Yangtze Delta cities to promote ancient cultures
Students at an elementary school in Fengxian District perform ancient dances for officials from Yangtze Delta cities to demonstrate Shanghai's promotion of traditional cultures.
Shanghai and cities in neighboring Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces have signed an agreement to hold regular seminars and public events to research and promote their ancient cultures.
They will mainly develop the Jiangnan culture, which generates the Haipai, or Shanghai's west-meet-east cultures, said Pan Min, head of the Shanghai office of the Spiritual Civilization Steering Committee.
China's civilization once led the world with its ancient wisdom and thousands years of education, historian Bao Pengshan told the first seminar, and this should be revitalized by studying and promoting traditional culture. Over 260 officials from 48 Yangtze Delta cities attended the seminar in in Fengxian District.
Students at a Fengxian elementary school recite the Analects of Confucius on Thursday as part of their ancient culture classes.
Students at a Fengxian elementary school demonstrate traditional weaving skills for officials from neighboring Yangtze Delta cities.
The district, one of Shanghai's first listed "civilized districts," has issued a series of books on ancient poems and cultures to campuses, communities, villages, companies, government buildings and military camps, Xu Wei, Fengxian's publicity director, told the seminar.
Residents are encouraged to showcase and share family mottos at cultural parks, exhibition halls and public lectures to continue its "Confucius culture," Xu said. The name of the district literally means “to respect the nobility,” because early residents in the area offered help to an apprentice of Confucius, he said.
In the next step, the district aims to promote local cultures abroad by hosting a number of international events and exchanges, said Zhuang Mudi, the district's Party secretary. The district has been sponsoring middle school students to study abroad and engage with their foreign counterparts.
Wuxi in Jiangsu Province is focusing on the integrity of its citizens by releasing a series of redlists (meaning good) and blacklists at communities, an official told the seminar.
Jiaxing in Zhejiang Province aims to promote the Majiabang (4000-2685 BC) and Songze (3900-3200 BC) civilizations along with Shanghai. These ancient civilizations created the Wuyue culture, said Zhu Yawei, the city's publicity head.
Students at a Fengxian elementary school showcase ancient etiquette to officials from other Yangtze Delta cities.
