In the Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), General Secretary Xi Jinping remarked: "We will consolidate and expand our achievements in poverty alleviation. We will move faster to build up China’s strength in agriculture and steadily promote the revitalization of businesses, talent, culture, ecosystems, and organizations in the countryside.” From February 6 to February 12, 2023, Xingrong Team of NPU conducted a seven-day social practice activity themed “In-depth Rural Research to Help Rural Revitalization” at Rongshui County, Guangxi, so as to better study, publicize and implement the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress and General Secretary Xi's important thought on the work of "agriculture, rural areas and farmers”.
Take the Lead in "Cultural Revitalization"
On February 9, the team had an exchange with the director of the Culture, Sports, Radio, Film and Tourism Bureau, Cultural Center and Art Troupe of Rongshui Miao Autonomous County. The director introduced the songs and embroidery of the Miao Nationality, Lusheng (a reed-pipe wind instrument) and other intangible cultural heritage. The team members also learned that cultural tourism in Rongshui County has a promising future by adhering to the concept of rural revitalization and cultural confidence, which constantly innovates and learns from advanced cities, injecting modern vitality into the development of the region. "Tell Secretary Fang Yuan (He is an advanced individual in poverty alleviation across the country who was once selected as the first secretary of Jiangzhu Village, Rongshui County by NPU) that the people of Rongshui really miss him." The director of the Ethnic Art Troupe of Rongshui County said with emotion when recalling that Fang devoted himself to assisting all the people of Jiangzhu Village in getting rid of poverty.
It is of great significance to give full play to the cultural centres and tourism bureaus for cultural revitalization, extend optimal cultural resources and services to the community level, and remove obstacles in the process. Thanks to the vanguard who bravely and firmly shoulders the responsibility of the time, Rongshui County could deliver great success in achieving cultural revitalization, promoting the innovative development and creative transformation of excellent traditional Chinese culture, and laying a solid foundation for rural revitalization.
Strengthen the Main Battlefield of "Cultural Revitalization"
On February 7th, the practice team visited Mengmumiao Village. Mengmumiao Village retains the past main structure of the dilapidated wooden stilted buildings which currently have been rebuilt in the new site according to the original style. Here, visitors can stroll in the field of the countryside, range Mengmumiao Village Style Street, appreciate the iconic building of Miao Village, that is, Drum Tower, and admire the stilted building inlaid with numerous coloured lights. Wonderful and moving, night of the village full of bright neon deeply attracts everyone. Mengmumiao Village has a series of cultural projects of the Miao nationality, such as the family feast of the year, original ecological farming, Lusheng party, Miao Embroidery, fish cooking, horse fighting as well as the live-action song and dance drama of Miao Charm.
Performing customs of the Miao nationality always entails a special place, so playing Lusheng does. In Damiao Mountain, almost every village has a small field for collectively playing Lusheng and dancing. In the centre of the fields stands a Lusheng pillar carved in the shape of a coiling Dragon and a golden rooster. As the core of this cultural activity, the Lusheng pillar is an important carrier for inheriting national culture and a materialized representation of the belief of the Miao people. A series of such activities known as the Hillside Gala of the Miao nationality started from the 3rd day to the 19th day of the first lunar month.
If Miao Embroidery is a concentrated display of Miao culture, then the Hillside Gala is a vivid expression of Miao people's emotions. On this day, villagers put on Miao costumes and gather in Mengmumiao Village for a grand Lusheng competition. One performer told us that the event was a national intangible cultural heritage and featured the most lively occasion of the year. The activities were all sponsored by local villagers without the help of the government. Everyone was generous to share their food and drinks for the event which was extremely hilarious.
Whether it is Mengwumiao Village where agriculture, culture and tourism are integrated, or Lusheng fields which can be seen everywhere, the construction of these sites actively guides the people of all ethnic groups in Rongshui to constantly forge a sense of community of the Chinese nation, and plays an important role in promoting the people of all ethnic groups in Rongshui to live together, study together, work together and enjoy together.
Build a Vibrant Army of "Cultural Revitalization"
The team watched the performance in Mengwumiao Village where the girls dressed in Miao costumes sang Miao songs and danced. After the performance, the team members interviewed the host of the show. When talking about local development, the host said that COVID-19 lasting for three years had brought a great impact, and now the region is slowly regaining its vitality. Especially during the Spring Festival, many tourists come here to enjoy the local style and customs. She told the team members that the local residents were very confident that Mengmumiao Village can be upgraded to a new level, attracting more tourists and carrying forward the national culture.
On February 10, the team went to the Art Troupe of Rongshui County. Founded in 1965, the troupe has 35 members and boasts the only one of its kind in Guangxi, according to Head Ma of the troupe. For the purpose of inheriting and developing Miao culture and art, the troupe has organized several famous stage plays, such as "The Wind Comes from Miao Mountain" and "Beautiful Miao Mountain”.
"To enliven a city, enliven the people first". Rongshui County takes rural art as the carrier and the Miao customs, songs and dances as the content to revitalize the local culture and build the rural humanistic ecology. Putting the masses at the core, Rongshui County enables the Miao people to become the creators, performers, participants and beneficiaries of rural culture. Relying on the unique cultural resources in rural areas, the Miao people become the masters of Rongshui rural culture. This is strong evidence of adhering to the people-centred idea to boost rural culture, and a sensible plan to "plant" national culture in the countryside.
Explore the Root and Soul of "Cultural Revitalization"
Miao Embroidery is a skill inherited by the Chinese Miao people. Miao Embroidery was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006 and is known as "a living specimen in the history of Chinese clothing". On February 8, the team came to the workshop of Ms. Li, an inheritor of Miao Embroidery, to better understand its connotation and development. Ms. Li expressed that since a little girl, she has followed the female elders of her family to watch them embroidering, and over time, she has grasped the craft. Over the years, she has been exploring embroidery methods. Although many Miao embroidery techniques have been lost in history with the passage of time, Ms. Li manages to conserve the treasure of the nation in her own way. In order to enhance the fame of Miao Embroidery, she has cooperated with design companies and universities in and out of the province to make Miao Embroidery famous in the whole world, she said. Now, Ms. Li's factory has nurtured no less than 150 embroidery masters. In the future, she will contribute to spreading Miao embroidery skills, and lead the embroidery workers to the road of getting rich by absorbing more modern culture and learning business models.
"Confidence in one’s culture, which is a broader, deeper, and more fundamental form of self-confidence, is the most essential, profound, and enduring source of strength for the development of a country and a nation." Promote the culture, and the country becomes prosperous. Strengthen the culture, and the nation becomes strong. Only when a country or a nation has a high degree of cultural confidence can it have the determination to persevere, the courage to work hard, the vitality to innovate and create, and the power to stand united in the nations of the world.
Summary
The team crossed the mountains, rivers, lakes and seas, from Xi 'an to Rongshui County, capturing with their eyes, recording with the camera and feeling with their hearts the inheritance and development of Miao culture in Rongshui County. Impressed by the unique scenery and folk customs, they witnessed the remarkable achievements in rural revitalization, and meanwhile, realized the arduous task of rural cultural revitalization in the future. As the youth of the new era, it is urgent to take over the responsibility of cultural inheritance and carry forward the excellent traditional culture. At the same time, it is also necessary to spread and popularize the excellent culture from various angles and at various levels through multimedia and other carriers, so as to make excellent traditional Chinese culture eternally flourishing.
Source: QMES
Text: Wang Tianyi
Photo: Chen Lvxuan, Xu Weihang, Huang Weibin
Translator: Liu Yang
Review: Li Hua, Huang Quanzhang, Cheng Yin
