In the process of the great rejuvenation of Chinese nation, promoting the outstanding traditional Chinese culture is again seen as a historical mission. Marx agreed with an idea of Morgan, an American anthropologist, that “the ‘new system’ admired by a modern society will be ‘a high-level resurrection of an ancient society’”. It’s safe to say that the Renaissance in Europe and the “liberation is a back to ancients” are all such resurrection. History indicates that the reappearance of a tradition is usually with a mission of the era will not be unchanged, but with cultural responsibilities of a new era.

    “Tradition’s high-level resurrection” has a Chinese counterpart “an ancient nation with a new destiny” brought up by Feng Youlan, a Chinese historian and philosopher. He explained that the “ancient nation” was his hometown, the Chinese nationality. And the “new destiny” was socialism construction. The mission of the outstanding traditional Chinese culture in a new era was to remain Chinese nationality’s “identity and individuality” while promote the reform and development in a new era, which meant to transform China into a strong socialist modern country and to realize the rejuvenation of Chinese nation. “An ancient nation with a new destiny” indicates “a connection of the old and the new”, meaning “the old is no longer an exhibit in a museum with vitality and the new can have it’s own Chinese national characteristics”.

    Today, when we promote the outstanding traditional Chinese culture, we need to combine the “old nation” and the “new destiny”. On one hand, new cultural reform and development prove that the Chinese nationality is a whole. On the other hand the former is a guidance for new cultural reform and development. Both of the above mean a “resurrection” of the outstanding traditional Chinese culture in a new era. If we use cultural policy to express the “resurrection”, it’s “to make the past serve the present and to weed through the old to bring forth the new ”. It’s the innovative transformation and development of the outstanding traditional Chinese culture, so as to make the basic cultural gene to adapt to the contemporary culture and to be coordinated with the modern society. It’s obvious that the outstanding traditional Chinese culture implement the historical mission of “an ancient nation with a new destiny” is what is required by our cultural policy.

    Xi Jinping attaches such great importance to the traditional Chinese culture that he sees it as the “gene”, “cultural vein”, “spiritual gene” and an “distinctive spiritual mark”. By doing so, he stressed the special value of the outstanding traditional Chinese culture to Chinese nation. Culture is the spirit of a country and a nationality. Having firm cultural confidence is a major issue relating to the national fate, cultural security and the independence of the nationality spirit. The significance of the outstanding traditional Chinese culture is especially worthy of being stressed when westernization if found constantly in China. It’s significance is to confirm and stick to the stance of Chinese nation and to construct Chinese spirit, value and strength.

    In terms of moral and value construction, we can’t agree with western value and morality blindly. In terms of art creation, we oppose the ideas to see western-originate beliefs as more superior and object the idea of desinicization. In terms of the study of philosophy, we can’t see western theory and ideas as the “only principle” and use it to judge things happened in China in an unreasonable way. Chinese people must stick to the outstanding traditional culture and moral value formed and developed on our piece of land and stick to our own cultural confidence and spiritual independence. So we can conclude that the profound outstanding traditional Chinese culture is an important base for us to stand firm on our feet. The fundamental historical responsibility of the outstanding traditional Chinese culture is to guarantee cultural safety, to re-establish the independence of the Chinese nation and to make the Chinese culture more easily recognized in the world.