Xi Jinping: Lead the study of the history of Chinese civilization in depth, enhance historical consciousness and strengthen cultural self-confidence

Lead the study of the history of Chinese civilization to a deeper level

Strengthen historical consciousness and strengthen cultural self-confidence ^※

Xi Jinping

Today, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee conducted the thirty-ninth collective study, the content of which is to deepen the project of exploring the origin of Chinese civilization. The purpose of arranging this study is to gain an in-depth understanding of the development history of Chinese civilization for more than 5,000 years, to promote the in-depth study of the history of Chinese civilization, to promote the whole party and the whole society to enhance historical consciousness, strengthen cultural self-confidence, and unswervingly follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. , to unite and strive for the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country and the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

“Historians, so Mingfu is the way to govern the world.” Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, I have repeatedly emphasized that it is necessary to respect history, study history, establish historical thinking, and inherit the excellent traditional Chinese culture. The Political Bureau of the Central Committee has arranged many collective studies on Chinese history and culture. In September 2020, it arranged the topic of the latest archaeological discoveries and their significance in my country. Today, it will arrange the topic of deepening the project of exploring the origin of Chinese civilization.

The Chinese civilization has a long history and is extensive and profound. It is the unique spiritual identity of the Chinese nation, the foundation of contemporary Chinese culture, the spiritual bond that maintains the Chinese around the world, and the treasure of Chinese cultural innovation. Marx said, “What a nation does as a nation is what they do for human society.” In the long historical process, with the determination and will of self-improvement, the Chinese nation has gone through a development process different from that of other civilizations in the world.

“Beyond history, enter Dao. If you want to know the Dao, you must first be history.” Our party has always viewed the history of the Chinese nation with the standpoint and method of historical materialism, and inherited and promoted the excellent traditional Chinese culture. As early as 1938, Comrade Mao Zedong said: “Our nation has a history of thousands of years, has its own characteristics, and has many precious items. For these, we are still primary school students. Today’s China is a development of historical China; We are Marxist historicists, and we should not cut off history. From Confucius to Sun Yat-sen, we should summarize and inherit this precious legacy. This is of great help in guiding the current great movement. .”

The origin of Chinese civilization is not only a major topic for Chinese scholars to study with great concentration, but also a research topic that the international academic community continues to pay attention to. Through the continuous efforts of several generations of scholars, the research results of major projects such as the Chinese Civilization Origin Project have demonstrated my country’s million-year human history, 10,000 years of cultural history, and more than 5,000 years of civilization history.

The Chinese civilization exploration project has achieved remarkable results, but there is still a long way to go, and it must continue to be advanced and deepened. To focus on the following tasks.

On September 24, 2014, President Xi Jinping attended and delivered an important speech at the opening meeting of the International Symposium to Commemorate the 2565th Birthday of Confucius and the Fifth General Assembly of the International Confucian Association at the Great Hall of the People. Xinhua News Agency reporter Huang Jingwen / photo

First, strengthen multi-disciplinary joint research, and promote the project of exploring the origin of Chinese civilization to achieve more results. The Chinese Civilization Origin Project has a clearer understanding of the origin, formation and development of the Chinese civilization, the formation and development of the Chinese civilization’s diverse and integrated pattern, and the characteristics and causes of the Chinese civilization. At the same time, the achievements of the project are still preliminary and phased, there are still many historical mysteries to be solved, and there are still many major issues that need to be reached through empirical research and research. In particular, there is still a lot of work to be done to fully demonstrate the history of the Xia Dynasty.

Now, we use the latest technologies in cutting-edge disciplines such as biology, molecular biology, chemistry, geology, and physics to analyze the ancient remains of our country, which provides a solid scientific and technological basis for the exploration of the origin of Chinese civilization, and expands our understanding of China for more than 5,000 years. Knowledge of the history of civilization. The exploration of the origin and formation of civilization is a complex and long-term systematic project. It is necessary to organically combine archaeological exploration and literature research with natural science and technological means, comprehensively grasp the factors such as material, spiritual and social relations, and gradually restore civilization from the trickle. The development process from stream to river confluence. It is necessary to strengthen overall planning and scientific layout, adhere to multi-disciplinary, multi-angle, multi-level and all-round, intensify joint research on archaeology, history, humanities and natural sciences, expand the scope and coverage of research time and space, and further answer Chinese civilization. Major issues such as the origin, formation, and development of the basic picture, internal mechanism, and the evolution path of each regional civilization.

From March 22 to 25, 2021, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the State, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission Xi Jinping inspected Fujian. On the afternoon of the 24th, Xi Jinping visited the former residence of Yan Fu in the historical and cultural district of Three Lanes and Seven Alleys in Fuzhou. Xinhua News Agency reporter Ju Peng / photo

For a long time, the West has formed a set of civilization theories, which we should learn from, but not copy. The Chinese Civilization Origin Project proposes the definition of civilization and the identification of China’s plan to enter a civilized society, making an original contribution to the research on the origin of world civilization. It is necessary to simultaneously do a good job in the publicity, promotion and transformation of my country’s “ancient civilization theory” and the research results of the Chinese civilization exploration project, strengthen the research, interpretation, display and dissemination of unearthed cultural relics and sites, and enhance the influence and appeal of Chinese civilization.

Second, deepen the study of the characteristics and forms of Chinese civilization to provide theoretical support for the construction of a new form of human civilization. In the long history of civilization development of more than 5,000 years, the Chinese people have created a dazzling Chinese civilization and made great contributions to the progress of human civilization. Many people in the West are accustomed to seeing China as a modern nation-state in the vision of Western modernization theories. It is necessary to closely combine the research on the origin of Chinese civilization with the research on major issues such as the characteristics and forms of Chinese civilization, in-depth research and interpretation of the development direction of the Chinese nation’s community and the evolution pattern of the pluralistic unity of the Chinese nation indicated by the origin of Chinese civilization, research and interpretation of Chinese civilization. The spiritual characteristics and development form of people-oriented, honesty, justice, harmony and harmony, clarify the profound cultural heritage of the Chinese road. We cannot deny all traditional Chinese culture. We must adhere to the principle of serving the past for the present, innovate the old and bring forth the new, and inherit and carry forward the excellent elements in it. Comrade Mao Zedong said: “Confucius became a sage because he was a revolutionary party and participated in rebellions everywhere. It is said by Mencius that Confucius was in the Spring and Autumn Period, while chaos ministers and thieves feared”. He will go wherever he rebels, and he will go wherever he wants to revolutionize. Therefore, this person cannot be dismissed with a single stroke, and he cannot simply be ‘Down with Confucius’.” We want to establish a study of civilization with Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese style. The discipline system, academic system, and discourse system provide strong theoretical support for the practice of new forms of human civilization.

Third, promote the creative transformation and innovative development of Chinese excellent traditional culture, and build the soul for national rejuvenation. “Scholars can learn from the scriptures, and they can correct the world’s right and wrong; they can use history to understand the success or failure of the past and the present.” I have repeatedly emphasized that the excellent traditional Chinese culture is the wisdom and essence of the Chinese civilization, and it is the root and soul of the Chinese nation. , is the foundation for us to stand firm in the turmoil of world culture. We insist on combining the basic principles of Marxism with China’s specific reality and with the excellent traditional Chinese culture, and constantly promote the modernization of Marxism in China, and promote the creative transformation and innovative development of the excellent traditional Chinese culture. It is necessary to adhere to integrity and innovation, promote the adaptation of Chinese excellent traditional culture to socialist society, display the unique spiritual identity of the Chinese nation, and better build Chinese spirit, Chinese value, and Chinese strength.

In the process of promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of Chinese excellent traditional culture, we must adhere to the fundamental guiding ideology of Marxism, inherit and carry forward revolutionary culture, develop advanced socialist culture, and seek the source of living water from Chinese excellent traditional culture. It is necessary to make full use of the research results of the Chinese Civilization Origin Project, to tell the ancient Chinese history more completely and accurately, and to give better play to the role of history in educating people.

Fourth, promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations and build a community with a shared future for mankind. The Chinese civilization has been famous for its openness and inclusiveness since ancient times, and it has been constantly radiating new vitality through exchanges and mutual learning with other civilizations. The 5,000-year history of the development of Chinese civilization fully demonstrates that species, technology, resources, people, and even ideas and culture have all developed and progressed through continuous dissemination, communication, and interaction. We must use the exchange and integration of civilizations to crack the “clash of civilizations” theory.

I said at the opening ceremony of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations: “Human beings are only differentiated by skin color and language, and civilizations are only differentiated by color, but there is absolutely no distinction between superior and inferior.” We must persist in promoting a civilization of equality, mutual learning, dialogue and tolerance. We should understand with a broad mind the understanding of the value connotation of different civilizations, respect people of different countries’ exploration of their own development paths, transcend the estrangement of civilizations with exchanges of civilizations, transcend the conflicts of civilizations with mutual learning of civilizations, transcend the superiority of civilizations with the coexistence of civilizations, and carry forward the Chinese civilization. the common value of all mankind.

From August 23 to 24, 2021, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the State, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission Xi Jinping inspected Chengde City, Hebei Province. On the morning of the 24th, Xi Jinping visited the exhibition “Looking into and Out of the Great Wall – A Record of National Unity in the Qing Dynasty” at the Chengde Museum. Xinhua News Agency reporter Xie Huanchi / photo

We must base ourselves on the land of China, tell the story of Chinese civilization well, and present a credible, lovely and respectable image of China to the world. It is necessary to clarify clearly what kind of civilization and country China is, and clearly explain the Chinese people’s outlook on the universe, the world, society, and morality, so as to show the long history and humanistic heritage of Chinese civilization, so that the world can understand China and understand China. The people, understand the Chinese Communist Party, and understand the Chinese nation.

Fifth, let more cultural relics and cultural heritage come alive, and create a strong social atmosphere for inheriting Chinese civilization. Cultural relics and cultural heritage carry the genes and blood of the Chinese nation, and are non-renewable and irreplaceable resources of Chinese excellent civilization. We must actively promote the protection and utilization of cultural relics and the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage, explore the multiple values ​​of cultural relics and cultural heritage, and spread more value symbols and cultural products that carry Chinese culture and Chinese spirit.

The Chinese Communists are not historical nihilists or cultural nihilists. They cannot forget their ancestors and belittle themselves. Leading cadres at all levels must respect history and excellent traditional culture, attach importance to the protection and utilization of cultural relics and the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage, and provide more policy support for historical and archaeological workers to conduct research, study, and exchange. It is necessary to create a strong social atmosphere for inheriting Chinese civilization, widely publicize the research results of the Chinese civilization exploration project, educate and guide the masses, especially young people, to better understand and recognize Chinese civilization, and enhance the ambition, backbone, and confidence of being a Chinese.

※This is a speech delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping on May 27, 2022 at the 39th collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 19th Central Committee.