Culture, the soul of a country or a nation, deeply supports a country in comprehensive strength and international competitiveness. Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered into new era. In this new era, we should promote the creative transformation and innovative development of Chinese traditional fine cultures, inherit the revolutionary culture, and develop the advanced socialist culture. We shall never forget the original. At the same time, we need to absorb the foreign cultures and face the future in order to build the Chinese spirit, values and power, and provide the spiritual guidelines for the people.
Thorough out the human history of culture development, it is clear that the existing culture of any nation was produced because of the inheritance and deposit of traditional fine culture. It is this human law that determines the inseparable relation with Chinese traditional fine culture. On the basis of our national cultural legacy, we should inherit the fine parts and spread them in a broad way. As one of the most civilized countries with long history, China has created splendid national culture with five thousand years of history development. Facing all colorful culture left by our ancestors, we should conduct the creative transformation and innovative development according to the new features of the socialism with Chinese characteristics in New Era.
For those that don’t meet the demand of the times but can still serve for modernization construction, we should innovate and conduct innovative transformation rather than taking in or discarding all of them. Culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics is modern culture characterized by time spirit. It is rooted in the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics, reflecting the main stream and trend of development and demonstrating the features and spirit of time. Therefore, it is not simple repetition and imitation but innovation, creation and regeneration according to circumstances. To this end, it was summarized as “refreshing and innovation” by Mao Tse-Tung. Refreshing refers to discarding the thing that is not consistent with our current demand. Innovation refers to clearing and refining traditional culture in accordance with its level in order to create new content and forms and bring it new vitality. Culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics will move forward and show great vitality when we are in the contradiction of inheriting and developing, innovating and discarding. With regard to the protection and inheritance of traditional culture, the best way is to keep pace with time, continuously develop and innovate itself. It means that we need to convert old forms and connotations that are of great value to new forms and connotations so that we can activate its vitality and show its eternal charm and style. Nowadays, innovation ability is the decisive factor of cultural competition in the world. The more we can continuously develop, transcend and innovate our nation and culture, the more we can handle the competition of global culture. In order to address the world cultural competition in the 21st century, we should always maintain the concept of advancing with the times, development and innovation. At the same time, we should uphold the spirit of innovation to inspire the national cultural innovation and unleash innovation vitality, as well as build a socialist cultural power.
For those that meet the demand of time and can serve for modernization construction, we should inherit them and conduct innovative development to carry forward. The national spirit is the most essential expression of national culture serving as the soul of it. In the long history of development, the Chinese nation has formed its own unique national integrity, characters and spirits, such as the spirits that one should exert himself constantly; I wish to be the first to worry about the nation’s woes and the last to share in its prosperity; I will do whatever it takes to serve my country even at the cost of my own life regardless of fortune or misfortune to myself; nether riches nor honors can corrupt him; neither poverty nor humbleness can make him swerve from principle; and neither threats nor forces can subdue him; it is better to die when life is a disgrace. These brilliant cultures have been carried on from generation to generation, forming the national style and tolerance so that the soul of the nation is created. A nation, without inspiring national spirits, noble national characters and firm national ambitions, cannot unite strengths and achieve great success, less than possible to become member of the community of nations. Nowadays culture has become an important part of the country's comprehensive strength, and cultural, as a soft power, is concentrated on the great cohesiveness of the whole nation based on a common cultural background and cultural identity. To realize the Chinese dream and win the great victory of socialism with Chinese characteristics in New Era, a stronger spiritual force is needed to support it. It is necessary to take the Chinese road, carry forward the Chinese spirit, and unite China's strength in the process of realizing Chinese dream. Therefore, it is of great significance now. We should continue to draw upon the fine Chinese traditional culture and traditions formed by our Party during the period of revolution, construction, and reform. We should also actively inherit traditional culture that meets the needs of time and serves the modernization to make our development more innovative. Integrating modern connotations with the national spirits, we should reshape the spirits of contemporary China, forming the spiritual strength of the whole nation to spur ourselves and the spiritual bond of unity to unite the Chinese nation and inspire fighting for the national prosperity and rejuvenation.