Vigorously Preserve and Promote Lingnan Culture

At the CCTV Spring Festival Gala for the Year of the Snake (Yi-si), accompanied by the resounding song “Full of Eastern Tide, the Splendid Age Dances the Yingge,” the inheritors of Yingge dance stepped with powerful rhythm and twirled their drumsticks, fully displaying the confidence and vigor of Chinese culture. During the Dragon Boat Festival, in the rivers, lakes and seas of Lingnan, water splashed and boats flew like arrows; the “dragon boat rowing,” an authentic folk custom, radiated vitality and amazed the world. They all come from Guangdong, a place that took the lead in reform and opening up and is also the birthplace and inheritance site of Lingnan culture.

中央广播电视总台乙巳蛇年春晚，伴随着“满眼东方潮，盛世舞英歌”的嘹亮歌声，英歌传人步伐铿锵、鼓槌翻飞，尽显中华文化的自信昂扬；端午佳节，岭南的江河湖海之中，水花激溅、舟行如飞，“扒龙舟”这一原真性的民俗文化，活力四射、惊艳世界。他们都来自广东，这个改革开放得风气之先的地方，也是岭南文化的发源与传承之地。

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “The diverse and colorful local traditional cultures together constitute the splendid Chinese civilization.” Lingnan culture is an important branch of Chinese culture. How can Guangdong, while experiencing rapid economic and social development, protect and preserve Lingnan culture, and promote Lingnan culture to radiate new vitality and bloom with new brilliance in the New Era? We delved deep into the mountains and seas of Lingnan, sought out historical imprints, explored the path of protection, and deciphered the code of inheritance.

习近平总书记强调，“多姿多彩的地方特色传统文化，共同构成璀璨的中华文明”。岭南文化是中华文化的重要支脉。广东如何在经济社会高速发展的同时，保护传承好岭南文化，推动岭南文化在新时代焕发新活力、绽放新光彩？我们深入岭南山海，寻访历史印记，探究保护之道，破译传承密码。

I. What Makes Lingnan — A Profound History Tells the Story

一、何以岭南——厚重历史在讲述

The Pearl River flows, singing the symphony of civilization. The water vein protects the city vein, moistens the cultural vein, and nourishes the root vein, asking in its surging waves “what makes Lingnan”: how a piece of land moved from wilderness to prosperity, and how a culture was tempered and matured, shining brightly through inclusiveness and integration.

珠水奔流，吟唱着文明的交响。水脉守护城脉、润泽文脉、滋养根脉，在激荡中叩问着“何以岭南”：一片土地如何从洪荒走向繁盛，一种文化怎样在兼容并蓄中淬炼成熟、闪亮飞扬？

— The city vein of Lingnan was nurtured amidst the interweaving of mountains and seas, and written in the epic of the ancestors’ ten-thousand-year struggle

——岭南的城脉，在山海交叠间孕育，于先民砥砺万年的史诗中书写

In 2014, at Modaoshan in Yunan County, Yunfu City, on a tributary of the Xijiang River in the Pearl River Basin, archaeologists discovered stone tools such as hand axes, hand picks, and choppers in the primary lateritic red soil layer, pushing back the history of human activity in Guangdong to the Homo erectus era, about 800,000 to 600,000 years ago. This major discovery was listed as one of the top ten archaeological discoveries in China in 2014.

2014年，在珠江流域西江支流的云浮市郁南县磨刀山，考古工作者在原生网纹红土地层中发现了手斧、手镐、砍砸器等石制品，将广东有人类活动的历史提前到距今约80万—60万年前的直立人时代，这一重大发现被列为2014年全国十大考古新发现之一。

The Qingtang site in Qingyuan City, with the earliest pottery and initial settlements found in Guangdong dating back 17,000 years, and a squatting burial from about 13,500 years ago, establishes a continuous cultural sequence from about 25,000 to 10,000 years ago. Liu Suoqiang, a researcher at the Guangdong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and the main person in charge of the “Early Lingnan Origin Tracing Project,” introduced: “From Modaoshan to Qingtang, from upright walking to the prehistoric revolution, this constitutes the ‘earliest Lingnan’ in a cultural sense.”

清远市青塘遗址，以距今1.7万年、迄今广东发现年代最早的陶器和初始聚落，距今约1.35万年的蹲踞葬等，建立起距今约2.5万—1万年连续的文化序列。广东省文物考古研究院研究员、广东省“早期岭南探源工程”主要负责人刘锁强介绍：“从磨刀山到青塘，从直立行走到史前革命，构成了文化意义上‘最早的岭南’。”

Emerging from ancient settlements, the evolution of cities has witnessed the vicissitudes of history and become a marker of civilization. On the bustling Jiefang North Road in Guangzhou stands the Nanyue King Museum. The Tomb Exhibition Area, centered on the tomb of the King of Nanyue Wen, displays precious cultural relics such as the gold seal inscribed “Emperor Wen’s Imperial Seal,” the bronze tiger tally with gold-inlaid inscriptions, and the jade burial suit. Wang Weiyi, Deputy Director of the Nanyue King Museum, pointed to the bronze tripod inscribed “Panyu” and said, “This is the earliest material evidence of Guangzhou city being called Panyu.” Entering the Palace Exhibition Area, located at the site of the Nanyue Kingdom palace, an archaeological key column displays the strata of 13 historical periods since the Qin dynasty, telling the legend of Guangzhou city’s site remaining unchanged and its city vein continuing for over 2,200 years.

从远古聚落走来，城市演变见证了历史沧桑，成为文明的标记。在繁华的广州解放北路旁，矗立着南越王博物院。王墓展区以南越文王墓为中心，展示着“文帝行玺”金印、错金铭文铜虎节、丝缕玉衣等珍贵文物。南越王博物院副院长王维一指着“蕃禺”铜鼎说：“这是广州城最早叫作番禺城的文物证据。”进入南越国宫署遗址所在的王宫展区，一根考古关键柱展示着秦代以来13个历史时期的地层，诉说着广州城2200余年城址不移、城脉赓续的传奇。

Chaozhou is another city, a “living thousand-year-old ancient city,” which General Secretary Xi Jinping praised as “precious and rare.” Three mountains and one river guard the ancient city, and the charm of the Tang and Song dynasties remains today. By the Han River, 23 memorial archways connect 51 ancient streets and alleys, where over 50,000 residents live. Strolling through the city, the sounds of “Please sit, drink tea” and the melodious tunes of Chaozhou opera fill the air, inadvertently presenting the vibrant and colorful life of Lingnan…

潮州是另一座城，一座“活着的千年古城”，习近平总书记评价潮州古城“弥足珍贵，实属难得”。三山一水护古城，唐风宋韵今犹在。韩江之畔，23座牌坊串联起51条古街巷，5万多居民聚居其中。漫步城中，“请坐，食茶”声声入耳、潮剧唱腔婉转动人，不经意之中呈现出烟火岭南的活色生香……

— The source of the Lingnan cultural vein includes the trickling flow of Central Plains culture, the vast expanse of maritime civilization, and the ceaseless day-and-night flow of local “springs”

——岭南文脉的源头活水，有中原文化的潺潺流淌，有海洋文明的浩浩汤汤，更有本地不绝“源泉”的日夜奔流

The integration of these three nourishes the land and benefits generations.

三者交融，滋养一方，泽被百代。

Zhao Tuo, the King of Nanyue in the Western Han dynasty, “harmonized and united the Hundred Yue peoples,” promoting the spread of Central Plains culture in Lingnan. Several large-scale southward migrations of northerners brought poetry, books, rites, and music, like cultural seeds scattered across Lingnan. Since Zhang Jiuling of the Tang dynasty presided over the opening of the Dayuling Road, “talents from south of the Five Ridges emerged, goods and wealth flowed, the imperial court’s teachings and influence spread daily, and the customs of remote areas changed daily.” So said Qiu Jun, a scholar of the Ming dynasty.

西汉南越王赵佗“和辑百越”，促进了中原文化在岭南的传播。数次大规模北人南下，携诗书礼乐，如文化种子播撒岭南。自唐代张九龄主持开凿大庾岭路，“五岭以南之人才出矣、财货通矣，中朝之声教日远矣，遐陬之风俗日变矣。”明代学者丘濬如是说。

Climbing up the western slope of Bijia Mountain in Chaozhou, one reaches the Han Yu Ancestral Hall. Han Yu governed Chaozhou for eight months, driving away crocodiles, promoting education, freeing slaves, and building water conservancy projects, deeply loved by the people. The people of Chaozhou commemorated his achievements by renaming Bijia Mountain as Han Mountain and Crocodile Creek as Han River — a tribute to the literary giant, a yearning for culture, and a reverence for civilization.

沿着潮州的笔架山西麓，拾级而上便是韩文公祠。韩愈治潮八月，驱鳄兴学、解放奴婢、兴修水利，深受百姓爱戴。潮州人纪念他的功绩，把笔架山改名韩山、鳄溪改称韩江，这是对文豪的致敬、对文化的向往、对文明的推崇。

Chen Xianzhang, a great Confucian scholar of the Ming dynasty, proposed ideas such as “taking nature as the foundation,” “cultivating good beginnings in quiet sitting,” and “heaven and earth are established by me, all transformations emerge from me, and the universe is within me,” founding the Jiangmen School. His disciple Zhan Ruoshui advocated “recognizing the Heavenly Principle everywhere through experience,” lecturing alongside Wang Yangming, each establishing their own tenets, with far-reaching influence. The Lianhua Academy on Nanxiang Mountain in Guangzhou was founded by Zhan Ruoshui; through protection and utilization, the site will once again echo with the sounds of gathering disciples and reading aloud.

明代大儒陈献章，提出“以自然为宗”、“养善端于静坐”、“天地我立，万化我出，而宇宙在我”等思想主张，创立江门学派。他的弟子湛若水倡导“随处体认天理”，与王阳明同时讲学，各立宗旨，影响深远。广州南香山上的莲花书院曾由湛若水所创建，经由保护利用，遗址旁将再现聚徒讲学、琅琅书声。

The grandeur of the Lingnan cultural vein lies especially in its open-mindedness, born from facing the sea. Cultural relics such as the Persian-style silver box with convex petal patterns and the Hu figurine lamp, along with sites like the Xuwen Ancient Port, bear witness to the “Maritime Silk Road” trade and cultural exchange routes that China and foreign civilizations have walked together for a thousand years via Guangdong. Arriving at the Nanhai Temple, in front of which stands the archway inscribed “The Sea Does Not Raise Waves,” one can almost see the grand scene of “sails reflecting the sun, countless treasure ships coming.”

岭南文脉之壮阔，尤在其向海而生的开放襟怀。波斯风格凸瓣纹银盒、胡人俑座灯等文物和徐闻古港等遗址，见证了经由广东，中国与异域文明携手千年走出的“海丝”贸易之路、文化交流之路。来到门口矗立着“海不扬波”牌坊的南海神庙，恍见“映日帆多宝舶来”之盛大场景。

In modern times, the Lingnan School of Painting advocated the artistic thought of “eclectically blending China and the West, integrating the ancient and the modern,” with Gao Jianfu, Gao Qifeng, and Chen Shuren known as the “Three Masters of Lingnan.” At the Guangzhou Museum of Art, Gao Jianfu’s “The Flames of the Eastern Battlefield” is displayed, with watercolor-like washes rendering a sky full of fireworks, traditional landscape techniques absorbing the essence of Western painting, sublimated into the majestic spirit of the era. This vision of daring to “open one’s eyes to see the world” and courageously “borrowing for my own use” has become a distinctive mark of the Lingnan cultural vein in modern times.

时至近代，岭南画派倡导“折衷中西，融汇古今”的艺术思想，高剑父、高奇峰、陈树人时称“岭南三杰”。在广州艺术博物院，陈列着高剑父的《东战场的烈焰》，水彩般渲染泼出漫天烟火，传统山水技法吸纳西方绘画精意，升华为时代的雄浑之气。这种敢于“开眼看世界”、勇于“拿来为我所用”的视野，亦成为近代以来岭南文脉的显著标识。

— The root of Lingnan culture is the unyielding spirit forged by family-nation sentiment and loyalty and righteousness amidst the smoke of war and the tides of change

——岭南文化的本根，是家国情怀、忠肝义胆在烽烟与浪潮中铸就的铮铮风骨

Lady Xian was an outstanding politician and military strategist from the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the early Sui dynasty, hailed by Comrade Zhou Enlai as “the number one heroine of China.” Entering the Lady Xian Temple and experiencing the national intangible cultural heritage “Lady Xian Belief,” one can see how the spirit of patriotism, love for the people, and moral cultivation became a core element of Lingnan culture. “Lady Xian is a model of sacrificing herself to protect Lingnan and her family to defend the country. Her great love and fulfillment are a portrayal of the loyal soul of Lingnan,” said Zeng Xiaomin, the actress playing Lady Xian in the Cantonese opera film “Lady of the Qiao Kingdom” and President of the Guangdong Cantonese Opera Theater.

冼夫人是南北朝至隋初的杰出政治家、军事家，被周恩来同志誉为“中国巾帼英雄第一人”。走进冼太庙，感受国家级非遗“冼夫人信俗”，可知爱国、爱民、立德的精神如何成为岭南文化的内核之一。“冼夫人是舍身护岭南、举家卫山河的典范，她的大爱与成全是岭南忠魂的写照。”粤剧电影《谯国夫人》中冼夫人扮演者、广东粤剧院院长曾小敏深有感触地说。

Loyalty and righteousness run through ancient and modern times. In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Chen Zhuang, Chen Bangyan, and Zhang Jiajue sacrificed their families to relieve the nation’s troubles, raised troops to resist the Qing, and died heroically, earning the fame of the “Three Loyalists of Lingnan.” Their loyal souls remain forever in history, and their poems forever inspire future generations. Against the salty sea breeze of the Pearl River Estuary, walking through the ruins of the Humen Fort, through the rusted ancient cannons and the scarred walls, one can vaguely see the smoke and flames of war and the continuous artillery fire from over 180 years ago. Lin Zexu’s destruction of opium at Humen, Deng Shichang’s bloody battle at the Yalu River, Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao’s reform cries, Sun Yat-sen’s “the world belongs to the commonwealth”… In modern times, when the nation was in peril, voices from Lingnan resounded across the sky.

忠义赤忱，贯穿古今。明末清初，陈子壮、陈邦彦、张家玉毁家纾难，举兵抗清，壮烈牺牲，铸就“岭南三忠”之英名，其忠魂长垂青史、其诗篇永励后人。逆着珠江口的咸涩海风，行走在虎门炮台旧址，透过锈迹斑斑的古炮、弹痕交错的城墙，依稀看到180多年前的烽烟四起与连天炮火。林则徐虎门销烟，邓世昌甲午浴血，康梁维新呐喊，孙中山“天下为公”……近代民族危亡之际，来自岭南的声音响彻天际。

Sturdiness and simplicity are also part of daily folk life. Cantonese merchants roam the world; the code to their wealth is low-key pragmatism, daring to fight and win. The calm and confidence in morning tea, the busy figures in the early spring of Lingnan, the unity and struggle in dragon boat racing… these are all multi-dimensional interpretations of the inner temperament of Lingnan culture.

刚健朴实亦是民间日常。粤商驰骋四海，其财富密码是低调务实、敢拼会赢。早茶里的从容笃定，岭南春早的忙碌身影，龙舟竞渡的团结拼搏……都是岭南文化内在气质的多维诠释。

II. Guardianship and Witness — Still Vivid After a Thousand Years

二、守护见证——历经千年犹生动

Guangdong has 8 national historical and cultural cities, the world cultural heritage “Kaiping Diaolou and Villages,” 131 key national cultural relics protection units, 6 items on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and 165 national-level representative intangible cultural heritage items. Its cultural resources are indeed substantial. How to protect these cultural treasures? Guangdong’s answer is: preserve them and display them well.

广东有国家历史文化名城8个，有世界文化遗产“开平碉楼与村落”，有全国重点文物保护单位131处，有人类非遗代表作名录项目6项、国家级非遗代表性项目165项，文化资源堪称殷实。如何保护好这些文化瑰宝？广东的答案是：留下来、展示好。

Preserve the marks of time. Standing by the Dongping River in Foshan, an ancient kiln is built against the mountain, following the fire’s force, like a swimming dragon. This is the Nangfeng Ancient Kiln, first built during the Zhengde era of the Ming dynasty. “The outer kiln wall and the adjacent red sandstone and rammed earth must be preserved; those are the ancient relics from the Ming dynasty.” Twelve years ago, under the guidance of Meng Wende, an expert in dragon kiln construction techniques, the local area adhered to the concept of “original shape, original craftsmanship, original design,” carrying out authentic restoration and preventive protection of the Nangfeng Ancient Kiln, allowing this dragon kiln, which had been fired with wood for over 500 years, to rekindle its flame and burn vigorously.

守住岁月留痕。站在佛山东平河畔，一条古窑依山而建，顺应火势，宛若游龙，这便是始建于明代正德年间的南风古灶。“外窑墙及旁边的红砂岩、夯土一定要保留，那是明朝留下的古迹”。12年前，在龙窑营造技术专家蒙文德的指导下，当地秉承“原形制、原工艺、原设计”的理念，对南风古灶开展原真性修缮和预防性保护，让这座柴烧500余年的龙窑重燃薪火、熊熊不息。

In Dongguan’s Guancheng Subdistrict, the ruins of the Nanhai Guard City Wall are gradually becoming known to the public, silently telling the story of coastal defense during the Ming and Qing dynasties. In October 2023, when archaeologists conducted surveys and excavations in accordance with the principle of “archaeology before construction” for the “Dongguan Memory” urban renewal project, this site, buried for centuries, was brought to light. “Stop construction, make way, protect the site in situ, and plan to build an archaeological site park.” Behind Dongguan’s decisive decision lies a deeply rooted awareness of cultural relic protection and a love for culture.

在东莞莞城街道，南海卫城墙遗址正逐渐为人所知，无言诉说着明清时期的海防故事。2023年10月，当考古人员按照“先考古后建设”原则对“东莞记忆”城市更新项目进行考古调查勘探时，这座尘封数百年的遗址得以重现。“停工、让路、原址保护，规划建设考古遗址公园”。东莞果断决策的背后，是深植于心的文物保护意识与珍爱文化之情。

These are a microcosm of Guangdong’s cultural heritage protection. In recent years, Guangdong has issued policy regulations such as the “Guangdong Province Regulations on the Protection of Famous Historical and Cultural Cities, Towns, and Villages,” compiled provincial-level plans for the urban and rural historical and cultural heritage protection and inheritance system and for cultural relic protection spatial planning, implemented the requirement that “old cities must no longer be demolished,” and preserved the true nature and original character of cultural heritage.

这些是广东文化遗产保护的缩影。近年来，广东出台《广东省历史文化名城名镇名村保护条例》等政策法规，编制省级城乡历史文化保护传承体系规划和文物保护空间规划，落实“老城不能再拆”的要求，留住文化遗产的本真本色。

Manifesting the cultural gene. At the confluence of the three rivers at Guangzhou’s White Swan Pond, the White Swan Pond Greater Bay Area Art Center stands like a fully transparent, sail-raising cultural giant ship, shining by the riverbank. Among its components, the new Guangdong Museum of Art integrates the functions of collecting, exhibiting, and educating in modern and contemporary art; the Guangdong Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum gathers a rich variety of Lingnan intangible cultural heritage, functioning like a “gene bank” of Lingnan culture; the Guangdong Museum of Literature combines the beauty of literature with the dazzle of technology, showcasing the profound accumulation and innovative vitality of Guangdong literature, leading visitors to appreciate thousands of years of humanistic pulse.

彰显文化基因。在广州白鹅潭三江交汇处，白鹅潭大湾区艺术中心宛如一艘通体透亮、扬帆启航的文化巨轮，闪耀江畔。其中，广东美术馆新馆集近现代美术及当代美术的收藏、展览、教育等功能于一体；广东省非物质文化遗产馆汇聚着丰富多彩的岭南非遗，犹如岭南文化的“基因库”；广东文学馆融合文学之美与科技之炫，展现广东文学的厚重积淀与创新活力，带领观众领略数千年的人文脉动。

In recent years, Guangdong has promoted the quality upgrade of 412 registered museums, highlighted the radiating and driving role of 112 national-level museums, explored new scenarios for “educating people through collections,” launched a series of high-quality exhibitions, and held cultural activities such as the “Lingnan Lecture Hall” and “Conversations by the White Swan Pond,” allowing cultural relics to speak and making culture perceptible.

近年来，广东推动412家备案博物馆提质升级，突出增强112家国家级博物馆辐射带动作用，探索“藏品育人”新场景，推出一系列高质量展陈，举办“岭南大讲堂”、“鹅潭夜话”等文化活动，让文物说话，让文化可感。

Awakening historical memory. At the foot of Fenghuang Mountain and along the Liuxi River in Guangzhou’s Conghua District, the Guangzhou Branch of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture (Wenqinge) was officially opened in 2022, with over 4 million volumes (pieces) of various editions collected, initially establishing a system for preserving and inheriting editions with distinctive Lingnan characteristics. “We will make good use of the distinctive editions in our collection, through seminars, exhibitions, exchanges, and other means, to better showcase the past and present splendor of Chinese culture, especially Lingnan culture,” said Zhang Weitao, director of the Guangzhou Branch of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture.

唤醒历史记忆。在广州从化的凤凰山麓、流溪河畔，中国国家版本馆广州分馆（文沁阁）于2022年正式启用，400多万册（件）各类版本入藏其中，初步构建起独具岭南特色的版本保藏传承体系。“我们将用好馆藏的特色版本，通过研讨、展览、交流等方式，更好展现中华文化特别是岭南文化的古今风华。”中国国家版本馆广州分馆馆长张伟涛说。

In 2024, at the former site of the “Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica” in Guangzhou’s Baiyuan, the Guangdong Lingnan Ancient Books Publishing House was officially inaugurated. The exhibition “Though This Is an Old Domain, Its Fate Is New” on the second floor of the west wing of Baiyuan tells the nearly century-old cultural origins of this small building, where voluminous Lingnan classics will radiate new vitality.

2024年，在“国立中央研究院历史语言研究所”旧址广州柏园，广东岭南古籍出版社正式揭牌。柏园西座二楼的《此虽旧域 其命维新》展览，诉说着这座小楼近百年的文化渊源，卷帙浩繁的岭南典籍将在这里焕发新的活力。

In recent years, Guangdong has strengthened research and interpretation of Lingnan culture, launched major research projects such as “Su Shi and Lingnan,” and established research special projects such as “Lingnan Culture” and “Chaozhou Culture” within the provincial social science planning projects, showcasing the rich connotation and diverse ethos of Lingnan culture. “Cultural confidence is closely related to cultural cognition; cultural confidence can only be generated based on cultural cognition,” said Chen Jinlong, a special researcher of the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in Guangdong Province and a professor at South China Normal University, revealing the significance of this work.

近年来，广东加强对岭南文化的研究阐释，开展“苏轼与岭南”等重大课题研究，在省社科规划项目中设立“岭南文化”、“潮州文化”等研究专项，展现岭南文化的丰富内涵与多元气象。“文化自信与文化认知密切相关，基于文化认知才能生成文化自信。”广东省习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心特约研究员、华南师范大学教授陈金龙道出了这项工作的意义。

III. Passing Down Through the Ages — The New Mission of Lingnan Culture

三、传之久远——岭南文化新使命

Under the conditions of the new era, how can the “pool of spring water” of Lingnan culture be activated, better sustained, and made to shine with new brilliance? Guangdong’s answer is: pass it down, spread it wide.

在新的时代条件下，如何激活岭南文化的“一池春水”，更好地赓续绵延、出新出彩？广东的答案是：传下去、传开来。

The key to cultural inheritance lies in integrating into life. As life continues, the city’s pulse and cultural lineage are seen to be unbroken. Yongqing Fang, located on Enning Road in Guangzhou’s Xiguan, is a thousand-year-old arcade cultural district. This prosperous commercial area from the late Qing dynasty gradually declined as the city center shifted. In 2016, Yongqing Fang became one of the first pilot blocks for micro-renovation in the country, abandoning the approach of large-scale demolition and construction. It not only preserved the architectural style of Lingnan but also innovatively promoted cultural revitalization and business format upgrading. In October 2018, when General Secretary Xi Jinping inspected Yongqing Fang, he pointed out that “urban planning and construction must attach great importance to the protection of historical culture” and “should more often adopt micro-renovation, this kind of ‘embroidery’ effort.” Yongqing Fang coordinates the protection of historical culture with the improvement of the living environment, promotes the integrated development of culture, commerce, and tourism, and cultural empowerment has enabled micro-renovation to achieve a major upgrade.

文化传承之要，在于融入生活。生活继续，始见城脉不断、文脉流传。永庆坊位于广州西关的恩宁路，是一条有着千年历史的骑楼文化街区。这个晚清时期的繁华商区，随着城市中心的转移逐渐走向衰落。2016年，永庆坊率先成为全国微改造试点街区，摒弃了大拆大建的做法，既留存岭南建筑风貌，又创新推动文化活化和业态升级。2018年10月，习近平总书记考察永庆坊时指出，“城市规划和建设要高度重视历史文化保护”，“更多采用微改造这种‘绣花’功夫”。永庆坊统筹历史文化保护和人居环境提升，推动文商旅融合发展，文化赋能让微改造实现了大提升。

Entering the Cantonese Opera Art Museum located in Yongqing Fang, the antique Guangfu Stage is performing the Cantonese opera excerpt “The Princess and the Flower,” attracting many tourists to stop and watch. “In recent years, we have also moved performances onto the streets of Yongqing Fang, rejuvenating the content to make it more appealing to young people, allowing Cantonese opera art to blend with the烟火 (the hustle and bustle of everyday life) and be loved by the youth,” introduced Wang Zhen, deputy director of the Cantonese Opera Art Museum.

走进位于永庆坊的粤剧艺术博物馆，古色古香的广福台上演出着粤剧选段《帝女花》，引得众多游客驻足欣赏。“这些年，我们也把演出搬进永庆坊街头，对内容进行年轻化再造，让粤剧艺术与市井烟火相交融、被青年群体所喜爱。”粤剧艺术博物馆副馆长王震介绍。

Today’s Yongqing Fang is a “most beautiful block” in Guangzhou that integrates tradition and modernity, possesses unique Cantonese charm, and showcases Lingnan culture. It continuously unlocks the “beautiful” code of “letting the city retain memories and letting people remember their nostalgia.”

今日的永庆坊，是传统与现代融合、独具粤韵粤调、彰显岭南文化的广州“最美街区”，不断解锁“让城市留下记忆，让人们记住乡愁”的“美丽”密码。

The key to cultural inheritance lies in passing the torch from generation to generation. Only with successive inheritors can the song continue without ceasing and life thrive endlessly. In Chaozhou, master artists such as Kang Huifang, a national-level inheritor of Yue embroidery (Chaozhou embroidery), and Jin Zisong, a national-level inheritor of Chaozhou wood carving, diligently cultivate and continuously innovate in their respective fields, making traditional intangible cultural heritage astonish the times and beautify life, while also attracting young people to join in. On the first day of the Lunar New Year in 2024 on the streets of Jieyang, “Little Lion Girl” Lin Xiyue was practicing lion dance by the roadside when she encountered a truck carrying a lion dance troupe. The team members beat drums to cheer her on, staging a “two-way journey” of inheritance and passion that moved the entire internet.

文化传承之要，在于薪火相传。代有传人，方能弦歌不辍、生生不息。在潮州，粤绣（潮绣）国家级代表性传承人康惠芳、潮州木雕国家级代表性传承人金子松等艺术大师在各自领域潜心耕耘、不断创新，使得传统非遗惊艳了时光、扮靓着生活，也吸引年轻人加入其中。2024年农历大年初一的揭阳街头，“小狮妹”林熙悦在路边练习舞狮，偶遇一辆载着舞狮队的车，队员们为她擂鼓助威，上演一场“双向奔赴”的传承与热爱，感动全网。

In recent years, Guangdong has strengthened the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage. From 2019 to 2024, the provincial finance allocated a total of 193 million yuan in special funds to enhance protection efforts, innovatively implemented a seed plan for intangible cultural heritage inheritors, and promoted the entry of intangible cultural heritage into schools. Today, a series of Lingnan intangible cultural heritages are being passed down in an orderly manner in urban blocks and traditional villages, continuing the shared historical imprints and cultural symbols.

近年来，广东加强非遗保护传承，省财政于2019—2024年累计安排专项资金1.93亿元提升保护力度，创新实施非遗传承人群种子计划，推动非遗进校园。如今，一系列岭南非遗在城市街区、传统村落中有序传承，延续着共有的历史印记和文化符号。

The key to cultural inheritance lies in permeating people’s hearts. To consolidate the soul, it is necessary to inherit the gene and continue the bloodline. On the evening of July 19, 2025, the ethnic dance drama “Yingge” was performed spectacularly at the Sichuan Grand Theatre, combining traditional Yingge dance with modern stage art. Its uplifting patriotic tone and gripping storyline moved the audience. “How to deeply explore the patriotic feelings carried by Yingge and present them on stage is a topic we have been constantly thinking about and striving to tackle,” said Qian Xin, one of the chief choreographers.

文化传承之要，在于浸润人心。凝心铸魂，需要传承基因、赓续血脉。2025年7月19日晚，民族舞剧《英歌》在四川大剧院震撼上演，传统英歌与现代舞台艺术结合，昂扬的爱国基调、跌宕的故事情节，牵动观众心弦。总编导之一的钱鑫介绍：“如何深入挖掘英歌所承载的家国情怀并进行舞台化呈现，是我们一直思考和努力攻破的课题。”

Every March, when the kapok flowers are in full bloom, a red cultural activity called “Heroic City, Blooming Heroic Flowers” unfolds vigorously in Guangzhou. A series of activities, including thematic exhibitions, situational short plays, and immersive performances, are presented splendidly, promoting the innovative expression and dissemination of the city’s spirit.

在每年木棉花盛开的3月，名为“英雄花开英雄城”的红色文化活动在广州如火如荼展开。专题展览、情景短剧、沉浸式演出等系列活动精彩呈现，推动城市精神的创新表达与传播推广。

In recent years, Guangdong has combined the promotion of Lingnan culture with the inheritance of revolutionary culture and the stimulation of the spirit of the times, creating red cultural propaganda brands, and producing a large number of literary and artistic works that showcase the essence of Lingnan culture, such as the TV series “The Pearl River Family” and the musical “Canton Fair Connects the World,” cultivating a spiritual atmosphere that is uplifting, good, vigorous, and simple.

近年来，广东将弘扬岭南文化与传承革命文化、激发时代精神结合起来，打造红色文化宣传品牌，创作电视剧《珠江人家》、音乐剧《广交天下》等一大批展现岭南文化精髓的文艺作品，涵养向上向善、刚健朴实的精神气象。

The key to cultural inheritance lies in exchange and mutual learning. Deepening exchanges promotes mutual learning and the beauty of diversity. Since ancient times, Guangdong has been an important hub for China’s foreign cultural exchanges and a pacesetter, pioneer, and experimental zone for reform and opening up. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that Guangdong is not only an important window for showcasing China’s reform and opening up achievements to the world but also an important window for the international community to observe China’s reform and opening up. Guangdong takes the initiative to serve as these “two important windows,” relying on the international communication advantages of Lingnan culture, using culture as a medium to shape a credible, lovable, and respectable image of China.

文化传承之要，在于交流互鉴。深化交流，促进互学互鉴、美美与共。广东自古以来便是我国对外文化交流的重要枢纽，也是改革开放的排头兵、先行地、实验区。习近平总书记指出，广东既是向世界展示我国改革开放成就的重要窗口，也是国际社会观察我国改革开放的重要窗口。广东主动当好“两个重要窗口”，依托岭南文化的国际传播优势，以文为媒，塑造可信、可爱、可敬的中国形象。

Guangdong is the province with the earliest and largest number of emigrants, with nearly 30 million overseas Cantonese compatriots distributed across more than 160 countries and regions worldwide. In October 2020, when General Secretary Xi Jinping inspected Shantou, he highly affirmed the important role of overseas Chinese in China’s reform, opening up, and development process, and proposed doing a good job on the “overseas Chinese” article based on the new reality.

广东是移民出洋最早、人数最多的省份，有近3000万海外粤籍侨胞分布在全球160多个国家和地区。2020年10月，习近平总书记在汕头考察时，高度肯定华侨在中国改革开放和发展建设过程中的重要作用，提出要根据新的实际做好“侨”的文章。

“Overseas Chinese remittance letters” (侨批) are the collective term for letters and remittances sent by overseas Chinese to their hometowns, bearing their entrepreneurial stories and feelings of family and country. In 2013, the “Overseas Chinese Remittance Letters Archive” was inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. Guangdong has conducted research and excavation of historical materials on overseas Chinese remittance letters, produced literary and artistic works such as the national opera *Overseas Chinese Remittance Letters*, promoted overseas exhibitions of the historical culture of overseas Chinese remittance letters, used the overseas Chinese as a bridge to expand channels of communication and exchange, and advanced Chinese culture toward the world.

“侨批”是华侨华人寄往家乡的书信与汇款的合称，承载了他们的创业故事和家国情怀，2013年“侨批档案”入选《世界记忆名录》。广东做好“侨批”史料研究挖掘，推出民族歌剧《侨批》等文艺作品，推动“侨批”历史文化展出海展览，以“侨”为桥，拓展沟通交流渠道，推动中国文化走向世界。

Lingnan culture, radiant and brilliant, integrates China and the world, and runs through the past and the present. On the new journey of the New Era, Guangdong is deeply studying and implementing Xi Jinping’s thought on culture, bravely shouldering the cultural mission of the New Era, and striving to promote the protection, inheritance, innovation, and development of Lingnan culture, contributing Guangdong’s strength to building a culturally strong country and forging new splendor for Chinese culture.

岭南文化，熠熠生辉，融通中外，贯通古今。新时代新征程，广东正深入学习贯彻习近平文化思想，勇担新时代的文化使命，奋力推动岭南文化保护传承、创新发展，为建设文化强国、铸就中华文化新辉煌贡献广东力量。

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心