On the eve of National Day, General Secretary Xi Jinping and other party and national leaders gathered with over 3,000 audience members at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to attend a concert celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Together, they reminisced about the remarkable journey of the new China over the past 75 years and collectively wished for the prosperity and thriving future of the great motherland.

The artists showcased their exceptional performances and heartfelt singing, weaving the historical narrative of the past 75 years of the People’s Republic into the concert’s structure, evoking memories of history and time reflected in classical music.

The concert took place on the evening of September 29, 2024. Xi Jinping and other leaders watched the performances alongside more than 3,000 attendees. “The arts are an important endeavor of the Party and the people. The artistic front is a vital line of defense for the Party and the people,” Xi emphasized at a cultural symposium on October 15, 2014. He clearly stated the need to “uphold a people-centered approach to creativity and produce more outstanding works that do justice to our times,” signaling a call to action for the flourishing development of art and culture.

Over the past decade, countless artists have taken this guidance to heart, actively engaging in the grand practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, wholeheartedly serving the people and passionately creating masterpieces. They have resonated with stirring songs that reflect the spirit of their times, patriotism, and the voice of the people, contributing to a powerful spiritual force for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

— Rooted in the People, Grounded in Life
In 2004, during the seventh China Arts Festival held in Zhejiang, a touching moment captured the audience: an elderly man with silver hair held the hand of a young girl as they struck the ceremonial gong to kick off the festival. To embody the theme “Festival of the People,” Xi Jinping, then the provincial Party secretary, personally approved this unique opening design.

Who do the arts serve? At the symposium, Xi reminisced about author Wang Yuanjian’s account of the long process that the writer Liu Qing undertook in rural areas for 14 years to create “The History of Entrepreneurship.” He remarked, “There are a hundred or a thousand methods of artistic creation, but the fundamental, crucial, and reliable method is to root ourselves in the people and in life.”

The General Secretary urged artists to connect deeply with the people, sharing in their joys and concerns, and to be tireless servants of the people. He insisted they should “immerse themselves in life and understand its essence by experiencing it among the people.”

“Originating from the people, for the people, and belonging to the people is the fundamental stance of socialist art, and the driving force for its thriving development,” Xi emphasized. He encouraged artists to take inspiration from the great practices and colorful lives of the people, citing the example of writer Liu Qing’s deep understanding of the lives of farmers in Shaanxi. He also wrote to the veteran actor Niu Ben, inspiring him to continue to set an example in both his craft and character, urging more artists to embody faith, passion, and responsibility. Moreover, he encouraged Ulan Muqi performers to remain “red cultural light cavalry” in the grasslands. In letters to students and faculty at the Chinese Academy of Traditional Opera, he motivated them to explore the essence of art through mutual learning while staying true to their artistic beginnings.

These heartfelt messages reveal Xi Jinping’s earnest expectations for artists to remain grounded in the people.

— Riding the Tide of Our Times and Setting the Tone
On the evening of June 28, 2021, fireworks lit up the night sky above the “Bird’s Nest,” forming the character “100” in celebration of the Party’s centenary, while applause echoed throughout the venue. The artistic performance “Great Journey” passionately embodied the unwavering belief of artists united with the Party and the people.

Art serves as a clarion call for the advancement of our times, most authentically representing the spirit of an era while shaping its norms and values.

During the symposium, the General Secretary encouraged writers and artists in China to become vanguards of our times, to express with conviction through more works enriched with depth, morality, and warmth that encapsulate the great practices of the people and the progressive demands of our age. At the 2019 National People’s Congress, while visiting members from the artistic and social science sectors, Xi urged them to assume the mission of chronicling the new era, to boldly tackle contemporary challenges, extracting creative themes and inspiration from the great achievements of modern China, and to profoundly reflect on the historical transformations of our age while depicting its spiritual landscape.

In contemporary China, with its magnificent landscape and spirited population, the future is bright. The times have provided an unprecedented stage for the flourishing of arts and culture.

Memorable works like the song “Spring Breeze Ten Thousand Miles,” the TV drama “Mountain and Sea Love,” and the gala “Our Forty Years” celebrating 40 years of reform and opening up all adhere to the General Secretary’s calls for artists to follow the rhythm of the times. They encapsulate themes derived from the changes of the era, progress in China, and the voices of the people, fervently celebrating the aspirations, creativity, and achievements of the Chinese populace.

— Inheriting and Promoting China’s Excellent Traditional Culture
Artistic creation must be rooted in contemporary life while drawing from the bloodline of cultural heritage.

At the symposium, Xi elaborated on how to pass down Chinese culture, stating, “Use the ancient for the present, integrate foreign with domestic, engaged in selective adaptation and innovation, discarding negative elements while embracing positive thoughts. We must ‘use the standards of the ancients to create in our own unique way,’ achieving the creative transformation and innovative development of Chinese culture.”

In December 2021, during the opening ceremony of the 11th National Congress of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the 10th National Congress of the Chinese Writers’ Association, the General Secretary further stressed, “Stagnation and merely echoing the past cannot be termed transmission; disconnecting from our heritage and concocting from thin air cannot be deemed innovation. We must grasp the relationship between inheritance and innovation, learning from ancient wisdom without being constrained by it, and reforming without contradicting the logic of law,” asserting that China’s excellent traditional culture should serve as a vital source for artistic innovation.

The 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization has birthed a glorious and rich culture that offers timeless values reflected in ideologies and ethical norms, essential sources for innovation in artistic creation.

At the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, a countdown video themed around the “24 solar terms” showcased the unique cultural charm of China’s ancient calendar through “Chinese-style romance.” The “National Style Elegance” performance at the Hangzhou Asian Games spectacularly presented the beauty of the Jiangnan region. The stage play “China in Classic Texts” narrated the historical backdrop and core concepts of Chinese classics, allowing audiences to immerse themselves and appreciate the power of traditional culture. Many artists seamlessly blend traditional Chinese aesthetics with contemporary aesthetic pursuits, telling compelling Chinese stories and presenting a credible, lovable, and respectable image of China to the world.

Singing for the people, shaping the soul of the era. Since the new era began, China’s artistic landscape has flourished with vibrant creativity and outstanding achievements. The third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has called for deepening the reform of cultural systems and mechanisms, setting new requirements for high-quality artistic development.

Xi Jinping pointed out, “China is not lacking in vivid stories; the essential task is to possess the ability to tell those stories well. China abounds with epic practices; the crux lies in having the ambition to create epics.”

“Landscapes leave behind remarkable marks, and we shall climb to new heights once more.” Grounded in the epic practices of this new era, artists are bound to produce works worthy of our great times, our great nation, and our great people.