The Ideological Essence of Xi Jinping’s Important Discourse on Farming Civilization

The Chinese nation is a nation with a long history and profound cultural heritage, possessing a history of humanity spanning a million years, a history of culture spanning ten thousand years, and a history of civilization spanning over five thousand years. Xi Jinping pointed out: “Only by comprehensively and deeply understanding the history of Chinese civilization can we more effectively promote the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, and more forcefully advance the construction of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics.” A deep understanding of the history of Chinese civilization is inseparable from grasping China’s profound tradition of farming civilization. Since the New Era, Xi Jinping has profoundly elucidated the intrinsic relationship between Chinese civilization and farming civilization, the status, role, and contemporary value of farming civilization, and has put forward practical requirements for inheriting, developing, and enhancing farming civilization, providing a fundamental guideline for continuing farming civilization and advancing agricultural and rural modernization.

中华民族是一个具有悠久历史和深厚文化底蕴的民族，有着百万年的人类史、一万年的文化史、五千多年的文明史。习近平指出：“只有全面深入了解中华文明的历史，才能更有效地推动中华优秀传统文化创造性转化、创新性发展，更有力地推进中国特色社会主义文化建设”。深入了解中华文明史，离不开对我国深厚农耕文明传统的把握。新时代以来，习近平深刻阐释了中华文明与农耕文明的内在关系、农耕文明的地位作用及时代价值，提出了传承发展提升农耕文明的实践要求，为赓续农耕文明、推进农业农村现代化，提供了根本遵循。

I. Chinese Civilization Is Rooted in Farming Civilization

一、中华文明根植于农耕文明

Farming civilization epitomizes the knowledge, experience, and wisdom of the Chinese nation’s millennia of agricultural practice and is the foundation of Chinese civilization. Xi Jinping pointed out: “Chinese civilization is rooted in farming civilization.” This assertion profoundly reveals the great significance of farming civilization for the origin and development of Chinese civilization. Xi Jinping has deeply expounded the connotation and implications of farming civilization from the perspectives of its long-standing and well-established nature, farming culture as a precious treasure of China’s agriculture, and rural civilization as the main body of the history of Chinese national civilization. At the same time, from the angle of ethnic integration and civilizational fusion, he has profoundly clarified that farming civilization, together with grassland civilization and maritime civilization, jointly forged the great national spirit, revealing the formative roots and civilizational core of this great national spirit.

农耕文明集中体现了中华民族数千年农业实践的知识、经验和智慧，是中华文明的根基所在。习近平指出：“中华文明根植于农耕文明。”这一论断深刻揭示了农耕文明对于中华文明起源和发展的重大意义。习近平从我国农耕文明源远流长、农耕文化是我国农业的宝贵财富、乡村文明是中华民族文明史的主体等方面，深入阐释了农耕文明的内涵意蕴；同时，他还从民族融合、文明融合的角度，深刻阐明农耕文明与草原文明、海洋文明共同铸就了伟大民族精神，揭示了伟大民族精神的形成根源和文明内核。

(I) Farming Civilization Has a Long History and Carries the Genetic Code for the Unceasing Continuation of Chinese Civilization

（一）农耕文明源远流长，承载着华夏文明生生不息的基因密码

China has been founded on agriculture since ancient times, and farming civilization is a form of civilization formed with agriculture as its mainstay. Xi Jinping pointed out: “China’s farming civilization is long-standing, well-established, extensive, and profound; it is the root of fine traditional Chinese culture.” From the perspective of human development history, the Chinese nation was one of the earliest peoples in the world to engage in agriculture, transitioning from a fishing and hunting civilization to a farming civilization very early on. Agriculture constituted the foundation for the survival and development of the Chinese nation and was the material condition and practical basis for the formation and development of farming civilization. Shennong [1]1 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the National Conference on Ethnic Unity and Progress,” August 29, 2014., a figure in Chinese mythology and legend, is the agricultural deity venerated by the Chinese nation for generations. As early as about five to six thousand years ago, Shennong “adapted to the seasons of heaven, distinguished the benefits of the land, made plows and hoes, and taught the people to farm.” From the perspective of the history of civilizational development, China’s farming civilization has long held a leading position in the world. The brilliant and splendid farming civilization has become an important spiritual marker distinguishing the Chinese nation from other nations. Xi Jinping pointed out: “From the distinctive Chinese agricultural solar terms, to the ecological ethics of following the Way of nature and the unity of heaven and humanity; from the diverse residential courtyards and villages, to the ingenious agricultural landscapes; from the rustic festive activities, to the rich and varied folk arts; from the ancestral family precepts of cultivating the land while studying and of parental kindness and filial piety, to the rural customs and folkways of neighborly watchfulness, trustworthiness, and respect for propriety—all these are distinctive labels of Chinese culture, all carry the genetic code for the unceasing continuation of Chinese civilization, and all manifest the thought, wisdom, and spiritual pursuit of the Chinese nation.”

中国自古以农立国，农耕文明是以农业为主体形成的文明形态。习近平指出：“我国农耕文明源远流长、博大精深，是中华优秀传统文化的根。”从人类发展史来看，中华民族是世界上最早从事农业的民族之一，很早就从渔猎文明转向了农耕文明。农业构成了中华民族生存和发展的基础，是农耕文明形成发展的物质条件和实践根据。中国神话传说中的神农，就是中华民族世代尊崇的农神。早在约五六千年前，神农就“因天之时，分地之利，制耒耜，教民农作”。从文明发展史来看，我国农耕文明长期居于世界领先水平。辉煌灿烂的农耕文明成为中华民族区别于其他民族的重要精神标识。习近平指出：“从中国特色的农事节气，到大道自然、天人合一的生态伦理；从各具特色的宅院村落，到巧夺天工的农业景观；从乡土气息的节庆活动，到丰富多彩的民间艺术；从耕读传家、父慈子孝的祖传家训，到邻里守望、诚信重礼的乡风民俗，等等，都是中华文化的鲜明标签，都承载着华夏文明生生不息的基因密码，彰显着中华民族的思想智慧和精神追求。”

(II) Farming Culture Is the Spiritual Accumulation of Farming Civilization and an Important Component of Chinese Culture

（二）农耕文化是农耕文明的精神积淀，是中华文化的重要组成部分

Xi Jinping pointed out: “China is a large agricultural country with a long history of farming and a splendid farming culture.” Farming culture has been formed and developed in the course of long-term agricultural production and farming life. It includes ideological concepts, institutional culture, ritual and custom culture, farming-and-reading culture, folk culture, interaction culture, and sacrificial culture centered on agriculture. It possesses unique content and characteristics and is the crystallization of the wisdom of farming civilization.

习近平指出：“中国是农业大国，有着悠久农耕历史和灿烂农耕文化。”农耕文化是在长期的农业生产和农耕生活中形成发展起来的，包括以农业为中心的思想理念、制度文化、礼俗文化、耕读文化、民俗文化、交往文化、祭祀文化等，具有独特的内容和特征，是农耕文明的智慧结晶。

China’s farming culture has been deeply integrated into Chinese culture. For example, the emphasis on agriculture and the consolidation of the foundation is a political concept formed on the basis of China being a large agricultural country; this concept has become an important political thought and governing mindset in our cultural tradition. For another example, the philosophy, religion, science and technology, literature and art, dietary habits, and folk customs formed on the basis of farming life were developed to meet the needs of agricultural production or arose within it, bearing the typical characteristics of farming society and profoundly influencing the mode of thinking and value concepts of the Chinese nation. Precisely because of this, Xi Jinping pointed out: “Farming culture is a precious treasure of China’s agriculture and

我国农耕文化已经深深融汇于中华文化之中。比如，重农固本是基于我国作为农业大国所形成的政治理念，这一理念已经成为我们文化传统中的重要政治思想和执政思维。再比如，在农耕生活基础上形成的哲学宗教、科学技术、文学艺术、饮食习惯、民风民俗等，是为满足农业生产或在农业生产中发展起来的，带有农耕社会的典型特征，深刻影响了中华民族的思维方式、价值观念。正因为如此，习近平指出：“农耕文化是我国农业的宝贵财富，是中华文化的重要组成部分”。他极为关心农耕文化的保护和传承，强调农耕文化“不仅不能丢，而且要不断发扬光大”。

(3) Rural civilization is the concrete form of farming civilization and constitutes the main body of the history of Chinese civilization.

（三）乡村文明是农耕文明的具体形态，构成中华民族文明史的主体

The countryside is the solid social foundation for the continuous development of China’s agriculture and the basic support and reliable underpinning for the emergence and development of farming civilization. Rural civilization constitutes the core component and concrete form of existence of farming civilization. Xi Jinping points out: “Rural civilization is the main body of the history of Chinese civilization, and villages are the carriers of this civilization.” [1]1 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the National Conference on Ethnic Unity and Progress,” August 29, 2014.

乡村是我国农业绵延发展的坚实社会基础，是农耕文明赖以产生和发展的基本依托和可靠支撑。乡村文明构成了农耕文明的核心组成部分和具体存在形态。习近平指出：“乡村文明是中华民族文明史的主体，村庄是这种文明的载体”。

The reason why rural civilization is the main body of the history of Chinese civilization is closely related to the socio-economic structure of traditional Chinese agriculture. China’s traditional agriculture was a small-peasant economy based on households, and the villages where peasants engaged in small-scale farming naturally became the birthplace of farming civilization. Numerous archaeological discoveries prove that China’s ancestors not only very early invented and used various agricultural production tools, cultivated crops, domesticated wild animals, sought medical treatment and medicines, observed astronomy and geography, created writing, discovered and invented science and technology, and created and developed culture and art, but also very early formed clustered, settled villages. Moreover, with the development of agriculture, the scale of villages grew larger and their distribution became denser. Villages became the basis for people’s long-term communal life, thereby forming a village-community system based on kinship relations. This system undertook numerous functions such as production coordination, weddings and funerals, and sacrifices to heaven and ancestors, and on this basis rural civilization emerged and developed. This village-community system in traditional Chinese agricultural society and the household-based small-peasant economy possessed a high degree of stability and tenacious vitality, constituting the solid foundation of traditional Chinese society and providing reliable support for the generational continuation and stable development of rural civilization. Precisely because of this, Xi Jinping points out: “Small-peasant production plays an

乡村文明之所以是中华民族文明史的主体，与中国传统的农业社会经济结构密切相关。我国传统农业是以家户为基础的小农经济，从事小农生产的农民聚居的乡村自然地成为农耕文明的发源地。诸多考古发现证明，我国先民不仅很早就发明和使用各种农业生产工具、培育农作物、驯化野生动物、寻医问药、观天文察地理、创立文字、发现和发明科技、创造和发展文化艺术，而且很早就形成聚集性、定居性的村落，并且随着农业的发展，村落规模也越来越大、分布越来越密集。村落成为人们长期共同生活的依托，由此形成了以宗亲关系为基础的村社体系，这个体系承担了生产协调、婚丧嫁娶、祭天敬祖等众多功能，并在此基础上产生和发展出乡村文明。中国传统农业社会中的这种村社体系和以家户为基础的小农经济具有高度的稳定性和顽强的生命力，构成了中国传统社会的坚实基础，为乡村文明的世代延续和稳定发展提供了可靠支撑。正因为如此，习近平指出：“小农生产在传承农耕文明、稳定农业生产、解决农民就业增收、促进农村社会和谐等各方面都具有不可替代的作用。”可以说，村落是我国农耕文明生成发展的原点，是中华文明能够长期绵延不断的根基所在。

(4) Farming civilization, grassland civilization, and maritime civilization jointly forge the great national spirit and constitute the spiritual core of Chinese civilization.

（四）农耕文明与草原文明、海洋文明共同铸就伟大民族精神，构成中华文明的精神内核

The history of China is a history in which various ethnic groups continuously merged and converged to form the pluralistic and integrated Chinese nation. The convergence and integration among ethnic groups stemmed not only from economic interdependence but also from the cultural inclusiveness of each ethnic group. Xi Jinping points out: “Chinese culture is the culmination of the excellent cultures of all ethnic groups.” [1]1 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the National Conference on Ethnic Unity and Progress,” August 29, 2014. Cultural inclusiveness and integration are important driving forces for the development of the Chinese nation and Chinese civilization, and they are also the ideological foundation for the Chinese nation’s tenacious survival and continuous development over thousands of years of history.

一部中国历史，就是各民族不断交融汇聚成多元一体中华民族的历史。各民族之间的交融汇聚，既源自经济上的相互依存，也源自各民族文化上的兼收并蓄。习近平指出：“中华文化是各民族优秀文化的集大成。”文化上的兼收并蓄和融合，是中华民族及中华文明发展的重要动力，也是中华民族能够在数千年历史长河中顽强生存和不断发展的思想基础。

Historically, the farming civilization in the Central Plains region of China was an earlier and relatively developed civilization. However, farming civilization was not closed and self-contained; rather, it possessed strong inclusiveness and absorptive capacity, developing forward through constant exchange and integration with other civilizations. Xi Jinping points out: “Our great spirit has been jointly cultivated by all ethnic groups. In the long river of history, the hard work and simplicity, the reverence for propriety and affinity for benevolence of farming civilization; the passionate exuberance, bravery and vigor of grassland civilization; and the all-embracing nature, daring to strive and win of maritime civilization have continuously infused the traits and endowments of the Chinese nation, jointly forging the great national spirit with patriotism at its core.” [2]2 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the National Conference on Ethnic Unity and Progress,” September 27, 2019. The national spirit jointly cultivated and developed by all ethnic groups constitutes the spiritual core of Chinese civilization. It has been deeply integrated into the blood and soul of all ethnic groups, becoming a powerful spiritual driving force for the continuous progress of the Chinese nation.

历史上，我国中原地区的农耕文明是产生较早的、比较发达的文明。但农耕文明不是封闭自守的，而是有着极强的包容性和吸纳能力，是在不断地与其他文明交流融合中向前发展的。习近平指出：“我们伟大的精神是各民族共同培育的。在历史长河中，农耕文明的勤劳质朴、崇礼亲仁，草原文明的热烈奔放、勇猛刚健，海洋文明的海纳百川、敢拼会赢，源源不断注入中华民族的特质和禀赋，共同熔铸了以爱国主义为核心的伟大民族精神。”各民族共同培育和发展起来的民族精神，构成了中华文明的精神内核，已深深融进了各族人民的血液和灵魂，成为推动中华民族不断进步的强大精神动力。

II. To take the path of rural cultural revitalization, it is necessary to inherit, develop, and enhance farming civilization.

二、走乡村文化兴盛之路要传承发展提升农耕文明

History cannot be severed, and civilization cannot be broken. Promoting the flourishing of rural culture in the New Era is by no means a rejection of the historical traditions of rural development; rather, it is precisely a continuation of the excellent traditions of the countryside, an inheritance and development of agricultural civilization, so as to preserve our civilizational genes and continue our cultural bloodline. To this end, Xi Jinping

历史不能割断，文明不能断裂。新时代推动乡村文化兴盛，决不是对乡村发展历史传统的排斥，而恰恰是对乡村优秀传统的延续，是对农耕文明的承继和发展，以保持我们的文明基因，接续我们的文化血脉。为此，习近平明确把“传承发展提升农耕文明，走乡村文化兴盛之路”作为走中国特色社会主义乡村振兴道路的重要任务，既阐明了农耕文明在乡村文化建设中不可或缺的地位和作用，也揭示了农耕文明的现代价值。

(I) Inheriting, Developing, and Elevating Agricultural Civilization Is an Inevitable Requirement for Forging the Chinese Characteristics of Rural Cultural Development

（一）传承发展提升农耕文明，是打造乡村文化发展的中国特色的必然要求

To promote the flourishing of rural culture, it is necessary to follow a path of rural cultural development with Chinese characteristics. How can “Chinese characteristics” be embodied? Xi Jinping pointed out: “Without the five-thousand-year Chinese civilization, what Chinese characteristics would there be?” He explicitly regards “continuing and developing agricultural civilization” as one of the Chinese characteristics of building a strong agricultural nation. Therefore, it is necessary to base ourselves on the long-standing history of agricultural civilization, inherit, develop, and elevate it, and forge the Chinese characteristics of rural cultural development. Inheriting, developing, and elevating agricultural civilization does not mean returning to the scenes of the traditional agricultural era, but rather taking the path of the present and the future while continuing the roots of agricultural civilization. Agricultural civilization is the profound nourishment for rural cultural construction and the civilizational root of rural cultural flourishing. Promoting the flourishing of rural culture is a long-term process of moistening things silently. In this process, it is necessary to follow the laws of rural development itself, fully explore the ideological and cultural values contained in agricultural civilization, and ensure that the excellent farming-reading culture, local flavor, folk customs, and practices of traditional agricultural society can be passed down.

推进乡村文化兴盛，必须走有中国特色的乡村文化发展之路。如何才能体现“中国特色”？习近平指出：“如果没有中华五千年文明，哪里有什么中国特色？”他明确把“赓续农耕文明”作为农业强国的中国特色之一。因此，必须立足源远流长的农耕文明历史，传承发展提升农耕文明，打造乡村文化发展的中国特色。传承发展提升农耕文明，并不是要回到传统农耕时代的场景中去，而是要在承续农耕文明的根脉中走好现在和未来的路。农耕文明是乡村文化建设的深厚滋养，是乡村文化兴盛的文明根脉。推动乡村文化兴盛是一个细雨润物的长期过程。在这一过程中，必须遵循乡村自身发展规律，充分发掘农耕文明所蕴含的思想和文化价值，使传统农业社会的优秀耕读文化、乡土气息、民风民俗等能够传承下来。

(II) Inheriting, Developing, and Elevating Agricultural Civilization Is an Inevitable Requirement for Ensuring That “the Roots of Local Culture Cannot Be Severed”

（二）传承发展提升农耕文明，是确保“乡土文化的根不能断”的必然要求

Agricultural civilization has given birth to a rich and diverse local culture. In the long historical process of human development, the Chinese nation has experienced a development path different from that of other civilizations. As mentioned earlier, China formed rural settlements very early on, which became places for people to produce, settle, and engage in various activities. Xi Jinping pointed out: “Agriculture thrives because of human settlement, and villages gather because of agricultural activities. The countryside is not only the spatial carrier of agricultural production but also the homeland where the vast number of farmers are born and raised.” Local culture originates in the countryside and persists in the countryside, becoming the spiritual root of Chinese civilization. Xi Jinping emphasized: “Rural areas are the birthplace of China’s traditional civilization. The roots of local culture cannot be severed. The countryside cannot become a desolate countryside, a left-behind countryside, or a homeland in memory.” He also pointed out: “Excellent rural culture can boost the spirit of the countryside, enhance the cohesion of farmers, and nurture good social customs.” If the root of local culture is severed, the countryside will lose its soul and its spirit. Therefore, to deeply root local culture in the countryside, it is necessary to inherit, develop, and elevate agricultural civilization in the process of promoting rural cultural flourishing.

农耕文明孕育了丰富多彩的乡土文化。在人类发展的漫长历史进程中，中华民族经历了与其他文明体不同的发展历程。如前所述，中国很早就形成了乡村聚落，成为人们生产、定居以及进行各种活动的场所。习近平指出：“农业因人类定居而兴，村落因农事活动而聚，乡村不仅是农业生产的空间载体，也是广大农民生于斯长于斯的家园故土。”乡土文化起源于乡村，也存续于乡村，成为中华文明的精神根脉。习近平强调：“农村是我国传统文明的发源地，乡土文化的根不能断，农村不能成为荒芜的农村、留守的农村、记忆中的故园。”他还指出：“优秀乡村文化能够提振农村精气神，增强农民凝聚力，孕育社会好风尚。”割断了乡土文化这个根脉，农村就会失去灵魂，也就没有了精气神。因此，要使乡土文化的根深植于农村，必须在推进乡村文化兴盛的过程中传承发展提升农耕文明。

Local culture contains the most primitive and simplest cultural factors in the evolution of agricultural civilization, and some excellent factors still influence us today. Xi Jinping pointed out: “Many of our villages have a history of several hundred or even a thousand years and remain intact to this day. Many customs, village rules, and folk conventions have deep roots in excellent traditional culture and still play an important role today.” For example, local culture has a strong function of rule by virtue and still plays an important role in contemporary rural governance. The governance system combining self-governance, rule of law, and rule by virtue under the leadership of Party organizations is the basic support for rural governance. Local culture not only promotes the formation of cultural identity, the establishment of moral order, and the resolution of various disputes but also fosters virtues such as helping the needy, being diligent and thrifty in managing the household, and maintaining neighborhood harmony. It plays an important role in social education and order maintenance in rural rule by virtue. Xi Jinping pointed out that in promoting rural revitalization, “while implementing self-governance and rule of law, we must also focus on giving full play to the role of rule by virtue, promoting the mutual reinforcement of a state of ceremonies, excellent traditional culture, and the construction of a rule-of-law society. We must continue to explore and innovate in this regard and constantly summarize and promote the experience.” This actually fully affirms the important role of local culture in rural rule by virtue.

乡土文化包含着农耕文明演进中最原始、最朴素的文化因子，一些优秀因子影响至今。习近平指出：“我国很多村庄有几百年甚至上千年的历史，至今保持完整。很多风俗习惯、村规民约等具有深厚的优秀传统文化基因，至今仍然发挥着重要作用。”比如，乡土文化具有很强的德治功能，在当今农村治理中依然发挥着重要作用。党组织领导的自治、法治、德治相结合的治理体系，是农村治理的基本依托。乡土文化不仅能够推动文化认同形成、道德秩序建立和各种纠纷化解，而且能够推动形成扶危济困、勤俭持家、邻里和谐的美德，在乡村德治中发挥着社会教化和秩序维护的重要功能。习近平指出，推进乡村振兴，“要在实行自治和法治的同时，注重发挥好德治的作用，推动礼仪之邦、优秀传统文化和法治社会建设相辅相成。要继续进行这方面的探索和创新，并不断总结推广”。这实际上充分肯定了乡土文化在农村德治中的重要作用。

(III) Inheriting, Developing, and Elevating Agricultural Civilization Is an Inevitable Requirement for Advancing Agricultural Modernization

（三）传承发展提升农耕文明，是推进农业现代化的必然要求

Modernization is a process of civilizational transformation from traditional to modern society, but it does not mean a rupture between tradition and modernity. “Tradition” and “modernity” are not in a binary opposition. Xi Jinping pointed out: “Chinese-path modernization is a modernization that continues ancient civilization, not one that destroys it; it is a modernization that grows from the land of China, not one that copies other countries; it is the result of civilizational renewal, not the product of civilizational rupture.” This important discourse profoundly reveals the internal connection between Chinese-path modernization and Chinese civilization, and also elucidates the cultural and civilizational roots of Chinese-path modernization. On the one hand, the way in which agricultural modernization is promoted is closely related to the historical and cultural traditions of the countryside. On the other hand, agricultural civilization embodies the ideological wisdom, value concepts, and spiritual pursuits of the Chinese nation over a long period, and can provide profound ideological resources and spiritual support for agricultural modernization. These are major issues that must be properly grasped in advancing agricultural modernization. Therefore, advancing agricultural modernization cannot discard agricultural civilization; rather, it must continue and develop it. It cannot, in the name of modernization, discard our excellent traditional culture or sever our civilizational roots. Xi Jinping once said: “I have heard that in the area of the Hani Rice Terraces in Yunnan, fewer and fewer people in the villages can sing ancient songs like the ‘Hani Four Seasons Production Tune’ or dance the Hani Luozuo dance. We cannot, in the name of modernization, lose the good things left by our ancestors!”

现代化是从传统社会向现代社会演进的文明转型过程，但并不意味着传统与现代的断裂，“传统”与“现代”不是二元对立的关系。习近平指出：“中国式现代化是赓续古老文明的现代化，而不是消灭古老文明的现代化；是从中华大地长出来的现代化，不是照搬照抄其他国家的现代化；是文明更新的结果，不是文明断裂的产物。”这一重要论述深刻揭示了中国式现代化与中华文明之间的内在联系，也阐明了中国式现代化的文化和文明根脉。一方面，以什么样的方式推进农业现代化，与农村历史文化传统紧密相关。另一方面，农耕文明彰显着中华民族长期以来的思想智慧、价值理念和精神追求，能够为农业现代化提供深厚的思想资源和精神支撑。这些都是推进农业现代化必须把握好的重大问题。因此，推进农业现代化不能抛弃农耕文明，而要赓续和发展农耕文明；不能借现代化之名，丢弃我们的优秀传统文化、割断我们的文明根脉。习近平曾谈道：“我听说，在云南哈尼梯田所在地，农村会唱《哈尼族四季生产调》等古歌、会跳哈尼乐作舞的人越来越少。不能名为搞现代化，就把老祖宗的好东西弄丢了！”

III. Firmly Grasp the Practical Requirements for Inheriting and Promoting Agricultural Civilization

三、牢牢把握传承和弘扬农耕文明的实践要求

In the New Era, to comprehensively promote rural revitalization and advance agricultural and rural modernization, it is necessary to vigorously inherit and promote agricultural civilization. Xi Jinping has clarified the practical requirements and feasible paths for continuing agricultural civilization and advancing agricultural and rural modernization in the New Era, from the perspectives of basing ourselves on the historical heritage of agricultural civilization, combining rural cultural-ethical progress with the inheritance of excellent agricultural culture, and vigorously inheriting and promoting farming-reading civilization.

新时代全面推进乡村振兴，推进农业农村现代化，必须大力传承和弘扬农耕文明。习近平从立足农耕文明的历史底蕴、把农村精神文明建设同传承优秀农耕文化结合起来、大力传承和弘扬耕读文明等方面，明晰了新时代赓续农耕文明，推进农业农村现代化的实践要求和可行性路径。

(I) Agricultural and Rural Modernization Must Be Based on the Historical Heritage of Agricultural Civilization

（一）农业农村现代化要立足农耕文明的历史底蕴

In comprehensively building a modern socialist country, the most arduous and heavy task remains in the countryside. Only by achieving agricultural and rural modernization can our socialist modernization be comprehensive. Xi Jinping emphasized that the strong agricultural nation we aim to build and the agricultural and rural modernization we seek to achieve share common features with the agricultural modernization of foreign countries in general, but also have Chinese characteristics based on our own national conditions. “The so-called Chinese characteristics mean basing ourselves on our national conditions, on the resource endowment of a large population with little land, the historical heritage of agricultural civilization, and the contemporary requirement of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature, taking our own path, and not simply copying foreign models of modern agricultural powers.” This clarifies the requirement of “basing ourselves on the historical heritage of agricultural civilization” to advance agricultural and rural modernization.

全面建设社会主义现代化国家，最艰巨最繁重的任务仍然在农村。只有实现农业农村的现代化，我们的社会主义现代化才是全面的。习近平强调，我们要建设的农业强国、实现的农业农村现代化，既有国外一般现代化农业强国的共同特征，更有基于自己国情的中国特色，“所谓中国特色，就是立足我国国情，立足人多地少的资源禀赋、农耕文明的历史底蕴、人与自然和谐共生的时代要求，走自己的路，不简单照搬国外现代化农业强国模式”。这就明确了“立足农耕文明的历史底蕴”推进农业农村现代化的要求。

First, we must combine the outstanding heritage of China’s agricultural civilization with the elements of modern civilization. The ideas and concepts of agricultural civilization, while constantly advancing with the times as time passes and eras change, also possess their own continuity and stability. How can agricultural civilization be inherited in the course of advancing agricultural and rural modernization? Xi Jinping clearly stated that we must “combine the outstanding heritage of China’s agricultural civilization with the elements of modern civilization, endow it with new contemporary connotations, let the excellent traditional Chinese culture thrive endlessly, and let China’s long-standing agricultural civilization display its charm and elegance in the New Era.” [7]7 “Passing down farming and reading through the family” (耕读传家) is a traditional Chinese ideal where a family sustains itself through agriculture while also pursuing education and moral cultivation across generations. On the one hand, what is emphasized is that the “outstanding” heritage of agricultural civilization is to be combined with the “elements of modern civilization,” which necessarily excludes its backward and dross parts. Therefore, to inherit and develop agricultural civilization, the primary task is to deepen the research and interpretation of traditional agricultural civilization and strengthen the excavation and elucidation of the outstanding heritage of China’s agricultural civilization. On the other hand, to realize the combination of the outstanding heritage of agricultural civilization with the elements of modern civilization, it is necessary to “find the connecting point between traditional culture and modern life,” [8]8 “Science and Technology Backyard” (科技小院) is a program that stations agricultural graduate students in rural villages to conduct research and provide technical support directly to farmers. to inherit and promote the excellent content of agricultural civilization in light of the conditions of the times, and to activate the excellent genes of agricultural civilization. For example, agricultural civilization not only contains rich wisdom for handling relationships between people and between people and society but also contains ecological wisdom for handling the relationship between humans and nature, forming the unique ecological culture of the Chinese nation. Xi Jinping pointed out: “The Chinese nation has always respected and loved nature; the Chinese civilization, which has stretched for more than five thousand years, is rich in ecological culture.” [9] He cited many classic expressions from ancient texts such as the *Book of Changes*, *Laozi*, *Mencius*, *Xunzi*, and *Essential Techniques for the Common People* [10] to summarize the ecological thought of Chinese civilization, which “unifies heaven, earth, and humanity, links natural ecology with human civilization, acts in accordance with the laws of nature, takes from it at the proper times, and uses it with moderation,” and emphasized that “following the way of nature and the unity of heaven and humanity are the inherent survival concepts of Chinese civilization.” [11] These ecological concepts and ideas are important contents of agricultural civilization and still have reference value for solving ecological problems today. Xi Jinping attaches great importance to drawing on the ecological wisdom of agricultural civilization. His important discourses such as “harmonious coexistence between humans and nature,” “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,” and “a good ecological environment is the most inclusive public good” [12] fully embody the concepts of respecting nature, conforming to nature, and the unity of heaven and humanity. A beautiful ecological environment is the greatest advantage and precious wealth of rural areas. In pursuing agricultural and rural modernization, we must never sacrifice the rural ecology; instead, we should integrate the living scenes of agricultural civilization with modern life, forming beautiful rural natural and human landscapes, and creating beautiful and livable rural homes.

其一，要把我国农耕文明优秀遗产和现代文明要素结合起来。农耕文明的思想和理念，既随着时间推移和时代变迁而不断与时俱进，也有其自身的连续性和稳定性。如何在推进农业农村现代化中传承农耕文明？习近平明确提出，要“把我国农耕文明优秀遗产和现代文明要素结合起来，赋予新的时代内涵，让中华优秀传统文化生生不息，让我国历史悠久的农耕文明在新时代展现其魅力和风采”。一方面，强调与“现代文明要素”结合起来的是农耕文明“优秀”遗产，必然不能包括其中落后和糟粕的部分。因此，传承发展农耕文明，首要的是深化对传统农耕文明的研究和阐释，加强对我国农耕文明优秀遗产的挖掘和阐发。另一方面，实现农耕文明优秀遗产和现代文明要素相结合，就要“找到传统文化和现代生活的连接点”，结合时代条件对农耕文明的优秀内容加以继承和发扬，激活农耕文明的优秀基因。比如，农耕文明不仅蕴含着处理人与人、人与社会关系的丰富智慧，而且蕴含着处理人与自然关系的生态智慧，形成了中华民族独特的生态文化。习近平指出：“中华民族向来尊重自然、热爱自然，绵延五千多年的中华文明孕育着丰富的生态文化。”他引用《易经》《老子》《孟子》《荀子》《齐民要术》等古籍中的许多经典表述，概括了中华文明“把天地人统一起来、把自然生态同人类文明联系起来，按照大自然规律活动，取之有时，用之有度”的生态思想，并强调“道法自然、天人合一是中华文明内在的生存理念”。这些生态理念和思想是农耕文明的重要内容，对于我们今天解决生态问题仍然具有借鉴价值。习近平高度重视对农耕文明生态智慧的汲取，他提出的“人与自然和谐共生”“绿水青山就是金山银山”“良好生态环境是最普惠的民生福祉”等重要论述，充分体现了尊重自然、顺应自然、天人合一的理念。优美的生态环境，是农村最大优势和宝贵财富。搞农业农村现代化，绝不能以破坏农村生态为代价，而是要把农耕文明生活场景与现代生活融为一体，形成农村美丽的自然与人文景观，形成美丽宜居的乡村家园。

Second, attention must be paid to preserving the original features of villages and retaining local customs, charm, and nostalgia. In the process of advancing agricultural and rural modernization, a major issue is how to handle the relationship between rural construction and village preservation. In this regard, Xi Jinping clearly stated: “Urban-rural integrated development can completely preserve the original features of villages, be cautious about cutting down trees, do not fill in lakes, minimize the demolition of houses, and improve residents’ living conditions as much as possible on the basis of the original village form.” [13] “In building a new countryside, attention must be paid to protecting the ecological environment, preserving local flavor, reflecting rural characteristics, and retaining rural features; we cannot blindly copy the urban construction model, making cities unlike cities and villages unlike villages.” [14] China has a vast territory and many ethnic groups. Rural areas in different regions vary greatly in geographical location, economic development, resource endowments, and historical heritage, and rural culture is therefore also distinctive. In promoting rural construction, we must create village development models with their own cultural characteristics and avoid the homogenized development of “a thousand villages with one face.” To achieve this goal, an important aspect is to fully tap into the unique historical and cultural heritage, especially the resources of agricultural civilization. Xi Jinping pointed out: “The layout and features of villages across the country have been formed historically in accordance with geographical, climatic, and human conditions. We must respect history, respect culture, respect ecology, and retain local customs, charm, and nostalgia.” [15]

其二，要注意保留村庄原始风貌，留住乡风乡韵乡愁。在推进农业农村现代化的过程中，一个重大问题就是如何处理好乡村建设和村落保护的关系。对此，习近平明确指出：“城乡一体化发展，完全可以保留村庄原始风貌，慎砍树、不填湖、少拆房，尽可能在原有村庄形态上改善居民生活条件。”“搞新农村建设要注意生态环境保护，注意乡土味道，体现农村特点，保留乡村风貌，不能照搬照抄城镇建设那一套，搞得城市不像城市、农村不像农村。”我国地域广阔、民族众多，不同地域的乡村在地理位置、经济发展、资源禀赋、历史传承等方面有很大的不同，乡村文化也因此各具特色。推进乡村建设，要打造各具自身文化特色的村庄发展模式，避免出现“千村一面”的同质化发展。要实现这一目标，一个重要方面就是充分挖掘特有的历史文化底蕴，特别是农耕文明资源。习近平指出：“各地村庄格局风貌是历史上顺应地理、气候、人文条件延续而成的，要敬畏历史、敬畏文化、敬畏生态，留住乡风乡韵乡愁。”

(2) The construction of cultural-ethical progress in rural areas must be combined with the inheritance of excellent agricultural culture.

（二）农村精神文明建设要同传承优秀农耕文化结合起来

Excellent agricultural culture is the crystallization and essence of the wisdom of agricultural civilization and an important cultural resource for rural revitalization. Rural revitalization requires both shaping the form and forging the soul; it is necessary to promote both material progress and cultural-ethical progress together. Xi Jinping pointed out: “The construction of cultural-ethical progress in rural areas is very important. The transformation of matter into spirit and spirit into matter is a dialectical materialist viewpoint. In implementing the rural revitalization strategy, we must promote both material progress and cultural-ethical progress together, and especially focus on improving the spiritual outlook of farmers.” [16] The construction of cultural-ethical progress in rural areas is a task that nourishes people’s hearts, moralizes people, and unites people. It is necessary to draw on the wisdom of agricultural civilization, promote the creative transformation and innovative development of excellent agricultural culture, build a rural civilization with Chinese characteristics, and raise the level of civility in rural society. To this end, Xi Jinping clearly put forward the practical requirement that “the construction of cultural-ethical progress in rural areas must be combined with the inheritance of excellent agricultural culture.” [17]

优秀农耕文化是农耕文明的智慧结晶和精华所在，是乡村振兴的重要文化资源。乡村振兴既要塑形，也要铸魂，要物质文明和精神文明一起抓。习近平指出：“农村精神文明建设很重要，物质变精神、精神变物质是辩证法的观点，实施乡村振兴战略要物质文明和精神文明一起抓，特别要注重提升农民精神风貌。”农村精神文明建设是滋润人心、德化人心、凝聚人心的工作，要汲取农耕文明智慧，推动优秀农耕文化创造性转化、创新性发展，打造具有中国特色的乡村文明，提升乡村社会文明程度。为此，习近平明确提出了“农村精神文明建设要同传承优秀农耕文化结合起来”的实践要求。

First, it is necessary to deeply excavate the ideological spirit and precious resources contained in excellent traditional agricultural culture. Xi Jinping pointed out that it is necessary to “strengthen the construction of rural ideological morality and public culture, take the core socialist values as the guide, and deeply excavate the ideological concepts, humanistic spirit, and moral norms contained in excellent traditional agricultural culture.” [18] To advance the construction of cultural-ethical progress in rural areas, it is necessary to draw on China’s excellent agricultural cultural resources and realize the modern transformation of the value concepts that farmers have passed down from generation to generation and use daily without conscious awareness. For example, the acquaintance society is a prominent feature of China’s rural society and an important social foundation for rural moral construction. A significant difference between China’s rural society and urban society is that the countryside is the homeland where people are born and grow up, and the characteristics of an acquaintance society are extremely obvious. To this end

其一，要深入挖掘优秀传统农耕文化蕴含的思想精神和宝贵资源。习近平指出，要“加强农村思想道德建设和公共文化建设，以社会主义核心价值观为引领，深入挖掘优秀传统农耕文化蕴含的思想观念、人文精神、道德规范”。推进农村精神文明建设，必须汲取我国优秀农耕文化资源，使农民世代相传、日用而不觉的价值观念实现现代转化。比如，熟人社会是我国乡村社会的显著特征，也是乡村道德建设的重要社会基础。我国乡村社会与城市社会的一个显著不同就是，乡村是人们生于斯长于斯的故土家园，熟人社会特征极其明显。为此，习近平提出：“要加强乡村道德建设，深入挖掘乡村熟人社会蕴含的道德规范，结合时代要求进行创新，强化道德教化作用，引导农民爱党爱国、向上向善、孝老爱亲、重义守信、勤俭持家。”熟人社会虽然产生并长期存在于自然经济条件下，但其所蕴含的有益元素，对当今社会主义市场经济条件下的农村仍然是值得挖掘运用、转化创新的重要资源。

At the same time, traditional local culture, rooted in the vast countryside, holds significant value for strengthening cultural-ethical progress in rural areas. It is an important cultural resource for promoting the transformation of outdated rural customs, improving the spiritual outlook of farmers, and raising the level of social civility in the countryside. Xi Jinping pointed out: “We must deeply excavate, inherit, and innovate excellent traditional local culture, promote new trends and healthy practices, advance the transformation of outdated customs, and cultivate civilized rural customs, good family traditions, and honest folkways, so as to bring forth a new atmosphere of rural civilization.” [1]1 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the National Conference on Ethnic Unity and Progress,” August 29, 2014. On the one hand, tangible rural culture must be preserved. The long-term continuation and development of China’s agricultural civilization has left us with an extremely rich heritage of agricultural artifacts and local cultural relics. These tangible cultural heritages belong to the category of tangible rural culture; they carry the genes and bloodline of excellent local culture and are non-renewable, irreplaceable civilizational resources. Regarding how to properly protect and utilize these tangible agricultural cultural heritages, Xi Jinping has engaged in profound reflection and put forward the important idea of “preserving tangible rural culture.” Preserving tangible rural culture means implementing the protection of agricultural material cultural heritage and agricultural relics, “fully excavating material cultural heritage with agricultural characteristics, ethnic features, and regional traits, and increasing the protection of ancient towns, ancient villages, ancient buildings, ethnic villages, cultural relics and historic sites, and agricultural relics,” so that the value of agricultural artifacts and cultural heritage can be fully manifested and given new life. On the other hand, living local culture must be passed down. Many intangible agricultural cultural heritages that have been handed down over a long period in China are important symbols and forms of existence of agricultural civilization, carrying significant agricultural cultural information and possessing multifaceted value; they are “living local culture.” However, with the tremendous changes in rural production and life, some intangible agricultural cultural heritages face the risk of loss or even disappearance. Therefore, Xi Jinping emphasized the need to “deeply excavate intangible cultural heritages such as folk art, opera and folk performing arts, handicraft techniques, ethnic costumes, and folk activities,” “pass down living local culture,” and ensure that rural cultural development is imbued with historical depth. On this basis, protection, inheritance, development, and utilization must be organically integrated, so that excellent traditional local culture can radiate new brilliance in the New Era.

同时，传统乡土文化植根于广大乡村，对于加强农村精神文明建设具有重要价值，是推动农村移风易俗、改善农民精神风貌、提高乡村社会文明程度的重要文化资源。习近平指出：“要深入挖掘、继承、创新优秀传统乡土文化，弘扬新风正气，推进移风易俗，培育文明乡风、良好家风、淳朴民风，焕发乡村文明新气象。”一方面，要让有形的乡村文化留得住。我国农耕文明的长期延续和发展，使我们留存和拥有着极其丰富的农业文物和乡土文化遗产。这些物质文化遗产属于有形的乡村文化，承载着优秀乡土文化的基因和血脉，是不可再生、不可替代的文明资源。对于如何保护好、利用好这些农业物质文化遗产，习近平进行了深邃思考，提出了“让有形的乡村文化留得住”的重要思想。让有形的乡村文化留得住，就是要实施对农业物质文化遗产和农业遗迹的保护，“充分挖掘具有农耕特质、民族特色、地域特点的物质文化遗产，加大对古镇、古村落、古建筑、民族村寨、文物古迹、农业遗迹的保护力度”，使农业文物和文化遗产的价值得以充分体现，使其获得新生命。另一方面，要让活态的乡土文化传下去。我国长期流传下来的许多农业非物质文化遗产，是农耕文明的重要符号和存在形式，承载着重要的农耕文化信息，具有多方面价值，是“活态的乡土文化”。但是，随着农村生产、生活的巨大变化，一些农业非物质文化遗产面临流失甚至消逝的风险。因此，习近平强调，要“深入挖掘民间艺术、戏曲曲艺、手工技艺、民族服饰、民俗活动等非物质文化遗产”，“让活态的乡土文化传下去”，让乡村文化发展充满历史底蕴。在此基础上，要把保护传承和开发利用有机结合起来，让优秀传统乡土文化在新时代焕发新光彩。

Second, local cultural talent must be cultivated and tapped. The key to rural revitalization lies in people. Xi Jinping pointed out: “Rural economic and social development, in the final analysis, hinges on people. Without people, without a labor force, food security cannot be discussed, modern agriculture cannot be discussed, and the construction of a new countryside cannot be discussed; it will also affect the protection and inheritance of traditional agricultural culture.” [2]2 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the National Conference on Ethnic Unity and Progress,” September 27, 2019. When discussing the hollowing out of villages and the “three left-behind” problem, [3]3 “Moistening things silently” (细雨润物) is a four-character idiom derived from a line in Du Fu’s poem “Spring Night Happy Rain,” describing a subtle, gradual, and nourishing process. he stated: “The hollowing out of villages and the ‘three left-behind’ are two sides of the same coin. The outward manifestation is that villages are emptying, but the essence is that people are leaving the countryside in waves.” He also pointed out: “If there are no people left to farm the land, who will inherit agricultural culture?” Therefore, rural work, including the protection and inheritance of agricultural culture, hinges on retaining people. Farmers are the main body of agricultural culture protection and inheritance; it is necessary to “enrich farmers, improve farmers, and support farmers, so that agricultural operations become profitable, agriculture becomes a promising industry, farmers become a respectable profession, and the countryside becomes a beautiful home where people can live and work in peace and contentment.” Only in this way can the inheritance of agricultural culture be grounded and realized. At the same time, a professional rural cultural construction team must be built. To

其二，要培育挖掘乡土文化人才。乡村振兴，关键在人。习近平指出：“农村经济社会发展，说到底，关键在人。没有人，没有劳动力，粮食安全谈不上，现代农业谈不上，新农村建设也谈不上，还会影响传统农耕文化保护和传承。”他在谈到村庄空心化和“三留守”问题时指出：“村庄空心化和‘三留守’是一个问题的两个侧面。外在表现是村子空了，本质上是人一茬一茬离开农村。”他还指出：“如果连种地的人都没有了，靠谁来传承农耕文化？”因此，农村工作包括农耕文化的保护和传承，关键在留得住人。农民是农耕文化保护和传承的主体，必须“通过富裕农民、提高农民、扶持农民，让农业经营有效益，让农业成为有奔头的产业，让农民成为体面的职业，让农村成为安居乐业的美丽家园”，只有这样，农耕文化的传承才能落地落实。同时，还必须打造一支专业的农村文化建设队伍。为此，习近平明确提出了“培育挖掘乡土文化人才”的要求。他强调：“要培育挖掘乡土文化人才，开展文化结对帮扶，制定政策引导企业家、文化工作者、科普工作者、退休人员、文化志愿者等投身乡村文化建设，形成一股新的农村文化建设力量。”这为解决传承优秀农耕文化的人才保障问题指明了路径。

(3) Vigorously Inherit and Promote Farming-and-Reading Civilization

（三）大力传承和弘扬耕读文明

Farming-and-reading civilization carries China’s millennia-old agricultural practice and farming tradition, containing the natural view of the unity of heaven and humanity, the practical view of the unity of knowledge and action, the self-reliant and self-strengthening spirit of struggle, and the moral pursuit of self-cultivation and family regulation. It embodies the high unity of agricultural production practice centered on “farming” and educational learning practice centered on “reading,” and manifests the unique development path of agricultural civilization. Xi Jinping pointed out: “Farming-and-reading civilization is our soft power.” He attaches great importance to the inheritance of farming-and-reading civilization, emphasizing not only the need to promote the fine tradition of “passing down farming and reading through the family” but also the need to integrate “farming and reading” into contemporary society, endowing farming-and-reading civilization with new connotations of the times.

耕读文明承载着我国数千年的农业实践和农耕传统，蕴含着天人合一的自然观、知行合一的实践观、自立自强的奋斗精神和修身齐家的道德追求，体现了以“耕作”为主的农业生产实践和以“读书”为主的学习教育实践的高度统一，彰显了农耕文明的独特发展路径。习近平指出：“耕读文明是我们的软实力。”他高度重视耕读文明的传承，不仅强调要弘扬“耕读传家”的优秀传统，而且强调要把“耕读”融入当代社会，赋予耕读文明以新的时代内涵。

First, we must inherit the “farming-and-reading” way of life and carry forward the traditional virtue of “passing down farming and reading through the family.” In traditional Chinese agricultural society, “farming and reading” was a way of life passed down through generations, and “passing down farming and reading through the family” is an excellent historical tradition of agricultural civilization. As an important marker of farming-and-reading civilization, “passing down farming and reading through the family” contains the spiritual pursuit of diligence, enterprise, learning, and innovation of our nation. It was an important pathway for our ancestors to engage in production and daily life, acquire knowledge, and cultivate virtue, and it was the main channel for traditional rural civilization construction and cultural inheritance, holding an important position in the development of agricultural civilization. Xi Jinping greatly values the traditional virtue of “passing down farming and reading through the family” within agricultural civilization, emphasizing that it is a precious spiritual asset for the construction of family civilization. He pointed out: “Traditional Chinese family virtues such as respecting the elderly and loving the young, a virtuous wife and a caring husband, a loving mother and filial children, brotherly harmony, passing down farming and reading through the family, managing the household with diligence and frugality, being knowledgeable and courteous, abiding by laws and regulations, and harmony in the family leading to prosperity in all endeavors are engraved in the hearts of the Chinese people and integrated into their blood. They are an important spiritual force supporting the endless continuity and passing on of the torch of the Chinese nation, and a precious spiritual asset for the construction of family civilization.”

其一，要传承“耕读”生活方式，发扬光大“耕读传家”的传统美德。在中国传统农业社会，“耕读”是一种世代传承的生活方式，“耕读传家”是农耕文明的优秀历史传统。“耕读传家”作为耕读文明的重要标识，蕴含着我们民族勤劳进取和学习创新的精神追求，是我们祖先进行生产生活、获取知识和修身养德的重要途径，是传统乡村文明建设和文化传承的主渠道，在农耕文明发展中具有重要地位。习近平十分重视农耕文明中“耕读传家”的传统美德，强调“耕读传家”是家庭文明建设的宝贵精神财富。他指出：“尊老爱幼、妻贤夫安，母慈子孝、兄友弟恭，耕读传家、勤俭持家，知书达礼、遵纪守法，家和万事兴等中华民族传统家庭美德，铭记在中国人的心灵中，融入中国人的血脉中，是支撑中华民族生生不息、薪火相传的重要精神力量，是家庭文明建设的宝贵精神财富。”

Second, we must strengthen labor education and nationwide reading, continuously endowing farming-and-reading civilization with new connotations of the times. In the current era, society has undergone tremendous changes, but the spiritual pursuit and value concepts embodied by farming-and-reading civilization will not become obsolete. Farming-and-reading civilization emphasizes the unity of “farming” and “reading,” essentially integrating labor with learning, which holds significant practical meaning and contemporary value. Inheriting farming-and-reading civilization in the New Era means strengthening labor education to establish the concept that labor is glorious, while simultaneously fostering a strong atmosphere of love for reading throughout society, so that the concepts and values of “farming” and “reading” are fully reflected in today’s society. Xi Jinping pays close attention to labor education and nationwide reading, pointing the way for inheriting and promoting farming-and-reading civilization and facilitating the modern transformation of the “farming-and-reading” tradition. He emphasized: “We must adopt effective measures suited to current environments and conditions, strengthen labor education, organize diverse forms of labor practice, and enable students to develop labor habits through practice, learning to labor and learning to be frugal.” At the same time, he earnestly hopes that “the whole society will participate in reading, forming a strong atmosphere of loving reading, reading good books, and being good at reading.” He places high hopes on the youth, and in his reply letter to students at the Science and Technology Backyard of China Agricultural University, he required them to “closely combine classroom learning with rural practice, deeply cultivate a love for agriculture, hone skills in revitalizing agriculture, make achievements on the great stage of rural revitalization, and contribute youthful strength to accelerating the modernization of agriculture and rural areas and comprehensively building a modern socialist country.” These important discourses point out the basic path for inheriting and promoting farming-and-reading civilization.

其二，要强化劳动教育和全民阅读，不断赋予耕读文明以新的时代内涵。当今时代，社会发生了巨大变化，但耕读文明所体现的精神追求和价值理念不会过时。耕读文明强调“耕作”与“读书”的统一，本质上是将劳动与学习融为一体，具有重要的现实意义与时代价值。新时代传承耕读文明就是要通过强化劳动教育，确立劳动光荣理念，同时养成全社会热爱读书的浓厚氛围，使“耕”与“读”的理念和价值充分体现于当今社会。习近平高度关注劳动教育和全民阅读，为传承弘扬耕读文明、促进“耕读”传统的现代转化指明了方向。他强调：“要采取适应当前环境和条件的有效措施，加强劳动教育，组织好形式多样的劳动实践，让学生在实践中养成劳动习惯，学会劳动、学会勤俭。”同时，他殷切期望“全社会都参与到阅读中来，形成爱读书、读好书、善读书的浓厚氛围”。他对青年寄予厚望，在给中国农业大学科技小院的学生回信时，要求“把课堂学习和乡村实践紧密结合起来，厚植爱农情怀，练就兴农本领，在乡村振兴的大舞台上建功立业，为加快推进农业农村现代化、全面建设社会主义现代化国家贡献青春力量”。这些重要论述指明了传承弘扬耕读文明的基本路径。

Xi Jinping pointed out: “China possesses a splendid and long-standing agricultural civilization. We must ensure that its roots and veins are endlessly sustained, achieving the completeness and effectiveness of rural social forms, inheriting and promoting cultural genes and fine virtues, ensuring that agricultural civilization and urban civilization complement each other, that material civilization and cultural-ethical progress develop in a coordinated manner, that the vast number of farmers are confident, self-reliant, and uplifted, and that their spiritual strength is abundant.” On the new journey of the New Era, we must deeply study and grasp Xi Jinping’s important discourse on agricultural civilization, deeply excavate and elucidate the spiritual connotations and ideological essence of agricultural civilization, persist in inheriting, developing, and enhancing agricultural civilization, and enable agricultural civilization to continuously radiate new vitality in the practice of advancing agricultural and rural modernization and building a strong agricultural country.

习近平指出：“我国拥有灿烂悠久的农耕文明，必须确保其根脉生生不息，做到乡村社会形态完整有效，文化基因、美好品德传承弘扬，农耕文明和城市文明交相辉映，物质文明和精神文明协调发展，广大农民自信自强、振奋昂扬，精神力量充盈。”新时代新征程上，要深入学习和把握习近平关于农耕文明的重要论述，深入挖掘和阐发农耕文明的精神内涵和思想精华，坚持传承发展提升农耕文明，使农耕文明在推进农业农村现代化、建设农业强国的实践中不断焕发新的生命力。

Author’s bio: Chen Dan, Lecturer at the School of Marxism, Hangzhou Normal University, and Researcher at the Hangzhou Normal University Research Base of the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Research Center of Zhejiang Province.

作者简介：陈丹，杭州师范大学马克思主义学院讲师、浙江省习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心杭州师范大学研究基地研究员。