On October 17^th, the 100^th Anniversary Conference of the discovery of Yangshao Culture and of the Founding of China’s Modern Archeology was Held in Sanmen Gorge. In the conference, a letter from Xi Jinping, Chinese president, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and the chairman of the Central Military Commission, was read.

    Hu Heping, minister of culture and tourism and vice minister of the Publicity Ministry of the Central Government, Xie Fuzhan, president of China’s Academy of Social Science, and Lou Yangsheng, secretary of Henan provincial party committee, attended the conference and delivered speeches. Li Qun, vice minister of culture and tourism and president of National Cultural Heritage Administration, hosted the conference. Chen Xingcan, president of the Institute of Archaeology of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and a representative of experts in archaeological field, spoke in the conference. Other attendees included Wang Kai, governor of Henan province, Gao Peiyong, vice president of Chinese Academy of Social Science, Song Xinchao, deputy director of National Cultural Heritage Administration, as well as other heads of Henan Province, including Li Ya, Mu Weimin, Dai Baihua and He Jinping.

    Hu Heping said in his speech that since the 18^th CPC national congress, general secretary Xi Jinping had attached high importance to archaeological work. He delivered speeches and gave instruction, especially this time when he sent congratulation letters which offered basic guidance to our work. Relating government departments needed to carry out the spirit of Xi Jinping’s congratulation letter as well as his spirit of speeches relating to archaeology; to shape correct historical conception of all Chinese nationalities and construct a common spiritual homeland of every nationality by scientific and credible archaeological achievements; carry out the responsibility to protect historical and cultural heritage and spend effort in all aspects to enhance archaeological subjects and team so as to create sound condition for it’s healthy and sustainable development and push forward the exploitation of archaeological achievement and transform it in to valuable resource to solidify cultural confidence in a systematic and vivid way, so as to educate people with history and culture. He stressed that people should have a clear understanding of China’s archaeology in terms of it’s contribution to Chinese cultural development, amazing achievement and contribution to the world. More effort should be spent for excavation, interpretation of archaeological achievement and the promotion of the exploitation of archaeological achievement and archaeological work in a new era. Relating departments needed to improve systems of policies and laws; to enhance the construction of archaeology; to build a sound talent team; to improve the innovative ability of science and technology and to "safeguard" the development of archaeology.

    Xie Fuzhan extended his congratulations to archaeology practitioners on behalf of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He said that the congratulation letter from Xi Jinping was with visionary ideas, profound thoughts, rich content and sincere care, all of which reflected his attention payed to archaeology and his hope and trust for practitioners. People in this field should response to the call; shoulder the lofty responsibility given by the CPC Central Committee and started a new stage for the development and prosperity of archaeology. Xie Fuzhan said that this year was the 100^th anniversary of the founding of the CPC and China’s modern archaeology, one of the subjects with the fastest development in philosophy and social science. In the last 100 years, the glorious achievement of China’s archaeology was the result of rigorous altitude, arduous work and dedicated contribution of generations of archaeology practitioners. Embarking on a new journey, practitioners needed to inherit and promote China’s archaeology by following Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era; having a clear idea of China’s path to develop archaeology; focusing on important historical issues; concentrating strength, exploring the unknown and revealing the core issue; establishing a batch of quality works with profound thoughts and constructing systems for subject, academic study and expression. The ability, academic system and team should also be constructed to start a period of China's archaeology and relating work, so as to spend more effort for the great rejuvenation of Chinese nation.

    Lou Yangsheng expressed his gratitude to central commissions and ministries, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and all social sectors, all of which cared and supported cultural relics-related work and the reform and development of Henan province. He said that general secretary Xi Jinping attached high importance to the work relating to archaeology and cultural relics. The congratulation letter represented care and attention for archaeology and cultural development of the CPC Central Committee as well as the care and encouragement for practitioners. So there would be a new condition for archaeology and cultural development in a new era. Lou Yangsheng said that Henan was a province with a large number of cultural relics and a large-scale archaeology. Starting from the excavation of Yangshao cultural site, Henan archaeology embraced significant opportunities and abundant results. This piece of land saw the birth of a series of archaeological discoveries, important methods of archaeology and a solid foundation for archaeological development, all of which were Henan’s contribution. Currently, China’s archaeology and cause of cultural relics were on a new standing point. Henan province followed the spirit of the congratulation letter of the general secretary Xi Jinping and the his spirit of important speeches relating to archaeological work; enhanced the protection of cultural relics; protected history and culture; inherited cultural gene; did work of research interpretation, origin trace and reveal the development of civilization; pushed forward reasonable exploitation, enhanced vivid presentation and promoted innovative development; stuck to opening up and cooperation; supported mutual-learning among civilizations and accelerated the construction of modernization, so as to gather strength to realize the China dream for the great rejuvenation of Chinese nation.

    Li Qun made arrangement for the national cultural relics system to implement the spirit of important directions of the general secretary Xi Jinping. The cultural relics-related departments should notify it’s stuff members to know and learn the content of the congratulation letter form Xi Jinping; learn and implement the important speeches and orders of Xi Jinping concerning archaeology and work relating to cultural relics and be sure that even the slightest detail of Xi’s requirement could be implemented. The government was also responsible for the enhancement of the development research of the origin of Chinese civilization by relying on “major projects” including “archaeology in China” and “comprehensive study of the origin and early development of Chinese civilization” and archaeological projects of important national cultural relics, so as to make this subject a more profound one and to included more subjects into it. It would be helpful to explore the unknown and reveal the origin. Relating government also needed to enhance the construction of the ability of the industry and human resource team; to support the construction and development of national scientific research institution and the archaeological institution of a province with a large number of cultural relics and to encourage more institutes of higher learning to establish first-class archaeological subject in the world, so as to push forward the healthy development and the education of human resource.

    The anniversary conference was organized by Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, National Cultural Heritage Administration and Henan People’s Government. Attendees included people form the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, National Cultural Relics Administration, Henan government and party committee, provincial department of cultural relics and academic institution of culture, museum, science and research. There were also expert representatives of archaeology form institutions of higher learning and representatives of the 3^rd China Archaeological Congress. Supporting events were also held, including the 3^rd China Archaeological Congress and the opening ceremony of Yangshao Village Archaeological Cultural Relics Park.