 millimeters left and right and not exceeding 0.05 millimeters top and bottom; the total earth-rock excavation volume along the entire canal is 315 million cubic meters, and the ship lock main structures have no structural cracks...

"Originally, in doing engineering, 60 points counted as passing, and 80 points could earn praise; but on the Pinglu Canal, only achieving 100 points counts as passing." Over four years of construction, never relaxing for a moment, striving for perfection and excellence (精益求精, jing yi qiu jing - "refine, strive, seek, excellence"), Cheng Yaofei pondered over the engineering with the same care one would use in carving a work of art.

There was only the construction schedule, no holidays. Every festival, his wife and son could only come to the construction site to accompany him. His son Cheng Zhibo at first did not quite understand his father, and even had complaints.

It was not until the Chinese language exam paper at the end of last semester bore his father's name. That night, on the phone, his son's excitement and pride could hardly be concealed. On the other end of the phone, Cheng Yaofei's eyes reddened.

On the Pinglu Canal, this youth commando team, with Cheng Yaofei as its captain, has 50 members, composed of frontline young backbone personnel from various posts, with an average age of 32. The water-saving ship lock technology they developed saves over 1 billion cubic meters of water annually; the project's comprehensive utilization rate of earth-rock materials reaches 98%, simultaneously adding 13,900 mu of new farmland, achieving a win-win outcome between engineering construction and ecological protection. In 2025, the Pinglu Canal Youth Commando Team was awarded the China Youth May Fourth Medal collective honor.

The young man who once carried his luggage back to Guangxi once again gazed upon the mountains and rivers of his hometown. "It is difficult, but it must be accomplished. We have waited far too long for this day." Looking at the jubilant scenes along both banks of the canal, Cheng Yaofei pressed the shutter to take a photo as a memento.

Huang Haibo, Project Manager of the Madao Junction of the Pinglu Canal, China Communications Construction Company Second Harbor Engineering Bureau —

""Three world firsts are our 'medal of honor'"

People's Daily reporter Han Xin

""Doo — Doo —"

At 10:20 a.m. on September 16, at the Madao Junction, as the whistle pierced the air in a long blast, the maiden voyage vessel passed through the ship lock, and the Pinglu Canal officially opened to navigation.

Standing at the site of the opening ceremony, Huang Haibo, project manager of the Madao Junction of the Pinglu Canal, China Communications Construction Company Second Harbor Engineering Bureau, wrote a line in his social media moments: "Years have fused our mission; mountains and rivers bear witness to our glory!" In the accompanying photo, the attendance passes for the construction commencement and opening-to-navigation events flanked both sides, with a National Model Worker medal placed squarely in the center, gleaming with golden light.

Four years ago, the canal's construction commencement ceremony was held here. At that time, a weighty engineering checklist lay before Huang Haibo: the total water level drop along the entire Pinglu Canal is 65 meters, of which this section bears nearly 30 meters; situated at the watershed of the Shiwandashan Mountains, the earth-rock excavation volume exceeded 40 million cubic meters.

Those hard, cold figures were distilled by Huang Haibo into two lines of verse:"Cleaving mountains and opening a canal to connect the two major river systems, realizing 'a river of spring water flowing southward'; building dams and constructing locks to regulate the water level drop, enabling light boats to easily cross ten thousand mountains."

To open a canal, one must first cleave mountains.

The Madao Junction boasts the tallest navigation channel slope under construction in China, with a vertical height of 188 meters. Huang Haibo clearly remembers that, when only 40 days remained before the 2023 rainy season, the slope still had 100 meters of height uncompleted.

"According to traditional methods, completing this work would take a full year." A bold concept rapidly took shape in his mind:"Use the method of digging tunnels to dig the slope!"

By applying tunnel construction equipment to the high slope, excavating one level, protecting one level, greening one level, trading space for time, the team ultimately took only 30 days to complete the high-slope construction with quality and quantity assured.

For navigation, one must then build locks.

In the winter of 2024, Huang Haibo led his project team in setting a construction record: pouring 16,409 cubic meters of large-volume pre-cooled concrete in a single day, refreshing the world record for similar single-structure projects.

"That night, in the huge foundation pit over 60 meters deep, more than 2,000 people and over 200 pieces of equipment worked simultaneously, and the construction site was ablaze with lights throughout the night." Huang Haibo recalled that the only thought in his mind at the time was: no interruption, no stopping, no error of any kind. In the end, they successfully cleared the hurdle and set a new record.

"Once you enter the canal's door, you bid farewell to the mortal world from then on." And so they worked, for more than 1,400 days and nights. Over the four years, at every engineering milestone, Huang Haibo would climb to a high vantage point to check in. The hundred-plus photos in his phone recorded this transformation of mountains and rivers —

In 2023, amid the vast rugged mountains, a foundation pit over 60 meters deep was carved out;

The following year, inside the giant foundation pit, hundreds of pieces of equipment and thousands of people worked around the clock;

Another year later, thousands of vertical columns propped up a concrete "forest," with the ship lock standing firmly in the middle of the canyon;

In 2026, the scene increasingly shifted from messy to tidy: the junction began receiving water, boats began traveling on the water, and 1,000-ton, 3,000-ton, and 5,000-ton vessels passed through one after another...

The brief half-hour opening ceremony drew a perfect conclusion to Huang Haibo's four years of construction: the world's fastest-opening ship lock valve, the world's highest-head water-saving ship lock, and the world's largest inland water-saving ship lock. "These three world firsts are our 'medal of honor'!"

After the ceremony ended, Huang Haibo once again climbed the hundred-meter slope and looked down at the Pinglu Canal threading through the mountains.

Beneath his feet, the water rolled onward and the navigation channel wound into the distance; farther away, the dam lay quietly and the ship lock stood tall; on both sides, the slopes rose high, brimming with greenery...

Once, the Shiwandashan Mountains stood lofty and stretched endlessly, spanning between the Xijiang River and the Qinjiang River. Now, having cleaved open this 6.5-kilometer-long watershed at Lingshan, a river of clear water flows from here southward, passing the Madao Junction, then the Qishi Junction, then arriving at the Qingnian Junction, and surging into the sea from the Beibu Gulf.

"After the canal opens to navigation, what is the thing you most want to do?"

"Go home and see my wife and son." Huang Haibo smiled shyly. Having spent four consecutive Spring Festivals stationed at the construction site, his wife and son accompanied him at the site to welcome the New Year every year. "When the water arrives and the channel is complete, I will journey with you across mountains and seas." This promise he had once left to his wife and son, with whom he had spent so little time, was finally fulfilled.

(Zhou Xuan participated in the reporting)

He Junhui, Director of the Engineering Management Department of the Pinglu Canal Group —

"With one more careful look, the project gains one more measure of stability"

People's Daily reporter Zhang Yunhe

River and sea are now connected. Now, the Pinglu Canal, like a silk ribbon, threads through the Xijiang River and reaches straight to the Beibu Gulf, with 5,000-ton cargo vessels shuttling steadily along the waterway — this world-class "waterway expressway" has officially opened to navigation. Standing on the embankment, gazing at the hundred-li navigation channel before him, completely transformed, He Junhui, director of the Engineering Management Department of the Pinglu Canal Group, felt a mix of many different emotions (百感交集, bai gan jiao ji - "hundred, feeling, intersect, mix"). In July 2022, he, as one of the group's first pioneers, crossed fields to join this century-spanning canal project.

Before this, He Junhui had long been engaged in highway construction, working year-round with subgrade and pavement construction, and was an expert in road engineering. "From roads to waterways," he often joked of himself as a "landlubber charging into the canal."

During the project's founding period, everything started from zero. The group lacked personnel, lacked technology, lacked experience, and there were no mature precedents to refer to. What was even harder was that highway and waterway construction were completely different; the complex and ever-changing hydrogeological conditions and stringent ecological protection standards made project progress fraught with obstacles. During that period, the immense work pressure left He Junhui sleepless through many nights.

"I was daunted inside, but the work could not stop." He Junhui did not retreat; instead, he proactively embedded himself at the front line and confronted the difficulties head-on. He insisted on immersing himself at the construction site, surveying river sections by day and delving into navigation channel engineering materials by night, gradually filling in his professional gaps and rapidly completing his transformation from a highway construction expert to a waterway engineering backbone.

The five major navigation sections along the entire Pinglu Canal each have different terrain and complex working conditions, with 26 major tributaries flowing in, swift currents, and sediment deposition. Among them, the Qinzhou urban section is the most difficult and most demanding critical node along the entire canal: over 6,600 households of residents live along its banks; historical sites such as the former residence of Liu Yongfu, the former residence of Feng Zicai, and the ancient Qinjiang dragon kiln stand by the water; rare mangrove ecological belts hug the navigation channel; and the margin for construction error is nearly zero.

Conventional underwater reef blasting produces strong vibrations and disturbance, easily damaging residential houses, destroying cultural relics, and disturbing the ecology, making it completely unusable. To crack this problem, He Junhui led his team in repeatedly deducing plans, comparing parameters, and iterating processes, ultimately innovatively developing a precise underwater blasting technology hailed as the "vanishing water splash technique." While the safety vibration velocity for ordinary building blasting is 2 centimeters per second, he led his team in strictly controlling the construction threshold to 0.2 centimeters per second — tightening the standard tenfold. The fine water splashes vanished in an instant, the blasting was precise and controllable, efficiently clearing underwater reef obstacles while firmly holding the bottom line of residential safety, cultural relic integrity, and ecological stability, achieving a triple balance among engineering construction, cultural heritage protection, and ecological conservation.

Those familiar with He Junhui all call him "stubborn as a single-minded plank." Whenever critical high-risk procedures such as blasting or deep foundation pit excavation were involved, he would personally be present at the site to supervise and control. His phone was filled with navigation channel images and monitoring data, and every set of data was repeatedly verified. "Drawings and data must ultimately land on the site; with one more careful look, the project gains one more measure of stability, and the people gain one more measure of peace of mind." He said with conviction.

Beyond rigor, he was even more adept at innovation. Targeting the problem of sediment deposition from tributaries, he led his team in developing three types of sand-intercepting and silt-prevention devices, achieving a sediment interception rate of 90%, effectively resolving the pain point of navigation channel siltation and blockage. At the same time, he actively promoted digital methods such as UAV aerial surveying and unmanned surface vessel underwater surveying, empowering site management with smart construction, making engineering construction more refined, more efficient, and safer.

After years of arduous battle, the thoroughfare has finally been completed; now the Pinglu Canal is open to navigation along its entire length, smoothly connecting river and sea. "Being able to participate in this century-spanning project is the greatest honor of my professional career." He Junhui said candidly that he will continue to hold fast to his post, safeguard this great river-sea artery, help the canal flow smoothly in perpetuity, and continue to benefit the locality and serve the people.

Cai Zhubing, Bridge Design Engineer for the Pinglu Canal, Guangxi Communications Design Group —

"Only when the bridges are properly built can the common people travel smoothly"

People's Daily reporter Li Weijun

Standing on the newly built Beibu Gulf Bridge, watching vehicles flowing endlessly like a river (川流不息, chuan liu bu xi - "river, flow, not, cease") on the bridge deck and cargo vessels heading south and north beneath the bridge, Cai Zhubing, design engineer of Guangxi Communications Design Group Co., Ltd., felt very proud: "Only when the bridges are properly built can the common people travel smoothly."

Since 2022, Cai Zhubing has participated in the two-phase survey and design of the Pinglu Canal; since April 2023, he has been stationed at Qinzhou, responsible for the follow-up service work for the bridges in the Qinzhou urban section of the Pinglu Canal.

To meet the navigation needs of 5,000-ton vessels, a total of six urban bridges in Qinzhou needed to be demolished and rebuilt, to be completed within about three years. For a bridge design engineer, this was a "great examination" racing against time.

"How to demolish the old bridges, how to build the traffic-guarantee bridges so that the daily travel of the common people is not greatly affected; what schemes to use to build the new bridges so that they can all open to traffic before the canal opens to navigation — these were all tasks that had to be accomplished simultaneously." Cai Zhubing said.

The first major task Cai Zhubing took on was to design and build temporary traffic-guarantee bridges before the old bridges were demolished.

One had to control the budget, guarantee traffic quality, and consider the recycling and reuse of components after construction was completed; one design plan after another was turned into a "painted face" of revisions in the hands of Cai Zhubing and his colleagues.

Once the schemes for the traffic-guarantee bridges were settled, in some places the road network connections for the traffic-guarantee roads became a new problem.

"After the Qinjiang Bridge traffic-guarantee bridge is completed, it will face the problem of 'having a bridge but no road.' If it connects to the road network along the original route, the narrowest point is only 5 meters, making travel very inconvenient for the public." Cai Zhubing explained that in the old urban area, land was tight, and pipeline relocation, road widening — every item was a single move affecting the entire situation (牵一发而动全身, qian yi fa er dong quan shen - "pull, one, hair, and, move, whole, body").

Cai Zhubing and his team went to the site and continuously adjusted the plans, optimizing traffic organization according to the opinions of traffic police, planning, and other departments. "Designers must not only manage drawings, but also visit the site; only then can the projects they build truly meet actual needs." Cai Zhubing said.

In the process of building the new bridges, what left the deepest impression on Cai Zhubing was the Shajing Qinjiang Bridge, which is now the Beibu Gulf Bridge.

This cable-stayed bridge sits close to the mangrove nature reserve. For ecological protection, the location of the traffic-guarantee bridge was adjusted from upstream of the old bridge to downstream. After construction began, problems such as construction coordination and quality control came one after another, while the construction deadline was constantly approaching.

If conventional construction techniques were followed, one would first complete the main tower and then carry out the girder construction, with completion and opening to traffic expected only by August of this year; subsequently, there would still be the demolition of the traffic-guarantee bridge and dredging of the navigation channel, which would exceed the scheduled navigation opening time of the Pinglu Canal.

"We must find a way to move faster!"

Staying up all night, revising plans, under the guidance of bridge experts, Cai Zhubing and his team members, after analysis and calculation, decided to adopt the "synchronous tower-and-girder construction" technique: the construction of the main tower bearing the stay cables and the construction of the bridge girder proceeded simultaneously.

"Two major construction sites a hundred meters apart in elevation working simultaneously, with multiple processes interleaved, made construction extremely difficult." Cai Zhubing told the reporter that they invited experts for multiple rounds of research and scheme review, refining the on-site operation plan down to every small sub-project and every individual worker, ensuring absolutely certain and without any risk (万无一失, wan wu yi shi - "ten thousand, no, one, loss"). In the end, the opening-to-traffic date was advanced to March of this year.

"The Pinglu Canal project is also known as the 'Hundred Bridges Project.' Being able to participate in this great project at my own doorstep is an immense honor for me." Recently, Cai Zhubing has often brought his wife and parents to visit the bridges he helped build, one after another. As night fell and the bridges' landscape lights lit up, looking at the bridges before them, the whole family's faces were filled with pride.

The 104 bridges include traffic-guarantee bridges, municipal bridges, highway bridges, railway bridges, and eco-friendly facilities such as animal passage bridges.

"More important than the numbers is that, only when the bridges are properly built can the common people on both banks travel comfortably, and only then can our hometown develop better." This is Cai Zhubing's original aspiration, and also the conviction upheld day after day by countless bridge builders of the Pinglu Canal.

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Page editors: Han Xin

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Ancient Villages Gain Their "Guardian Charm"

By: 本报记者 刘洪超 胡婧怡

Chaoyang County, Chaoyang City, Liaoning Province currently has 7 traditional Chinese villages. Since its selection in 2022 as a demonstration county for concentrated contiguous protection and utilization of traditional villages, the county has adhered to the thinking of "overall protection, contiguous development," taking traditional Chinese villages as the core and provincial-level traditional villages as the supplement, stringing traditional villages together with county tourism resources like beads on a thread, and exploring a path of contiguous protection and utilization in which protection and restoration, cultural-tourism integration, and judicial safeguards advance in coordination. Since 2023, the county has used special funds to implement 151 protection projects, all of which have now been completed; in April 2025, it further established in the Shihuishiyaogou scenic area the first judicial protection base for traditional villages in Liaoning Province, building a solid legal defense line for the protection of ancient villages.

Restoration and Protection

Walking into Shihuishiyaogou Group, Xidazhangzi Village, Liucheng Subdistrict, Chaoyang County, a traditional Chinese village, the winding river brings wisps of coolness, willows sway on both banks, and dwellings built along the river are arranged in an orderly fashion along the contours of the hillside, with stone-built courtyard walls echoing the flagstone paths of the countryside — a scene of tranquil harmony.

A pavilion stands by the river, where a couple of cyclists have stopped to rest, unable to resist raising their phones to capture the beauty before them. "We came specifically on the recommendation of other cyclists — we never imagined there was this 'peaceful paradise away from the world' hidden in the mountain valley." said cyclist Mr. Li.

An elder in the village explained that Shihuishiyaogou has a history of over 300 years. Because the local stone was highly suitable for burning lime, every household built kilns and made a living by burning lime; over time, the place came to be called "Shihuishiyaogou" (Lime Kiln Gully).

"In the past, the roads here were just watercourses carved out by seasonal rivers — whenever it rained, everywhere was nothing but yellow mud soup, and in the early years, getting around and transporting goods in the village still depended on donkeys." Miao Yongjun, Party branch secretary of Xidazhangzi Village, admitted frankly, "It was precisely because of the inconvenience of contact with the outside world and slow development that the original appearance of Shihuishiyaogou was preserved relatively completely."

After the implementation of traditional village protection, Shihuishiyaogou has been upgraded on the basis of preserving its original character: 2.5 kilometers of village roads have achieved full hard-surface coverage, river channels have been cleared of weeds and paved with cobblestones, and streetlights and garbage collection facilities have been added along the roads.

The well-preserved round-roofed building complex is a striking landscape of Shihuishiyaogou. The dwellings, featuring "round roofs, stone-built walls, mud-plastered surfaces," employ wooden mortise-and-tenon joinery techniques, with roofs laid with straw purlins to insulate against heat and intercept rain, walls built of stone with lime as binding, and exterior wall surfaces coated with loess for wind resistance, insulation, and waterproofing — well suited to the temperate semi-arid climate of western Liaoning, with building materials sourced locally, fully demonstrating the wisdom of the working people. Seeing the village environment improve, villager Xing Suzhen voluntarily gave up her own front yard to create a peach-grove courtyard for tourists to rest in.

"In the past, protection and utilization of traditional villages relied mainly on input from the townships where they were located, with both funding and professional expertise limited. After implementing concentrated contiguous protection and utilization, the county has coordinated multiple resources from housing and urban-rural development, culture and tourism, finance, natural resources, and other departments, with overall planning and implementation, greatly raising the level of protection and utilization." Wang Jiwu, deputy director of the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau of Chaoyang County, introduced that the county has successively formulated and compiled relevant plans and programs for traditional village protection work in Chaoyang County, specially established a demonstration work leading group, and coordinated advancement.

Since 2023, Chaoyang County has used special funds for concentrated contiguous protection and utilization of traditional villages to implement 151 protection projects across the county's traditional villages, including restoration of farmhouses at original sites and village courtyard compounds, protection of historical environmental elements, improvement of the human settlement environment and safety, enhancement of village nodes and distinctive features, inheritance of folk culture and arts, and other projects — all of which have now been fully completed.

Judicial Safeguards

"My house has been designated a historical building — does that mean I can't repair it myself anymore?"

"Ordinary maintenance and upkeep may be exempt from approval, but anything involving restoration — especially involving load-bearing structures or decorative components — must be reported for approval well in advance."

This August, a special legal-education mini-lecture on traditional village protection, aimed at village cadres and villager representatives, was held in Sandaogou Village. Staff from the Chaoyang County People's Court and the County Bureau of Justice answered questions on issues of concern to villagers, such as regulations on repairing dwellings and legal risks in cultural-tourism operations, and gave focused explanations of the legal consequences of acts such as unauthorized demolition or alteration of ancient buildings, illegal construction, and damage to cultural relics.

With the development and utilization of traditional villages and the increase in tourists, in order to prevent them from being damaged in the course of development and further consolidate the legal defense line for traditional village protection, in April 2025, the Chaoyang County People's Court, jointly with the Chaoyang County Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio, and Television, and the Chaoyang County Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau, jointly established at the Shihuishiyaogou scenic area the first judicial protection base for traditional villages in Liaoning Province, and simultaneously issued the first judicial protection order for traditional villages in Liaoning Province.

The protection order clearly stipulates that it is prohibited to carry out destructive activities against ancient bricks, ancient walls, ancient trees, and other elements of traditional villages, such as demolition, damage, occupation, carving, or defacement; it is prohibited to build, expand, or erect any temporary or permanent buildings or structures without authorization within the controlled construction zones of traditional buildings; it is prohibited to commit other illegal acts that damage traditional villages, and violators will be severely punished in accordance with the law...

Xia Jing, head of the Environmental Resources Trial Division of the Chaoyang County People's Court, introduced that the establishment of the judicial protection base for traditional villages in Chaoyang County aims, through judicial adjudication, legal popularization, explaining the law through cases, and strengthening coordination and cooperation in administrative law enforcement, to severely crack down on all types of illegal acts that damage the features, environment, and other aspects of traditional villages, providing strong judicial safeguards for the protection of traditional villages.

"The protection order extracts relevant content from multiple laws, including the Civil Code, the Cultural Relics Protection Law, the Tourism Law, and others, converting it into expressions that villagers and tourists can easily understand." Xia Jing said, "Once a traditional village is damaged, the loss may be irreparable and irreversible. Establishing the base and issuing the protection order are more about, by uniting the forces of multiple parties, conducting daily publicity and guidance for villagers and tourists, enhancing legal awareness and protection awareness, and curbing destructive acts before they reach the courtroom."

With the establishment of the judicial protection base for traditional villages and the development of related judicial protection work, Chaoyang County has now formed a traditional village protection mechanism featuring multi-stakeholder co-governance among the court, culture and tourism, housing and urban-rural development, and other departments, with coordination among "judiciary + administration + villager agency," and villagers' legal awareness and protection awareness have been further strengthened.

"Only by protecting well can we develop well. We hope that by combining the legal philosophy of judicial protection with the historical warmth of traditional villages, we can promote the sustainable development of traditional villages and enable the ancient villages to radiate new vitality and vigor." Xia Jing said.

Cultural-Tourism Integration

In the digital museum of traditional villages at Shihuishiyaogou, concentrated displays cover the overview of traditional villages across the county, distribution of scenic areas, intangible cultural heritage, folk culture, rural specialty products, and more, allowing tourists to understand the overall landscape and distinctive features of the entire region at a glance.

Traditional villages are becoming an important vehicle for rural tourism and an important window for showcasing rural culture. Tian Runfeng, head of the Chaoyang County Cultural-Tourism Group, said that through concentrated contiguous protection, Chaoyang County has innovated the "traditional village + agriculture + culture + tourism" industrial model, continuously making efforts in catering, homestays, cultural experiences, leisure and entertainment, and specialty shopping.

Every early May, in Sandaogou Village, Xiwujiazi Township, Chaoyang County, a traditional Chinese village, peonies bloom in profusion, with crowds of tourists flocking to a place. Among them, a peony approximately 200 years old surpasses all others in beauty. Liu Xiaohuan, Party branch secretary of Sandaogou Village, introduced that back then, Xu Zhitong and Xu Zhichun, scholars from Sandaogou Village, respectively passed the imperial examinations to become xiucai ( a licentiate) and juren ( a provincial graduate), and Emperor Daoguang, to show his commendation, bestowed a peony from Luoyang, named "Zhuangyuan Hong" (Top Scholar Red).. From then on, this Luoyang peony took root in the land of western Liaoning. Liu Xiaohuan said that in recent years, Sandaogou Village has restored the former residence of the juren scholar, built a peony garden, and holds a peony cultural festival every year, using the flowers as a medium.

In Bapangou Group, Tangzhangzi Village, Beisijiazi Township, Chaoyang County, a traditional Chinese village, 800 mu of stone-built terraced fields wind along the hillside all the way to the mid-mountain.

"The Bapangou terraces are grand in scale and well preserved, with stone dikes reaching over 160 levels." Lu Zongchao, deputy township head of Beisijiazi Township, introduced that in the 1950s, Bapangou responded to the national call to build up the mountain areas and increase crop yields, and under the leadership of production team leader Qu Zhensheng, the terraced fields built by Bapangou became a national model.

Today, the terraces have become a shining calling card for Bapangou's external publicity, and the villagers of Bapangou continue to use their industrious hands to build observation decks, flagstone paths, anda village cultural square; in the terraces, they not only grow corn, but also rapeseed flowers and sunflowers.

At present, the 7 traditional Chinese villages in Chaoyang County have formed mature utilization models, with tourism reception capacity continuously improving. The county has developed 2 classic self-driving tour routes: the Daling River urban-suburban leisure route, taking the traditional Chinese villages of Shihuishiyaogou, Bapangou, Sandaogou Village, and Xindi Village as nodes, stringing together scenic spots such as Yanshan Lake, Huaishu Cave, Qianfo Cave, and Daqingshan; and the Qingfengling mountain leisure experience route, taking the traditional Chinese villages of Sanjia Village, Sunjiadian Village, and Xiaojiadian Village as nodes, stringing together Qingfengling, Yuqing Palace, and the provincial-level traditional villages of Zhangjiyingzi Village, Baicaogou in Fengzhangzi Village, and Bajiazi Village.

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The Beauty of Light and Shadow in Museums (Exploring Museums)

By: 本报记者 姜晓丹

Walking into a museum, you may have had this question: why do painting and calligraphy exhibition halls always seem somewhat dim? Why do the diamonds and jade in the display cases appear so dazzling? Why is the hall bright and clear, yet almost no lamps can be seen? The answer is hidden in one and the same thing — light. It is meticulously designed, shaping the atmosphere of the space, highlighting the texture of the exhibits, and also guarding the life of the collections. Li Cong, exhibition designer at the Guangdong Museum, revealed to reporters the expertise behind the use of light in museums.

Why are painting and calligraphy exhibition halls always somewhat dim?

In Li Cong's view, light is the language of exhibitions, the bridge between exhibits and visitors, and a discipline that integrates science, art, and conservation technology. "Museum light must, first, serve the visitor experience, and second, serve the protection of cultural relics."

The "darkest" corners of the exhibition hall are often reserved for cultural relics sensitive to light. "Take painting and calligraphy relics, for example: overly strong light accelerates the aging of paper and silk. We strictly control the illuminance below 50 Lux (lux, a unit measuring light intensity; 50 Lux is roughly equivalent to the light intensity at dusk). This brightness may seem somewhat dim to visitors, but it is a gentle protection for the cultural relics." Li Cong explained. Taking the "Crowning the South with Painting — Special Exhibition of Song and Yuan Painting and Calligraphy in Guangdong Collections" as an example, the exhibition designers not only strictly controlled the illuminance but also adopted professional anti-ultraviolet, low-blue-light lamps. "Depending on the different materials of the relics, the lighting plan differs: for highly light-sensitive textiles and painting and calligraphy relics, the illuminance must not exceed 50 Lux; for moderately light-sensitive oil paintings and wooden objects, the illuminance should be controlled between 150 and 200 Lux; and for light-insensitive ceramics, metals, and other relics, the illuminance can be appropriately increased to better display their artistic characteristics."

This "dimness" is guarded by professional lamps. Today, professional lamps can control ultraviolet rays, infrared rays, and thermal radiation at the lowest levels, almost completely restoring the true colors of cultural relics, enhancing the viewing experience while protecting the relics, and also opening up more possibilities for the use of light and shadow.

Of course, not every corner of the exhibition hall is dim. The lighting design of interactive experience areas focuses on the visitor experience and must ensure comfort and safety. Li Cong said: "The brightness of content panel lighting must be at the appropriate level or in just the right amount (恰到好处, qia dao hao chu - "just, reach, good, degree"); too bright is glaring, too dim is tiring; floor lighting must be uniform, avoiding dark zones, to prevent visitors from tripping."

Why are some exhibits especially eye-catching?

The opposite of "dim" is "bright." In the "Mutual Benefit Under Heaven: One Thousand Years of Guangdong Foreign Trade" exhibition, the exhibition hall space was limited, but with the help of exquisite contrast between light and dark, visitors' sight lines were always naturally drawn to the key exhibits. "It is as if we are painting with light," Li Cong gave an example. "In the porcelain area, brighter light is used to highlight the warm luster of the glaze; while in the wood carving area, soft light is adopted, both displaying the wood grain and avoiding potential damage from strong light to the ancient timber."

Besides playing a guiding role, light can also shape texture and form, influencing visitors' emotional experience. In the "Gaze — Exhibition of Treasured Jewelry Art from the 16th to the 20th Century," to enhance the sense of sparkle, the designers precisely calculated the angles and specially selected high-brightness, small-angle focused lamps to accurately illuminate the diamonds and jade, creating a dazzling and eye-catching (璀璨夺目, cui can duo mu - "bright, shining, snatch, eye") visual effect.

To create a well-layered visual rhythm, a new generation of exhibitions makes extensive use of the combination of "flat light sources + point light sources." For example, at the Hong Kong Palace Museum, wall-washer lamps are first used to illuminate the overall space, creating a comfortable base lighting environment, and then adjustable-focus spotlights precisely focus on the key exhibits, not only enhancing the viewing experience but also greatly reducing visual fatigue.

What light can do does not stop there. Taking the Museum of the Nanyue King (Palace District) in Guangzhou, Guangdong, as an example, light is not used to illuminate the entire original site, but rather, through combinations of light and shadow, to outline the contours of the ruins, allowing visitors to better understand the spatial narrative, and letting the silent bricks and stones "tell" the stories of history through light and shadow.

Why is it that the lamps are on, yet no lamps can be seen?

"The lighting environment in museums today has changed; the most obvious change is that it has become brighter and brighter." Li Cong said. The museum becoming "brighter" is the result of precise calculation.

The application of intelligent lighting systems is also changing the way museums are viewed. "Through intelligent systems, we can switch light and shadow modes at any time via mobile terminals, allowing the same space to present completely different atmospheres under different needs. Light is transforming from an aid to 'viewing exhibitions' into an important part of 'experiencing' them." Li Cong said.

Lighting design concepts are also changing, with "seeing the light but not the lamp" being advocated by more people. "Designers hide the lamps themselves as much as possible, so that visitors only see the effect of the light, not the light source." Li Cong said. "This places higher demands on spatial design and display case craftsmanship."

■ Tips

One flash, and a cultural relic "ages" a little

The instantaneous illuminance of a camera flash is 1000–10000 Lux, far exceeding the tolerance limit of cultural relics. For light-sensitive materials, such as the pigments in paintings and calligraphy and the fibers of silk, every flash accelerates the aging of the cultural relic, and the damage is cumulative and irreversible. Please pay special attention: even in exhibition areas where photography is permitted, be sure to turn off the flash.

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Quanzhou Southern Shaolin: Zen and Martial Arts Enduring for a Millennium (Footprints · Martial Arts Wonderland)

By: 本报记者 钟自炜

At the foot of Qingyuan Mountain's Dongyue hillside in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province, Quanzhou Shaolin Temple is built against the mountain. Entering Quanzhou Shaolin Temple, towering ancient trees (古木参天, gu mu can tian - "ancient trees reaching to the sky") and the faint sound of Zen chanting linger in the air. As the birthplace of Southern Shaolin martial arts, it is also known as the "Southern Shaolin."

The vitality of Southern Shaolin martial arts does not reside only in the ancient temple's martial arts hall. During the recess exercise period, on the playground of the Donghai Campus of Quanzhou City Fengze District No. 2 Experimental Primary School, bursts of boxing shouts ring out. The school has introduced Five Ancestor Fist into the classroom, turning teaching through oral instruction and personal demonstration (口传心授, kou chuan xin shou -"mouth transmits, heart imparts") martial arts moves into lively and interesting physical education classes, with every stance and strike full of vigor and imposing strength (虎虎生威, hu hu sheng wei -"tiger, tiger, produce, prestige").

This martial art has a heritage history of more than 1,300 years. According to the Xishan Magazine, Quanzhou Shaolin Temple was originally named ""Zhenguo Dongchan Shaolin Temple," built by Zhikong, one of the "Thirteen Staff Monks" of Songshan Shaolin Temple in the Tang Dynasty, who entered Fujian. It was first constructed around the first year of the Tang Dynasty's Longshuo reign (661 CE), and thereafter underwent three periods of prosperity and three periods of decline (三兴三废, san xing san fei -"three rises, three ruins"), until the 28th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1763 CE) it was ordered burned down by imperial decree. In 1992, Quanzhou established a reconstruction committee and rebuilt the temple on its original site.

Today's Quanzhou Shaolin Temple faces south with its back to the north, covering approximately 500 mu. The courtyards reconstructed according to historical documents feature red bricks and red tiles, swallow-tail ridge ends, fully displaying the architectural characteristics of southern Fujian traditional buildings. Along the central axis, the Mahavira Hall, the Sutra Depository Pavilion, the Dharma Hall and other main buildings rise one after another in height.

The martial arts lend fame to the temple, and the temple lends prominence to the martial arts. The charm of Quanzhou Shaolin Temple lies not only in its scenery, but moreover in its profound martial arts culture.

In the past, the three favorite forms of entertainment among Quanzhou people were, as the local saying goes, "fists, liquor, and melodies" — among which, "fists" refers to Shaolin martial arts. Southern Shaolin martial arts, together with the famous both in China and abroad (蜚声中外, fei sheng zhong wai -"sound spreads within and beyond") Southern Music and Southern Opera, are jointly known as the "Three Southerns," constituting an important cultural calling card of Quanzhou.

Among the complex martial arts, Five Ancestor Fist is the representative of Quanzhou Shaolin Temple's martial arts culture. Five Ancestor Fist unifies Grand Ancestor, Arhat, Dazun, Wanderer, and White Crane into one school, with similar fist styles, interconnected internal principles, comparable hand techniques, and identical stance and footwork, allowing both concurrent study and specialized mastery. In 2008, Five Ancestor Fist was listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage.

In order to let traditional martial arts step out of the ancient temple and integrate into the public, over the years Quanzhou has continuously excavated, sorted, and inherited Shaolin martial arts, innovatively compiling youth Five Ancestor Fist fitness exercises and middle-aged and elderly Five Ancestor Fist fitness routines; and carrying out activities such as bringing Five Ancestor Fist into schools, into communities, into military camps, and into police camps……Today, Southern Shaolin martial arts are becoming an important vehicle for national fitness.

Inside the temple's martial arts performance hall, martial arts monks, clad in yellow monastic robes, present the meticulously choreographed scenario-style performance Light of Shaolin, with fists splitting the air, shouts resounding sonorously, and amid nimble and agile movements (腾挪闪展, teng nuo shan zhan -"leap, shift, flash, extend") rigidity and suppleness merge, fully displaying the profundity of the martial arts, deeply popular among tourists.

"All martial arts under heaven originate from Shaolin; the roots of Southern Fist lie in Quanzhou." Originating in southern Fujian, Southern Shaolin martial arts have crossed seas and oceans, spreading far across the world.

As a place for practicing and disseminating Five Ancestor Fist, Quanzhou Shaolin Temple attracts many overseas Shaolin disciples to come for ancestral recognition or visits. Participating in martial arts performance assemblies, demonstrating Five Ancestor Fist practice achievements, experiencing the unique Shaolin Zen and martial arts culture……Strolling through Quanzhou Shaolin Temple, without noticing, one may well encounter martial arts enthusiasts of different skin colors

From defending against enemies and achieving victory to strengthening the body and promoting health, from deep mountain ancient temples to campus communities, the thousand-year-old Southern Shaolin martial arts are radiating new vitality in contemporary life. Opening its doors wide, using martial arts culture as a bridge, Quanzhou Shaolin Temple is becoming a renowned "international calling card" famous at home and abroad.

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Page editors: Meng Yang, Tang Zhongke, Zhu Yan

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Technology Empowers, the Scent of Books Fills the Air (New Life, New Experiences)

This year, the Regulations on the Promotion of Reading for All took effect, encouraging the advancement of building a bookish society and promoting the development and application of new technologies, new carriers, and new facilities for nationwide reading. Beijing City Library is leveraging cutting-edge technologies, from AI (artificial intelligence) librarians and intelligent automated stacks to AR (augmented reality) navigation and metaverse digital humans, allowing books to actively seek out readers, achieving the transformation from "people looking for books" to "books looking for people"; Sichuan Dujiangyan's Zhongshuge, meanwhile, answers with aesthetics, integrating regional cultural elements such as water conservancy projects, pandas, and Qingcheng Mountain into its spatial design, creating immersive reading scenes, letting the fragrance of books permeate more people's lives.

—  Editor

Beijing City Library

From "People Looking for Books" to "Books Looking for People"

People's Daily reporter  Shi  Fang

"Hello, Xiaotu!" "Here I am, how may I help you?" At the north gate service desk of Beijing City Library, the AI digital librarian "Tu Yueyue" is conversing with readers. As the first AI digital librarian in the national library industry to be connected to a large model, "Tu Yueyue" can provide information retrieval, book navigation, reading guidance, personalized recommendations, and other services across multiple online and offline scenarios. Xie Peng, deputy director of the Capital Library, introduced that after more than a dozen rounds of program iteration, its semantic understanding capability and answer accuracy have already made a qualitative leap (质的飞跃, zhi de fei yue - "quality, of, leap").

In the past, readers borrowing books had to search in catalogs, hunt among bookshelves, and wait at counters; today, at Beijing City Library, books are actively walking toward readers.

The automated stack on the basement level is the "heart" of this intelligent system. "It can store 7.15 million books, making it the intelligent library stack with the largest single-site book collection in China." Xie Peng introduced that the main stack area covers approximately 3,000 square meters, the stack is 16 meters high, has more than 32,000 metal book boxes, and is equipped with 13 large stacker cranes, along with automatic sorting equipment and intelligent handling robots, enabling automatic retrieval, sorting, and delivery of books. After a reader places an order in the reading room, books are generally automatically delivered to an intelligent pickup cabinet within 3 to 15 minutes, available for immediate pickup.

Smart desks scattered throughout the mountain-shaped reading area are linked to the automated stack, robot librarians, and other equipment; readers can log in by scanning a WeChat QR code, and when the system identifies an elderly reader it automatically switches to a large-print version, with screen brightness and desk lamp color temperature both adjustable by preference and memorized as settings. By opening AR navigation, readers can not only locate "where I am," but also view recommended books, popular borrowings, and award-winning books in that area. Li Lingyun, deputy director of the Digital Library Management Center of the Capital Library, introducedthat through full-process data collection and AI analysis, the future library can intelligently predict reader interests and provide personalized recommendations. After closing, through visual recognition technology, it can also achieve check-out-free borrowing—after taking a book, no additional operation is needed, and leaving the library completes the borrowing.

"From document retrieval to knowledge push, from open-shelf reading to AR reading, the library has achieved the transformation from 'people looking for books' to 'books looking for people.'" Xie Peng said.

In the metaverse experience hall, readers can converse with three digital humans—"Lu Xun," "Tutu," and "2122"—set their own digital human avatars to exchange reading insights with others, and traverse the online parallel world to participate in offline exhibitions. "Through AI digital human technology, we have created AI Lu Xun, making him a special librarian who guides readers, recommends collection books, introduces Beijing cuisine, and cultural tourism attractions." Fei Jun, creative director of the metaverse experience hall creation team and professor at the School of Design of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, introducedthat "Tutu" and "2122" respectively imitate the styles of "child" and "future," communicating with readers on various topics through large models. Since the hall opened at the end of 2023, readers have conducted more than 2 million voice conversations with the digital humans.

If the metaverse is a brand-new experience created by technology, in the field of traditional culture, technology is equally allowing collection resources to radiate new vitality. "Today, obtaining a book is already very convenient—why should people still walk into a library? We hope to extract collection resources on different themes and transform them into scenes that can be experienced, interacted with, and perceived." Li Lingxiao, director of the Publicity and Planning Department of the Capital Library, introduced. The historical theme exhibition "Yongle Water Veins: The Ming Dynasty's National Fortune and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal" draws on collection documents and soundscape restoration technology to recreate the historical scenes of dredging the Huitong River and opening up grain transport by water during the Yongle reign; the Art and Literature Library uses top-tier audio equipment to construct an immersive sound field, bringing readers a new auditory experience. Currently, the Ancient Books and Documents Library has also launched 15 sessions of the"Ancient Scrolls Reborn" restoration craft experience classes, inviting professional restorers to teach, allowing readers to feel the transmission of classics through hands-on practice.

"Besides traditional paper books, we hope to create a technology-infused immersive reading space for readers, stimulating their interest in reading and their thirst for the exploration of knowledge." Li Nianzu, deputy director of the Capital Library, stated.

Sichuan Zhongshuge Dujiangyan Store

A Fantastical Bookstore  Landscape Entering the Scroll

People's Daily reporter  Wang Yongzhan

In autumn, walking into the Zhongshuge Dujiangyan Store located in Dujiangyan City, Chengdu, Sichuan, the fragrance of books greets you. Passing through a winding wall of bookshelves, a bookshelf area composed of "green bamboo" comes into view, where several children are flipping through picture books, full of joy. This bookstore's design inspiration comes from the Dujiangyan water conservancy project, and has been called Sichuan's "most beautiful bookstore" by many netizens.

In every corner of the bookstore, many visitors are checking in and touring, experiencing how the bookstore has integrated"Seeking the Way on Qingcheng Mountain, Paying Homage to the Waters of Dujiangyan" into its design and layout. Scenes where culture and tourism merge unfold one after another here.

"In the children's picture book area, we have artistically transformed each bookshelf into a 'green bamboo' tree, with panda-shaped dolls adorning them, as if pandas were lying on tall bamboo." Luo Lijuan, store manager of Zhongshuge Dujiangyan Store, saidthat incorporating panda elements into the bookstore's design not only reflects Sichuan's unique ecological culture, but also creates a beautiful artistic conception of"deep, deep bamboo groves—how deep—amid the bamboo thickets there are pandas," making children linger forgetfully.

Unlike the picture book area, walking into the bookstore's front hall, one feels as if stepping into a sea of "fantasy." Looking forward, walnut-colored C-shaped bookshelves stand before you, full of dynamism. "The design inspiration for these bookshelves comes from the blue-gray roof tiles that carry the charm of accumulated years; the whole design gives one a feeling of stepping into life and crossing through time." Luo Lijuan said. Visitors threading beneath the enormous C-shaped bookshelves seem to follow the eaves outside, returning to the layered peaks of Qingcheng Mountain; walking in the bookstore, time itself seems to gradually slow down.

The city is full of watercolors, half the city is mountains—the bookstore's central literature area also has its own distinctive character. Looking up, Zhongshuge's mirrored ceiling makes the space feel especially open, and visitors seem to enter a magical world, yet also see themselves reflected within it. Going deeper, towering bookshelves stretch upward, constructing a blessed grotto-heaven of"the highest good is like water." "We have artistically transformed Dujiangyan's water dam into a book wall, with the book wall as a whole flowing like water." Luo Lijuan introducedthat the reading area's book display stands are designed from the image of small boats, with one "small boat" after another drifting among the water-like bookshelves—the magnificent mountains and rivers of Dujiangyan have been condensed into this one corner of bookshelves, this one artistic space.

The bookshelves in the tall section reach straight up to the ceiling, and books, one by one tightly packed, have also "climbed" up. Staircases wind upward around the bookshelves, giving the book displays even more space. Grabbing a book at random, ascending the stairs step by step, and gazing into the distance, Zhongshuge's majestic momentum rushes toward you, with all kinds of bookshelves and reading spaces arranged in pleasing disorder.

The book reading area has also attracted many people to stop and linger. Doorways are opened in the bookshelves'"dam body," allowing natural light to pour in fully, and giving readers space to rest and pause. "Whenever I have free time, I like to come here to read." Local resident Mr. Tang saidthat what the bookstore brings people is not only aesthetic sensory enjoyment, but also the fulfillment and satisfaction of reading.

Visitors are immersed in this bookstore, and the bookstore is also doing its utmost to bring more warm experiences. Luo Lijuan introducedthat the bookstore is constantly updating its books, while also optimizing the layout of areas such as the tea break corridor. Today, this "fantastical" bookstore, closely connected with the thousand-year-old Dujiangyan, is attracting wave after wave of visitors who come across the waters to arrive.

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A Museum Badge, Preserving an Ancient Smile (Museum Treasure)

In the Jiangxi Provincial Museum's exhibition "Tiger Crouching over Jiangnan — the Xin'gan Great Tomb and the Bronze Kingdom," a Shang-dynasty double-faced bronze divine-human head stands quietly. The core visual of the Jiangxi Provincial Museum's logo derives precisely from the silhouette of this national treasure. It was unearthed from the Shang-dynasty great tomb at Dayangzhou, Xin'gan County, Ji'an City, Jiangxi Province, and is the only double-faced bronze head ever seen, known as the spiritual totem of the "Jiangnan Bronze Kingdom."

Reporter: The core visual of the Jiangxi Provincial Museum's logo derives from the silhouette of this double-faced divine-human bronze head. Why can a Shang-dynasty artifact from more than 3,000 years ago represent today's Jiangxi Provincial Museum?

Liu Wei: The double-faced divine-human bronze head is a typical representative of Southern Shang-dynasty bronzes, reflecting the unique faith and worship of the South at that time, and possessing extremely high cultural relic value. Moreover, as a museum's most precious collection or masterpiece (镇馆之宝, zhen guan zhi bao - "guard, hall, possess, treasure"), this bronze head's image not only evokes the gods imagined by ancient people, but also carries human characteristics, naturally enabling audiences to feel a sense of familiarity.

From the perspective of artistic design, the main body of the museum logo distilled from the double-faced divine-human bronze head possesses a symmetrical beauty; it resembles both the seal-script form of the character "west" in "Jiangxi", and a broad gate inviting audiences to walk into the museum.

Reporter: How was this "smiling divine face" cast?

Liu Wei: The head is flat and hollow in the middle, with round eyes and a prominent nose, wearing a smile, with square shovel-shaped teeth and curled fangs arranged above and below, pointed ears on both sides, a round tube on top of the head, and a square socket below, with a pair of slanting long horns on both sides of the crown indicating that its image is not that of an ordinary person. The two faces of the head are identical and symmetrical, making it the only double-faced bronze head ever seen; it differs markedly from human-face images found elsewhere in the Shang dynasty, and at present only the bronze mask unearthed at Chenggu County, Hanzhong, Shaanxi, resembles it, but that is a single-faced mask without horns on the head. The head was cast and joined twice using the clay-mold sectional casting method, with thin and even vessel walls, demonstrating an extremely high level of craftsmanship.

Reporter: A round tube on top of the head and a square socket at the bottom — what was this structure used for? What textual research and evaluations does the current academic community have regarding its actual function and historical-cultural value?

Liu Wei: The current mainstream view holds that the head was part of the top of a scepter used by the supreme chieftain of the Hufang state during sacrificial ceremonies in the Shang dynasty; this accords with the head's structure of "round tube above, square socket below": the round tube could hold a feathered headdress, the square socket could fit a wooden handle, and the tube and socket were connected, symbolizing the divine-human's penetration between heaven and earth. In the Shang dynasty, shamanistic practices flourished; shamans bore the duty of communicating between heaven and earth and mediating between deities and humans, and during sacrificial ceremonies they would use props to create a mystical atmosphere, for which this head could play a role. Its value is twofold: first, it provides precious physical evidence for studying the unique faith-and-worship system of the South during the Shang dynasty; second, its fine casting workmanship and unique form possess extremely high cultural relic value and aesthetic value.

Reporter: What did the discovery of the Shang-dynasty great tomb at Dayangzhou, Xin'gan, rewrite?

Liu Wei: For a very long period, the region south of the Yangtze River during the Shang dynasty was regarded as "barbaric hinterland." This "first Shang tomb in Jiangnan" made its sudden and dramatic appearance (横空出世, heng kong chu shi -"cross, sky, emerge, world"), and with more than 400 bronze objects proved that, more than 3,000 years ago, the Gan River valley already harbored a powerful state that coexisted and developed alongside the Central Plains' Yin-Shang civilization and possessed a highly developed bronze civilization. Jiangxi thereby leaped into the position of the "Jiangnan Bronze Kingdom," forming with Yinxu in Henan and Sanxingdui in Sichuan a pattern of three parties in a standoff (三足鼎立, san zu ding li -"three, feet, tripod, stand") in Shang-dynasty bronze civilization, rewriting the traditional understanding that "Shang civilization did not cross the Yangtze River." The Xin'gan Dayangzhou Shang-dynasty great tomb was also rated one of "China's 100 Major Archaeological Discoveries of the 20th Century." This head, half-human and half-divine, skillfully fuses royal power with divine power, and is the most representative spiritual totem of the "Jiangnan Bronze Kingdom."

Reporter: This national treasure has frequently "broken out of the circle" in recent years. What specifically has the museum done?

Liu Wei: Bringing cultural relics "to life" is our important mission. In terms of conservation, we dynamically monitor the exhibition environment of cultural relics, establish digital archives, and continuously carry out academic interpretation. Revitalization and utilization unfold from three dimensions: first, based on exhibitions, at the end of 2024 we launched the large-scale exhibition "Tiger Crouching over Jiangnan — the Xin'gan Great Tomb and the Bronze Kingdom," which is the exhibition with the largest number of cultural relics and the highest grade since the tomb's discovery, with the head as the absolute protagonist on long-term display, and it has also appeared multiple times in special exhibitions at venues such as the Grand Canal Museum in Beijing; second, using digital communication as the means, the special feature "Cloud-Watching Jiangbo's Treasures" allows audiences to appreciate its 3D high-definition images at 360 degrees through their phones; third, expanding through cultural-creative product development, the cultural-creative popsicle modeled on it replicates the details of its decorative patterns, becoming a sweet bond connecting the museum with the public. Over these years, my greatest feeling is that the museum is transforming from a single display space into a warm cultural experience platform, achieving a "two-way running toward each other" between traditional culture and contemporary life with audiences.

Casting bronze to communicate with heaven and earth, preserving a divine countenance to bear witness to the Gan River. From the Shang-dynasty great tomb at Dayangzhou, Xin'gan, to the modern exhibition halls of the Jiangxi Provincial Museum, this double-faced divine-human bronze head carries the heaven-and-earth faith of ancient Jiangnan ancestors, engraves the ancient imprint of the pluralistic integration of Chinese civilization, and continues to build a cultural bridge for dialogue between ancient and modern.

(Liu Wei is deputy director of the Jiangxi Provincial Museum; this article was compiled from an interview by People's Daily reporter Wang Dan)

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Falling Asleep on the Book of Songs (A Whiff of Book Fragrance)

By: 马 琳

My true encounter with the Book of Songs began on a summer afternoon in my university years.

Before that, my understanding of this classic had always remained at the level of textbook exam points and required recitation passages. The language was archaic and elegant, but also distant.

It was not until a literature class, when the teacher broke away from the rigid teaching method, that after explaining the background and general meaning, without textual exegesis or thematic interpretation, she simply played an adapted ancient ballad, "The Two Sons Board the Boat."

That afternoon, everyone was quietly immersed in the melody, following the plain four-character lines, and unknowingly stepped into a riverside scene from a thousand years ago: two brothers set off one after another on a boat journey into the distance, the road ahead fraught with peril, the poet's heart full of concern, praying only that this journey would not meet with disaster.

The lines appear to be plain well-wishes, but looking back at the historical facts, beneath this prayer lay a regret already destined and impossible to undo. As the song entered the ears and the words entered the heart, that afternoon, a faint melancholy lingered throughout the classroom, and I truly touched the most authentic power of the Chinese language—expressing sadness without being excessive or destructive (哀而不伤, ai er bu shang - "sorrow, but, not, injure"), a calm exterior concealing profound depth (静水流深, jing shui liu shen - "quiet, water, flows, deep"). It turned out that the Book of Songs was never a cold symbol, but a state of mind.

The world knows the Book of Songs as poetry, yet often forgets that most of the three hundred poems are ballads scattered across the wilderness and sung among the people. Years later, this melody has remained in my memory, becoming the beginning of my bond with the Book of Songs.

Since then, the Book of Songs has always been placed on my desk. In my youth, I favored the fresh and verdant depictions of plants and scenery. "The deer cry out with joy, feeding on wild celery in the field" is a song of joy on the plains; "The peach tree is young and fresh, its blossoms blazing bright" is the radiance of spring days; "The reeds are lush and green, the white dew turned to frost" is the clear distance of autumn waters. At that time, my mind was pure, and I read the elegance of the four seasons, the language shallow and clear.

As I grew older, bustling through the trivialities of daily life, I gradually came to experience the ups and downs of life, and inevitably faced confusion, hardship, and anxiety. Even in my hurried steps, I still habitually opened the Book of Songs, reading the myriad human conditions and the resilience of all beings hidden within the four-character lines. Among the poems, there is "Odes of Wei · Meng" which tells of the vicissitudes of love and marriage—the full expectations of passionate love and the clear-eyed decisiveness after recognizing reality; there are the ancestors who "by day gather thatch, by night twist rope," toiling diligently year-round, and those who labored all day must surely have harbored in their hearts expectations for a better life in the future; there is "Drumming the Battle Drum" with its "In life and death, in parting and union, I made a pledge with you," where even amid the impermanence of the world and the unpredictability of meeting and parting, some still choose to hold fast to their promises. The circumstances of human life—joy and regret, expectation and disappointment—were all laid out in the poetic lines long ago.

The three hundred poems, to sum them up in one phrase: thoughts without depravity. There is no obscure moralizing, no deliberate indoctrination, only catchy rhythms, clean and pure imagery, and the most primitive, most sincere and straightforward beautiful sentiments of humanity—labor, expectation, joy, and longing. Through the changes of thousands of years, the world's scenery and ways of life have changed, but the joys and sorrows, choices, and expectations of the human heart have never changed.

Whenever my mood is unsettled, quietly flipping through the poetic lines, my heart becomes suddenly enlightened (豁然通透, huo ran tong tou - "suddenly, clear, penetrate, through"): each individual is inherently different, but as a whole, the hearts of today and the hearts of antiquity are not far apart—our present confusion, melancholy, concern, and striving are no different from those of the ancestors a thousand years ago. Those temporary difficulties, worries, and setbacks before our eyes were also experienced, endured, and weathered by the ancients, and ultimately all turned into fleeting fragments in the long river of time—nothing to make a fuss over, and nothing that cannot be overcome. For me, the Book of Songs is no longer simply reading and appreciating literature, but a long-term nourishment and healing, settling into the foundational hue of my state of mind: perhaps life will never be smooth sailing without any obstacles (一帆风顺, yi fan feng shun - "one, sail, wind, smooth"), but the human heart can remain clear and steadfast, calmly moving forward amid the ordinary smoke and fire of daily life.

A small incident recently gave me a deeper appreciation of the inheritance of poetic rhythm. My friend does not care for noisy children's songs and cartoons, and every night softly recites the Book of Songs to lull the child to sleep. Once, my friend casually recited "Going upstream to follow him," and a soft, tender childish voice naturally and clearly picked up "He is right in the middle of the water"!

Perhaps the power of the Book of Songs has never been about forcing understanding. A child responding through the instinct of rhythm and sound is already the purest nourishment of the literary lineage. These words spanning a thousand autumns grant one the tranquility to look back on the past, and also grant me the strength to rush toward the road ahead with unstoppable momentum (一往无前, yi wang wu qian - "one, go, no, front"). On the long road of life, we will always at some moment suddenly encounter the ancient verses, and within the poetic lines come to understand parting and reunion, heal our confusion, settle our original hearts, and calmly stride toward our own years and seasons.

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Page editors: Meng Yang, Tang Zhongke, Xu Yang

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The Beauty of the Land: Passing on Beauty Through Generations

Patriotism is a sentiment that never changes in the blood of the sons and daughters of China.

Continuously cultivating artistic skills (艺耕不辍, yi geng bu chuo - "art, cultivate, not, stop") to pass on beauty through generations. From ancient times to the present, generation after generation of fine-arts workers have carried the nation in their hearts, using knife and brush to engrave the memory of the times, continuing the spiritual bloodline, and expressing the close connection between individual dreams and the nation's dreams.

Today, this page invites experts and scholars to walk with readers into the gallery of art — to appreciate the spirit of patriotism from a piece of "red landscape" painting, to hear the echo of the national anthem from a sculpture, to understand the power of the people from an exhibition, to savor beautiful blessings from a lantern, and to feel the heroic sentiments of ancient and modern times from a cliff inscription, so that the light of the spirit illuminates the road of endeavor.

—Editor

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A "Red Landscape" Painting Expresses Patriotism (Landscapes of the Motherland)

By: 陈传席

In this golden autumn October, we welcome the birthday of our motherland. At this moment of nationwide celebration, I cannot help but recall Li Keran's words: "When we paint landscape paintings, we are erecting monuments and writing biographies for the rivers and mountains of our motherland; this is where the patriotism of landscape painting lies." Expressing patriotic spirit through landscapes, "red landscape painting" is a typical representative. Reading this again today, one can better appreciate its profound emotion and far-reaching artistic conception.

For Chinese people, landscapes are not merely natural scenery but also spiritual sustenance. Surveying the history of Chinese painting, from the Song and Yuan dynasties to the Ming and Qing dynasties, the forms and connotations of landscape painting have basically been continuing a tradition or lineage without interruption (一脉相承, yi mai xiang cheng - "one, vein, follow, inherit"), whether expressing the reclusive aspirations of literati and refined scholars, or giving voice to the desire to live in nature and seek seclusion (林泉之心, lin quan zhi xin - "forest, spring, possess, heart") of scholar-officials, or conveying profound Chan Buddhist meaning and philosophical contemplation. It was not until the mid-20th century that, in the face of a brand-new social atmosphere, a "new landscape painting" movement arose across the country, which through on-site sketching thoroughly transformed the creative face of traditional landscape painting, depicting the new appearance of the motherland's rivers and mountains with new formal language. Among these, a body of works focusing on themes such as revolutionary sacred sites and the poetic imagery of Mao Zedong came to be called "red landscape painting." Representative works include Qian Songyan's "Red Rock" and "Ode to Yan'an," Fu Baoshi's "The Tiger in the Coils and Dragon in the Leap Surpasses the Past" and "Our Motherland Is So Beautiful" (collaboration with Guan Shanyue), Li Keran's "All the Mountains Are Red" and "Jinggang Mountain," and Lu Yanshao's "Zhushachong Sentry Post" and "All Within the Hibiscus Kingdom Is Bathed in Morning Light." These works changed the traditional landscape painting pursuit of tranquil and serene beauty, innovating the aesthetic paradigm with a majestic and vigorous style, establishing a new tradition for landscape painting creation in the new China.

The creative philosophy of "red landscape painting" is to combine revolutionary realism with revolutionary romanticism. The painters turned their gaze from self-contemplation toward love for the motherland's mountains and rivers and praise for the nation's development, infusing their paintings with revolutionary sentiment.

"Brush and ink must follow the times." Profound revolutionary sentiment determines the artist's choice of subject matter and composition, and also determines their brushwork and color. Take Qian Songyan's "Red Rock" as an example. Hongyan Village was once the seat of the Southern Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and the office of the Eighth Route Army in Chongqing. In 1958, the Red Rock Revolutionary Memorial Hall was built here and opened to the public. At that time, the site was an earthen slope with a few houses on it, looking quite ordinary. Had it been painted faithfully as it was, it would have been difficult to vividly embody the lofty revolutionary ideals and great spirit of struggle of the Communists. Out of reverence for the revolution, the painter exaggerated the earthen slope into a towering red mountain ridge, both highlighting the red spirit and symbolizing the nature of the red revolution. The work also simplifies the memorial hall; on the left, a large tree stands tall and luxuriant, not only adding weight to the composition but also conveying a sense of loftiness and dignity. The painter inscribed a poem in the upper right: "Wind and rain darken all directions, yet one red banner rises at Red Rock. In admiration I wield my crimson brush, splashing it amid the light of dawn," making clear the work's symbolic meaning and the artist's inner pride.

In creating "red landscape painting," the painters no longer confined themselves to the reality of the landscape; they boldly imagined, boldly selected and discarded, using landscape imagery to symbolize the revolutionary foundation, elevating revolutionary sacred sites into monumental art. In works such as Qian Songyan's "Ode to Yan'an" and Fu Baoshi's "Yan'an," the majestic high mountains and the sturdy ancient pines are all artistically refined to express the sublimity of the revolutionary sacred sites. This is also reflected in "red landscape painting" creations inspired by Mao Zedong's poetry. Li Keran's "All the Mountains Are Red," based on Mao Zedong's poem "I see all the mountains are red, the layered forests are all dyed," employs a high-distance perspective composition, with a silhouetted great mountain as the main subject, layering cinnabar repeatedly over dark and heavy landscape forms to create a sense of towering massiveness, fully displaying the impassioned and heroic spirit of the poem.

The magnificent atmosphere achieved by "red landscape painting" not only opened a new aesthetic paradigm for landscape painting but also propelled landscape painting to integrate with the spirit of the times. Subsequent landscape painting has basically developed and transformed under this new aesthetic paradigm. Generations of painters have either continued the tradition of depicting revolutionary sacred sites or focused on deeply integrating personal emotion with the national spirit. For example, Zhou Shaohua, Jia Youfu, and others inherited the spirit of "erecting monuments for the rivers and mountains of the motherland," incorporating a vigorous and powerful atmosphere into their landscape creations. The landscapes in their works are likewise not realistic depictions of actual mountains and waters, but rather, through artistic reshaping, present a beauty that transcends the actual scenery, full of spiritual symbolic meaning.

"Do not regard painting lightly, for in silent poetry a thousand autumns are praised." What "red landscape painting" has left us is not merely the transformation of artistic style, but also profound reflection on how Chinese landscape painting can participate in shaping the spirit of the times. Only by extending the brush and ink toward the magnificent rivers and mountains of the motherland, toward the profound feelings of family and country, and in the close connection between the individual's inner vision and the atmosphere of the times, can Chinese landscape painting write a Chinese style and Chinese bearing for the new era, and build a solid spiritual home for the people.

(The author is a professor at Renmin University of China)

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A Sculpture Casts the Memory of the National Anthem

By: 傅 军

As the national anthem, the "March of the Volunteers" is a sacred melody in the heart of every Chinese. In Shanghai, whenever I pass the intersection of Huaihai Middle Road, Fuxing West Road, and Urumqi Middle Road, I often look toward the large bronze statue of Nie Er, titled "Arise" (see photo), in the street-corner garden. This is the only large-scale urban sculpture created by the renowned sculptor Zhang Chongren that stands in a domestic public space. Why did this master sculptor, famous throughout China and abroad (驰名中外, chi ming zhong wai - "run, famous, middle, outside"), create this work in his later years?

The story begins in 1983. That year, the Shanghai municipal government planned to build a memorial statue for Nie Er, the composer of the national anthem, and publicly solicited design proposals from across the city. The site was chosen at the street-corner garden at the intersection of the three roads above, because it is very close to No. 1258 Xiafei Road (today's Huaihai Middle Road), where Nie Er's former residence was located. In 1935, it was in this three-story attic that Nie Er composed the initial draft of the theme song "March of the Volunteers" for the film Children of Troubled Times.

As soon as the solicitation notice was issued, artists responded one after another. At the "Shanghai Urban Sculpture Design Exhibition" held in 1983, 17 small design models for the Nie Er memorial statue were displayed together. The sculpture draft "Arise, Those Who Refuse to Be Slaves" by Zhang Chongren, in collaboration with the famous Tongji University architect Tan Yuan and Zhang Xingjian, along with the environmental design "Nie Er Monument," stood out from the crowd (脱颖而出, tuo ying er chu - "shed, excellence, emerge, out") among the many designs and won the highest award.

Thereafter, Zhang Chongren set about creating a medium-sized model on the basis of the small draft. To capture the subject's spirit and bearing, he visited several senior musicians and Nie Er's relatives and close friends, gaining an in-depth understanding of Nie Er's personality and the circumstances under which he composed his music. He even went to the rehearsal room of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra to attend a choral rehearsal of the "March of the Volunteers" conducted by Professor Ma Geshun, deeply experiencing the music's boldness and passion. He also found a young student from the Shanghai Institute of Physical Education (today's Shanghai University of Sport) whose build and appearance resembled Nie Er's to serve as a model. In mid-April 1984, a one-meter-tall full-body statue of Nie Er was completed and exhibited successively at the First National Urban Sculpture Design Proposal Exhibition and the Sixth National Art Exhibition. Regrettably, the Nie Er memorial statue project was then delayed and did not advance for a long time. Although Zhang Chongren moved to France in his later years, he always kept his motherland in his heart and repeatedly expressed his wish to contribute to the sculpture cause of his hometown, Shanghai.

In 1992, the 85-year-old Zhang Chongren finally received the news that the Shanghai municipal government had commissioned him to create the Nie Er memorial statue. In April of the same year, he returned to Shanghai from Paris and decided to use the method of building up in layers, relying on the previous one-meter-tall sculpture to shape a 3.5-meter-tall clay sculpture of a large figure, with his student Yan Youren serving as his assistant. After half a year of arduous work, a full-body bronze statue of Nie Er was finally completed. As we see it today, this bronze statue stands on a 1.2-meter-tall base; Nie Er's body is upright, facing east, raising his arm to conduct the grand chorus, and one seems almost to hear the sonorous and impassioned singing at one's ear...

In fact, there are quite a few sculptures created around the national anthem. With a monumental solemnity and impact, they transform collective memory into moving poetry. These works can basically be divided into two categories: one is the figure-focused type—for example, Zhang Chongren's "Arise" and Wu Weishan's "March of the Volunteers—Nie Er" both take Nie Er as the subject of expression; the other is the spiritual-symbolic type—for example, Ye Yushan's "Great Wall of Flesh and Blood" and Li Ming's "March of the Volunteers," whose focus of expression is not on any specific figure. The forms of expression also have their respective emphases: Zhang Chongren followed classical realism, with accurate modeling and vivid bearing in his works; Ye Yushan combined realism with romanticism, converging the figures into an indivisible "Great Wall"; Wu Weishan, by contrast, adopted a freehand approach, rendering the majestic momentum of the "March of the Volunteers."

"Arise! Arise! Arise!" These sculptures not only preserve the memories associated with the national anthem, but also engrave the unyielding spirit of the Chinese nation. Pausing to gaze at them, the patriotic resonance contained within still stirs the heart, reminding us not to forget the road we have traveled and to keep forging ahead with determination (砥砺前行, di li qian xing - "grind, sharpen, front, walk").

(The author is the director of the Art Museum of the Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Institute)

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An Exhibition Illuminates the Power of the People (Splendors of the Land)

By: 吴 爽

On the historical monument forged by the Communist Party of China through more than a century of struggle, the two characters "the people" are extremely heavy and significant (重若千钧, zhong ruo qian jun - "heavy, like, thousand, weight"). The "People · Monument" exhibition of classic fine-art works from the museum's collection, currently on display at the National Museum of China, uses one work after another of outstanding pieces condensed with the memories of their era to present, in a panoramic manner, the revolutionary history and struggle history in which the Party and the people have shared the same fate and interests (休戚与共, xiu qi yu gong - "joy, sorrow, and, together"), allowing visitors, through a single exhibition, to profoundly appreciate the close bond between the Party and the people, and between art and the people.

Strolling through the exhibition hall, one's gaze is first drawn back to the era of beacon fires and war. Artists, from different perspectives and in diverse forms, interpret the truth that "the Party's roots lie in the people, its lifeblood lies in the people, and its strength lies in the people." For example, Hou Yimin's oil painting Mao Zedong and Anyuan Miners uses a beam of bright light to show that the Party brought hope to the Anyuan railway and coal miners shrouded in darkness. Li Hu's Chinese painting Peasants Supporting the Northern Expedition Army, with its grand composition, depicts peasants fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with the Northern Expedition Army amid towering mountains. Here, "the people" are the miners and the peasants, and the Party and the people act with one heart and one mind (同心同向, tong xin tong xiang - "same, heart, same, direction"). What is deeply moving is that heroes are right among the people: Li Zongjin's oil painting Forcing the Luding Bridge, Wang Shenglie's Chinese painting Eight Women Throw Themselves into the River, Zhan Jianjun's oil painting Five Heroes of Langya Mountain, and others, through their depiction of revolutionary warriors, display the unyielding spine of heroes.

"The people are the creators of history and the fundamental force determining the future and destiny of the Party and the state." This is also vividly embodied in the construction and dream-chasing journey of the peaceful era. It is precisely the struggle in which the Communist Party of China united and led the broad masses of the people, working together with one heart (勠力同心, lu li tong xin - "exert, strength, same, heart"), that has enabled the Chinese nation to usher in the great leap from standing up, to growing rich, to becoming strong. Zhang Dedi's sculpture Day and Night, through its portrayal of a young nurse concentrating on her work, praises laborers for performing their duties with utmost dedication (恪尽职守, ke jin zhi shou - "strictly, fulfill, duty, post") and for their spirit of responsibility and dedication; Deng Ke's sculpture Sharing Weal and Woe records the unity of purpose forming an impregnable defense (众志成城, zhong zhi cheng cheng - "mass, will, form, city") of Chinese strength when facing major natural disasters; Shi Xiangdong's sculpture On the Road to Poverty Alleviation presents the magnificent panorama of the whole nation united in heart to win the battle against poverty. At this moment,"the people" are every son and daughter of China — they are you, they are me, and they are him.

"Nothing communicates things better than words, and nothing preserves forms better than painting." The power of the people is permanently engraved through the language of art. Today, how should one write a biography for the people of the new era? Discovering the power to create classics from within classics is another layer of meaning of this exhibition. Looking across the classic works on display, every one of them carries the artist's strong sense of responsibility and sincere feelings for the people; they have always kept their creation closely bound to the country, the people, and the era, and their works manifest the beauty of art, the beauty of thought, and the beauty of spirit. This shows that only by truly immersing oneself in real life to find inspiration (深入生活, shen ru sheng huo - "deep, enter, life") and taking root among the people can one create images that are lovable and respectable, casting the soul for the era and writing biographies for the people.

A single exhibition is both a spiritual baptism and a tempering of thought. In this time tunnel built from fine-art works, vivid and living images of the people walk from history into reality. May we steadily take up the baton passed by our predecessors, strive unremittingly, and create an even better tomorrow.

(The author is an associate research librarian at the National Museum of China.)

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A Lantern Conveys Good Wishes (Beauty of the Land)

By: 郭燕青

In China, red symbolizes warmth and festivity, and so fiery-red lanterns have become an indispensable item in all kinds of celebratory events, expressing the fine implied meaning of decorating with lanterns and streamers (张灯结彩, zhang deng jie cai - "hang up lanterns, tie up decorations") and of being celebrated by people from all walks of life (普天同庆, pu tian tong qing -"the whole heaven, together, celebrate").

Whenever an important festival or national celebration comes around, the Tiananmen Gate Tower always hangs 8 large red lanterns, rendering a joyful and peaceful warm atmosphere. This practice began with the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949.

These 8 large red lanterns each exceed 2 meters in both height and diameter, weighing about 80 kilograms. How were such enormous lanterns made? It is said that they were tied and fashioned on site at the Tiananmen Gate Tower by a group of craftsmen, who worked day and night without rest (夜以继日, ye yi ji ri -"night, as, continue, day") to rush the work, ultimately completing this glorious yet arduous task.

Traditional lantern-making involves a complex process, requiring over a dozen steps. Usually, moso bamboo over 3 years old is selected, soaked in water to make it more pliable; the bamboo is split into boards, then split into strips, with the inner pith removed; both ends of each bamboo strip are ground flat and inserted into the buckle holes of the upper and lower lamp discs; then the bamboo strips are bent into a perfectly round frame, fixed with cotton thread to prevent it from losing its shape. Subsequently, paste made from high-gluten flour, alum, and other ingredients mixed together is applied to the frame, and red cloth is carefully affixed on top; finally, gold paper is cut into auspicious-cloud motifs and "swastika-without-end" decorations, with golden silk tassels hung at the bottom — and a lantern is thus "born"!

Every link in lantern-making has its fine points. The materials needed for each lantern must be calculated from the very start; the roundness of the lantern depends on the number of bamboo strips — the more bamboo strips, the closer the lantern's roundness approaches the perfect "apple round." Generally, a lantern 2 meters in diameter requires about 40 bamboo strips. As the key procedure, "shaping" depends on the craftsman's nimble hands.

Bamboo lantern frames are relatively less sturdy, nor do they have fireproofing capability. In September 1994, to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Tiananmen Gate Tower was renovated, and the 8 giant old lanterns on the tower were honorably retired, replaced by a new type of steel-frame collapsible lantern, which has the three major advantages of being easy to transport, hoist, and store. In this way, the lanterns became sturdier, with no need for frequent replacement — only the lamp surface and lamp tassels need to be changed from time to time. However, as a result, the red lanterns became heavier, with a total weight exceeding 100 kilograms, requiring five or six young men to work together to lift them.

This craft of making lanterns — I learned it from my father since I was a child. My father was the third-generation inheritor of Beijing palace-lantern craftsmanship and worked his whole life at the Beijing Municipal Fine Arts Red Lantern Factory. The factory's predecessor was the "Wenshengzhai Lantern, Fan, and Painting Shop," founded in the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty; in 1956, Wenshengzhai underwent restructuring and merged with other factories to form the Beijing Municipal Fine Arts Red Lantern Factory, which was also an important factory that participated in making the large red lanterns for the Tiananmen Gate Tower. I entered the factory at age 19, starting by learning the woodworker's fretwork craft, using a special tool called the "fret bow" to cut out various patterns in wood. If you don't practice fretwork for a month, you can't get your hands on it; if you don't fret for 3 years, you don't graduate from apprenticeship. That was how I kept learning from the old craftsmen, continuously refining my skill — this year I am already 64. The longer I have done this work, the more I find I cannot let go of this craft. As long as I can still do the work, I will keep doing this job. I am very glad that young people come to experience classes, and I will tell them about traditional lantern-making techniques, hoping that everyone can feel the warmth of the old craft at closer range, so that the ancient lamplight can shine bright in the hands of young people. In the future, we will try to use some new materials to make lanterns, making them better meet people's needs and better integrate into modern life.

(The author is a municipal-level representative inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage representative project Lantern Art (Beijing Lantern Art), and a district-level representative inheritor of Beijing's Dongcheng District; this article was compiled from an interview by People's Daily reporter Shi Fang.)

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A Cliff Face Carving the Grandeur of Mountains and Rivers (Elegance of the Land)

By: 王 劲

During holidays, many people choose to measure the earth with their footsteps, reading the mountains and rivers of the motherland and feeling the pulse of the times through walking. Arriving at Hongshi Gorge in Yulin, Shaanxi, one discovers that history is carved upon the cliff faces. Standing on the plank road and looking up, more than 80 large-format characters in the "nestled" style are disorganized or unevenly arranged (层叠错落, ceng die cuo lu - "layer, stack; fall, scattered"), soaring aloft with imposing grandeur. This place is hailed as the "Stele Forest Beyond the Great Wall," but I would rather see it as a history book carved upon red cliffs — what it writes is calligraphy, and also the lofty aspirations for mountains and rivers and the feelings of family and country.

Yulin is located in the transitional zone between the Loess Plateau and the Mu Us Sandy Land, and was once the seat of Yansui Town, one of the nine major frontier garrisons of the Ming Dynasty. This special geographical position made it both a military fortress where beacon fires never ceased, and a meeting ground where agrarian civilization and nomadic civilization blended. Generations of frontier-defending generals, civil officials, and scholars carved their ambitions and their reflections on mountains and rivers, stroke by stroke, knife by knife, into the crimson cliff faces, accumulating over the long years into a dazzling array of beautiful things (琳琅满目, lin lang man mu - "fine jade, full, eyes") of cliff inscriptions

The custom of cliff inscriptions at Hongshi Gorge began during the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty. At that time, when battles on the frontier ended in victory, Zhang Heng, Vice Commissioner of the Yansui Town Military Defense Circuit, wielded his brush to carve a song of triumph upon the cliffs, recording the achievements of frontier-defending soldiers in guarding the territory, becoming the earliest extant cliff inscription at Hongshi Gorge. After the Longqing Peace Agreement, the frontier region enjoyed tranquility, merchants traveled back and forth below the gorge, and civil and military officials of Yansui Town also often gathered at the gorge, and cliff inscriptions grew increasingly flourishing. By the Wanli reign, carving giant-format calligraphy upon the cliff walls had become a prevailing fashion, and successive Yansui commanders all left their brush traces. "a strategic location of great importance" (龙蟠虎踞, long pan hu ju - "dragon, coil; tiger, crouch"), "The Great Wall Ten Thousand Li Long," "A Natural Moat Between Chinese and Barbarians," "The Heavenly Pillar of China" — characters a zhang in size, with bold, expansive brushstrokes and awe-inspiring momentum, all of them are the spiritual expression of frontier soldiers facing mountains and rivers directly, displaying their resolute mettle in guarding the territory

After the entry of the Qing Dynasty, large-format calligraphy inscriptions at Hongshi Gorge flourished even more. Some inscriptions depict the rare wonders beyond the Great Wall — "Drifting Sands and Penglai Isle," "Yuxi Scenic Spot" and the like — praising the rare majestic beauty of mountains, waters, and deserts; others focus on the strategic advantages of the frontier fortress — "Great Desert of Gold and Moat," "Might Shaking the Nine Frontiers" and the like — expressing the impregnable and secure (固若金汤, gu ruo jin tang - "solid, like, gold, moat") grand spectacle of the fortress. There are also "Unity of Chinese and Foreign," "Han and Mongol as One Family," recording the picture of harmonious coexistence among multiple ethnic groups. These large-format characters are densely structured and gracefully composed, displaying a heroic sentiment of full strength and deep breath; the characters are alternately carved in intaglio and relief, with varied treatments of the background patterns, leaving a technical model for large-scale cliff inscription carving. There are also rare Mongolian inscriptions, reflecting the inclusive and all-embracing (兼容并蓄, jian rong bing xu - "accommodate, combine, and; absorb") nature of Chinese culture

Among the many cliff inscriptions, what stirs the heart most is the two inscriptions of "Return Our Rivers and Mountains" written by General Ma Zhanshan on the eastern cliff. These are also the latest large-character inscriptions extant at Hongshi Gorge. After the September 18th Incident, the Jiangqiao Anti-Japanese War led by Ma Zhanshan fired the first shot of armed resistance against Japan, inspiring the patriotic fervor of the entire Chinese people. In the winter of 1941, Generals Ma Zhanshan and Deng Baoshan visited Hongshi Gorge; facing the cliff full of ancient inscriptions, thinking of the motherland's rivers and mountains shattered, Ma Zhanshan was filled with grief and indignation (悲愤填膺, bei fen tian ying - "sad, angry, fill, chest"), and then wielded his brush to write "Return Our Rivers and Mountains." These four large characters have traversed wind and rain, becoming a national cry carved upon the cliff. Every time one stops to gaze upon them, one can feel that burning patriotic sincerity

From the frontier officials' aspirations to guard the territory in the Ming Dynasty, to the prayers for harmonious coexistence among all ethnic groups in the Qing Dynasty, to the clanging vows of resisting foreign aggression during the War of Resistance, the cliff inscriptions at Hongshi Gorge string together several hundred years of family-and-country narratives. Here, brush and ink are no longer confined to paper, but coexist with lofty mountains and deep gorges, enduring the grinding of wind, sand, rain, and snow, leaving a spiritual world for those who ascend in later generations. The vigorous calligraphy echoes heroic aspirations; the mettle of brush and ink and the feelings of family and country are perfectly united here. Today, this spiritual power that transcends time still knocks on people's hearts, enabling them to understand the predecessors' lofty aspirations for mountains and rivers and to deepen their patriotic feelings

(The author is a professor at the School of Humanities, Xi'an Jiaotong University)

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Page editors: Wu Yanli, Ma Suwei

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