Cultural development must always focus on the people and be grounded in the people

General Secretary Xi Jinping has stressed: “We must always ensure that cultural development focuses on the people and is grounded in the people. We must aim to meet the people’s diverse, multi-tiered, and multifaceted spiritual and cultural needs, enhance the capacity to supply cultural services and products, and increase the people’s sense of cultural fulfillment and happiness.” This important exposition is a concrete manifestation of adhering to a people-centered approach in promoting cultural development. It provides the fundamental guidance and points the way forward for continuously developing socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for the New Era, for steadily strengthening the people’s spiritual strength, and for consolidating the cultural foundation for building a strong country and achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

习近平总书记强调：“要始终坚持文化建设着眼于人、落脚于人。着眼满足人民群众多样化、多层次、多方面的精神文化需求，提升文化服务和文化产品供给能力，增强人民群众文化获得感、幸福感。”这一重要论述是坚持以人民为中心推动文化建设的具体体现，为不断发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化，不断增强人民精神力量，筑牢强国建设、民族复兴的文化根基提供了根本遵循，指明了前进方向。

“Cultural development must always focus on the people and be grounded in the people” profoundly reveals the value pursuit of cultural development.

“始终坚持文化建设着眼于人、落脚于人”深刻揭示了文化建设的价值追求

The Marxist view of culture holds that culture is, in essence, the concretization and visualization of social consciousness. Cultural development is an integrated practical process of humanizing culture and cultivating people through culture.

马克思主义文化观认为，文化本质上是社会意识的具体化和形象化。文化建设是以人化文与以文化人的一体化实践过程。

On the one hand, culture is created by people. In the practical process of transforming nature and society, people create language, writing, religion, art, science, etc., give rise to customs, modes of behavior, social structures, values, etc., and gradually form the unique cultural forms of different periods, regions, and ethnic groups. As Marx said, “It is precisely in his work upon the objective world that man really proves himself to be a species-being. This production is his active species-life. By means of it nature appears as his work and his reality.” [1]1 Karl Marx, “Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844,” in *Marx-Engels Collected Works*, vol. 3 (Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1975), p. 277. On the other hand, culture shapes people. As the fruit of people’s transformation of the world, culture has the function of cultivating, enriching, and elevating people. By continuously exploring and utilizing all outstanding ideological and cultural achievements and rich knowledge, people can better understand the world, society, and themselves, making human development more comprehensive and freer, thereby better creating the future of human society.

一方面，文化是人创造的。人在改造自然和社会的实践过程中，创造出语言、文字、宗教、艺术、科学等，产生了风俗习惯、行为方式、社会结构、价值观念等，逐步形成了不同时期、地域、民族特有的文化形态。正如马克思所说，“正是在改造对象世界的过程中，人才真正地证明自己是类存在物。这种生产是人的能动的类生活。通过这种生产，自然界才表现为他的作品和他的现实”。另一方面，文化造就了人。文化作为人们改造世界的成果，具有培养人、丰富人、提高人的功能，人们通过不断发掘和利用一切优秀思想文化成果和丰富知识，能够更好地认识世界、认识社会、认识自己，使人的发展更全面、更自由，从而更好地开创人类社会的未来。

The practical subject of cultural development is the people, the practical mode depends on the people, and the practical purpose is directed toward the people. Without the people, cultural development is impossible. Marxism is a theory that speaks for and on behalf of the people, emphasizing that “historical activity is the activity of the masses” [2]2 Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, *The Holy Family*, in *Marx-Engels Collected Works*, vol. 4 (Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1975), p. 130. and that what determines historical development is “the acting masses.” [3]3 Ibid. From this viewpoint, it inevitably follows that “cultural activity is the activity of the masses, and what determines cultural development is the masses.”

文化建设的实践主体是人，实践方式取决于人，实践目的指向于人，离开了人，文化建设便无从谈起。马克思主义是为人民立言、为人民代言的理论，强调“历史活动是群众的活动”，决定历史发展的是“行动着的群众”。从这一观点出发，必然得出“文化活动是人民群众的活动，决定文化发展的是人民群众”的结论。

Respect and rely on the practice of the masses

尊重和依靠人民群众的实践

Socialist culture is the culture of the people, a culture created through the practical activities of the masses. The practice of the masses is characterized by distinct subjectivity, historicity, and openness, which determines that cultural development must adhere to three principles.

社会主义文化是人民的文化，是人民群众实践创造的文化。人民群众的实践具有鲜明的主体性、历史性和开放性特征，由此决定了文化建设必须做到三个坚持。

Adhere to the subjectivity of cultural development. The cultural practice of the masses is a practice with distinct subjectivity. General Secretary Xi Jinping has stressed: “For any culture to stand firm and travel far, to have leading power, cohesive power, shaping power, and radiating power, it must have its own subjectivity.” [4]4 Xi Jinping, speech at a symposium on cultural heritage, quoted in *Qiushi* journal, 2023. Adhering to subjectivity in cultural development means upholding the fundamental position that the people are the subjects of cultural creation, the subjects of cultural evaluation, and the subjects of cultural enjoyment. Only by fully mobilizing the people’s initiative, enthusiasm, and creativity, and continuously unleashing the vitality of cultural innovation and creation, can cultural development gather the mighty force of socialist cultural construction and promote the prosperity of the socialist cultural cause. Only by always taking the people’s satisfaction as the highest criterion for cultural evaluation can the forward direction of advanced socialist culture be ensured. Only by aiming to meet the people’s diverse, multi-tiered, and multifaceted spiritual and cultural needs can the goal of sharing the fruits of cultural development among the people be achieved.

坚持文化建设的主体性。人民群众的文化实践是具有鲜明主体性的实践。习近平总书记强调：“任何文化要立得住、行得远，要有引领力、凝聚力、塑造力、辐射力，就必须有自己的主体性。”坚持文化建设中的主体性，就是坚持人民是文化创造的主体、文化评价的主体、文化享有的主体的根本立场。文化建设只有充分调动人民群众的积极性、主动性、创造性，推动文化创新创造活力持续迸发，才能凝聚起社会主义文化建设的磅礴力量，推动社会主义文化事业的繁荣兴盛；只有始终以人民的满意度作为文化评价的最高标准，才能保证社会主义先进文化的前进方向；只有着眼满足人民群众多样化、多层次、多方面的精神文化需求，才能实现文化发展成果由人民共享的目标。

Adhere to the historicity of cultural development. The practical power of the people is formed and developed historically. People of each era can only begin their activities on the basis of inheriting the practical achievements of their predecessors, incorporating the practical power of previous generations into their own activities, and enhancing their own practical capabilities. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: “Every civilization continues the spiritual lifeline of a country and a nation. It requires not only passing down from generation to generation and preserving it, but also keeping pace with the times and daring to innovate.” [5]5 Xi Jinping, speech at the opening ceremony of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, May 15, 2019. Adhering to historicity in cultural development means upholding the historical consciousness, historical confidence, and historical initiative of the masses in their cultural practice. Only by scientifically and accurately grasping the historical laws of cultural development, conforming to the general trend of historical development, maintaining a heart that reveres history and loves culture, continuing the Chinese cultural lineage through creative transformation and innovative development, and using Marxism to activate the excellent elements of traditional Chinese culture and endow them with new contemporary connotations, can socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for the New Era be developed.

坚持文化建设的历史性。人民的实践力量是历史地形成和发展的。每一个时代的人都只能在继承前人实践成果的基础上开始自己的活动，把前代人的实践力量纳入自己的活动之中，提升自己的实践能力。习近平总书记指出:“每一种文明都延续着一个国家和民族的精神血脉，既需要薪火相传、代代守护，更需要与时俱进、勇于创新。”坚持文化建设中的历史性，就是坚持人民群众文化实践的历史自觉、历史自信和历史主动。只有科学、准确地把握文化建设的历史规律、顺应历史发展大势，秉持敬畏历史、热爱文化之心，在创造性转化和创新性发展中赓续中华文脉，用马克思主义激活中华传统文化中的优秀因子并赋予其新的时代内涵，才能发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化。

Adhere to the openness of cultural development. The cultural practice of the masses has never been closed or conservative, but rather an open and inclusive conscious pursuit. “All things are nurtured together without harming one another; the ways run parallel without contradicting each other.” [6]6 From *The Doctrine of the Mean* (《中庸》), a Confucian classic. Human civilizations develop through exchange due to diversity, through mutual learning due to exchange, and through mutual learning. Only by upholding openness and inclusiveness, in the process of cultural exchange, interaction, and confrontation, more actively learning from and drawing upon all outstanding achievements of human civilization, and creating a batch of cultural achievements that integrate the ancient and the modern, and connect China and the world, can we continuously forge new brilliance in Chinese culture and enhance the global influence of Chinese culture.

坚持文化建设的开放性。人民群众的文化实践从来就不是封闭保守的，而是开放包容的自觉追求。万物并育而不相害，道并行而不相悖。人类文明因多样而交流，因交流而互鉴，因互鉴而发展。只有秉持开放包容，在文化的交流交融交锋中，更加积极主动地学习借鉴人类一切优秀文明成果，创造一批熔铸古今、汇通中外的文化成果，才能不断铸就中华文化新辉煌，不断提升中华文化的世界影响力。

Fully leverage culture’s role in cultivating and educating people

充分发挥文化的化人育人作用

Cultivating and educating people is an important function of culture. The important role of culture in “nurturing roots and forging souls, enlightening wisdom and moistening hearts, and strengthening abilities and improving quality” should be fully utilized to cultivate the entire nation’s uplifting and vigorous spiritual temperament, making “cultivating a new generation” [7]7 “Cultivating a new generation” (育新人) is one of the five key tasks of cultural development under Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, alongside “lifting up the people” (举旗帜), “gathering the people’s hearts” (聚民心), “fostering a new culture” (兴文化), and “displaying China’s image” (展形象). an important mission and task of cultural development.

化人育人是文化的重要功能。应充分发挥文化培根铸魂、启智润心、强能提质的重要作用，涵养全民族昂扬奋发的精神气质，把“育新人”作为文化建设的一项重要使命任务。

Make efforts to strengthen ideals and convictions. Arm the entire Party and educate the people with the Party’s innovative theories, strengthen faith in Marxism, conviction in socialism with Chinese characteristics, and confidence in the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Use faith, conviction, and confidence to “nurture roots and forge souls” for the new generation of the era. Cultivate a new generation of the era with well-rounded development in morality, intelligence, physical fitness, aesthetics, and labor. Strengthen moral cultivation, enhance knowledge and skills, cultivate a spirit of struggle, improve overall quality, and cultivate socialist builders and successors who are reliable to the Party, patriotic and dedicated, and well-rounded in morality, intelligence, physical fitness, aesthetics, and labor. Use “establishing great aspirations, understanding great virtues, and becoming great talents” to “enlighten wisdom and moisten hearts” for the new generation of the era. Guide young people to shoulder the heavy responsibilities of the era. Cultivate deep patriotic feelings, nurture pillars of talent who are willing to dedicate themselves to the country and the people, oriented toward modernization, toward the world, and toward the future, capable of great use and able to shoulder the heavy responsibility of national rejuvenation. Use ambition, backbone, and confidence to “strengthen abilities and improve quality” for the new generation of the era.

在坚定理想信念上下功夫。用党的创新理论武装全党、教育人民，坚定马克思主义信仰、中国特色社会主义信念、中华民族伟大复兴信心。以信仰、信念、信心为时代新人“培根铸魂”。培养德智体美劳全面发展的时代新人。加强品德修养，增进知识技能，培养奋斗精神，提升综合素质，培养让党放心、爱国奉献，德智体美劳全面发展的社会主义建设者和接班人。以立大志、明大德、成大才，为时代新人“启智润心”。引导青年担当时代重任。厚植爱国主义情怀，培育矢志奉献国家和人民，面向现代化、面向世界、面向未来，可堪大用，能够担当民族复兴重任的栋梁之才，以志气、骨气、底气为时代新人“强能提质”。

Establish and improve effective institutional mechanisms

建立和完善行之有效的体制机制

To always ensure that cultural development focuses on the people and is grounded in the people, and to develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for the New Era, it is necessary to provide strong institutional and mechanism guarantees.

始终坚持文化建设着眼于人、落脚于人，发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化，必须提供有力的体制机制保障。

In terms of cultural production, firmly grasp that the ultimate purpose of cultural production is to meet the people’s spiritual and cultural needs. Further establish and improve a cultural management system and production and operation mechanism that prioritize social benefits while integrating social and economic benefits. Use richer cultural activities and higher-quality cultural supply to make the people’s spiritual and cultural life more colorful and enhance the people’s sense of cultural fulfillment and happiness.

在文化生产方面，把牢文化生产的最终目的是满足人的精神文化需求，进一步建立健全把社会效益放在首位、社会效益与经济效益相统一的文化管理体制和生产经营机制，以更丰富的文化活动、高品质的文化供给，让人民群众的精神文化生活更加丰富多彩，增强人民群众的文化获得感、幸福感。

In terms of cultural governance, focus on the modernization of the national cultural governance system and governance capacity. From the levels of governance concepts, governance systems, governance mechanisms, and governance technologies, further strengthen cultural policy support, promote the development of the cultural industry, strengthen cultural market supervision, improve the allocation of cultural resources, and optimize public cultural services, so that people-oriented national cultural governance can be implemented in detail.

在文化治理方面，聚焦国家文化治理体系和治理能力现代化，从治理观念、治理制度、治理机制和治理技术各层次，进一步强化文化政策支撑，推进文化产业发展，加强文化市场监管，完善文化资源配置，优化文化公共服务，使以人为本的国家文化治理得以落实落细。

In terms of cultural dissemination, coordinate the formation of a pattern for disseminating Chinese culture, build a multi-channel, multi-dimensional external communication framework, strengthen communication attributes, uphold communication positions, innovate communication methods, revitalize communication resources, form communication characteristics, and more proactively publicize China’s propositions, disseminate Chinese culture, and showcase China’s image, continuously enhancing the country’s cultural soft power and the influence of Chinese culture.

在文化传播方面，统筹形成中华文化传播格局，构建多渠道、立体式对外传播格局，强化传播属性、坚守传播立场、创新传播手段、盘活传播资源、形成传播特色，更加主动地宣介中国主张、传播中华文化、展示中国形象，不断提升国家文化软实力和中华文化影响力。

In the cultivation of cultural talent, we must give full play to the guiding role of the government, do a good job in the top-level design of talent cultivation, scientifically plan the objectives of talent cultivation, follow the laws governing the growth and training of cultural innovation talent, improve the mechanisms for talent selection, training, use, and incentives that conform to the characteristics of the cultural field, create a favorable policy environment for recognizing, valuing, and cherishing talent, and build a high-level cultural talent force that is large in scale, reasonable in structure, and bold in innovation, thereby providing strong talent support for developing socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for the New Era.

在文化人才培育方面，发挥好政府的导向作用，做好人才培养顶层设计，科学规划人才培养目标，遵循文化创新人才成长规律和培养规律，完善符合文化领域特点的人才选拔、培养、使用、激励机制，营造识才、重才、爱才的良好政策环境，建设一支规模宏大、结构合理、锐意创新的高水平文化人才队伍，为发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化提供有力人才支撑。

(Author: Zhang Jun, specially appointed researcher of the Beijing Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, former deputy principal of the Party School of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPC)

（作者：张军，系北京市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、中共北京市委党校原副校长）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧