Forging the Soul and Cultivating the Heart – Opening Up New Horizons for Cultural Education in Higher Education Institutions

As the cultural chapter of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Xi Jinping’s cultural thought is the theoretical summation of the Party’s practical experience in leading cultural development in the New Era. It is a major achievement in adhering to the Two Integrations [1]1 The Two Integrations (两个结合) refers to the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of fine traditional Chinese culture. and advancing the theoretical innovation of Marxist cultural theory, providing a powerful ideological weapon and a scientific guide to action for better shouldering the cultural mission of the New Era. Adhering to cultural education and fostering virtue through education is the inherent meaning of implementing Xi Jinping’s cultural thought, doing a good job of ideological and political work in higher education institutions, and ensuring that the Party’s cause is passed down from generation to generation and the Chinese nation achieves enduring development. Higher education institutions must take fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture as their foundation of strength, focus on forging the soul and cultivating the heart for “new-era individuals,” and better shoulder the important mission of educating people for the Party and cultivating talent for the country.

作为习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的文化篇，习近平文化思想是新时代党领导文化建设实践经验的理论总结，是坚持“两个结合”、推进马克思主义文化理论创新的重大成果，为更好担负起新时代的文化使命，提供了强大思想武器和科学行动指南。坚持文化育人、立德树人，是贯彻落实习近平文化思想，做好高校思想政治工作，确保党的事业薪火相传和中华民族永续发展的题中之义。高校要以中华优秀传统文化、革命文化和社会主义先进文化为力量根基，着力为“时代新人”立心铸魂，更好地肩负起为党育人、为国育才的重要使命。

Forging the Soul with Culture, Grasping the “Steering Wheel” of Values

以文铸魂，把好价值“方向盘”

The cultural education work of higher education institutions must adhere to forging the soul with culture. From the strategic height of ensuring that the cause of the Party and the state has successors and that the red river of mountains never changes color, it must deeply educate and guide students to strengthen their belief in Marxism, their conviction in socialism with Chinese characteristics, and their confidence in the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, using belief, conviction, and confidence to “forge the soul” of new-era individuals.

高校文化育人工作必须坚持以文铸魂，从党和国家事业发展后继有人、确保红色江山永不变色的战略高度，深入教育引导学生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“铸魂”。

Forging the Soul with Culture: Educating and guiding youth to strengthen their belief in Marxism. Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology for the founding of our Party and our country, and it is the soul and banner of our Party. For contemporary youth, deeply studying and thoroughly understanding Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is an inevitable requirement for firmly establishing the correct political direction, distinguishing right from wrong, enhancing resolve, continuously improving their own quality and ability, and walking the path of life well. It is necessary to use rich cultural achievements to guide youth to base themselves on the contemporary era and on China, and to continuously enhance their political, ideological, theoretical, and emotional identification with the Party’s innovative theory. At the same time, attention must be paid to carrying out ideological and political work in light of the ideological and psychological characteristics of youth in the New Era, promptly responding to the real-life confusions students encounter in their studies and lives, and helping students learn to use Marxist positions, viewpoints, and methods to analyze and solve problems, thereby effectively mastering Marxism as their “telescope” and “microscope.”

以文铸魂，教育引导青年坚定马克思主义信仰。马克思主义是我们立党立国的根本指导思想，是我们党的灵魂和旗帜。对于当代青年而言，学深悟透习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想，是坚定正确政治方向，做到明辨是非、增强定力，不断提高自身素质和能力，走好人生之路的必然要求。要运用丰富的文化成果引导青年立足于当代、立足于中国，持续增强对党的创新理论的政治认同、思想认同、理论认同、情感认同。同时，要注意结合新时代青年学生思想心理特点开展思想政治工作，及时回应学生在学习生活中遇到的现实困惑，帮助学生学会运用马克思主义立场、观点、方法分析问题、解决问题，切实掌握马克思主义这个“望远镜”和“显微镜”。

Forging the Soul with Culture: Educating and guiding youth to strengthen their conviction in socialism with Chinese characteristics. Ideals and convictions are the political soul of Chinese Communists and the spiritual pillar that enables Communists to withstand any test. At present, changes unseen in a century are accelerating, and various slanders, denials, and “doomsaying” about socialism still exist, with various erroneous ideological trends still trying by all means to influence youth. History is the best textbook. The “Four Histories” [2]2 The “Four Histories” (四史) refers to the history of the Communist Party of China, the history of New China, the history of reform and opening up, and the history of the development of socialism. contain the summaries of the development process of the Communist Party of China over more than a century, the founding of New China over more than 70 years, reform and opening up over more than 40 years, and the development of socialism over more than 500 years. They contain the historical laws of the development of human society and are the most vivid textbooks for the political guidance of youth in the New Era. Guide students to comprehensively and objectively understand contemporary China and view the external world, to recognize the general trends of development in China and the world through comparison between China and the West, thereby strengthening their conviction in socialism with Chinese characteristics and consciously striving for it.

以文铸魂，教育引导青年坚定中国特色社会主义信念。理想信念是中国共产党人的政治灵魂，是共产党人经受任何考验的精神支柱。当前，世界百年未有之大变局加速演进，针对社会主义的各种污蔑、否定和“唱衰”仍然存在，各种错误思潮依然千方百计企图影响青年。历史是最好的教科书。“四史”中蕴含着中国共产党百余年、新中国成立70多年、改革开放40多年、社会主义500多年发展历程的总结，蕴含着人类社会发展的历史规律，是新时代青年政治引领最鲜活的教科书。引导学生全面客观认识当代中国、看待外部世界，在中西比较中认清中国和世界的发展大势，从而坚定中国特色社会主义的信念并自觉为之奋斗。

Forging the Soul with Culture: Educating and guiding youth to strengthen their confidence in the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Confidence is the foundation of strength and the source of courage. Today, we are closer to, more confident in, and more capable of achieving the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation than at any time in history. Contemporary Chinese youth are a generation that moves in the same direction and advances together with the New Era, born into a prosperous age and bearing heavy responsibilities. Watering flowers means watering the roots; educating people means cultivating the heart. It is necessary to grasp the confusions and difficulties in the growth of youth, adhere to using Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to forge the soul and educate people, both answering at the macro level the fundamental questions of what kind of people to cultivate, how to cultivate them, and for whom to cultivate them, and at the micro level solving for students the practical questions of where to exert effort in life, for whom to show affection, how to be attentive, and what kind of person to become. Guide students to grasp the “times and trends,” to deeply cultivate their “roots and souls,” and continuously enhance their confidence and determination to devote themselves to the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation.

以文铸魂，教育引导青年坚定中华民族伟大复兴的信心。信心是力量之基、勇气之源。今天，我们比历史上任何时期都更接近、更有信心和能力实现中华民族伟大复兴的目标。当代中国青年是与新时代同向同行、共同前进的一代，生逢盛世，肩负重任。浇花浇根，育人育心，要把握青年成长中的困惑和难题，坚持以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想铸魂育人，既在宏观上回答好培养什么人、怎样培养人、为谁培养人的根本问题，也在微观上为学生解答好人生应该在哪用力、对谁用情、如何用心、做什么样的人等现实问题，引导学生把握“时与势”、厚植“根与魂”，不断增强投身强国建设、民族复兴伟业的信心与决心。

Educating People with Culture, Strengthening the “Backbone” for Shouldering Responsibility

以文育人，强化挺膺担当“脊梁骨”

When making important instructions on the construction of ideological and political courses in schools, General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly stated the requirements: “Take fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture as the foundation of strength, explain principles deeply, thoroughly, and vividly, uphold fundamental principles and break new ground to promote the connotative development of ideological and political course construction, and continuously improve the targetedness and attractiveness of ideological and political courses.” General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important exposition clearly positions the important role of the three major components of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the construction of ideological and political courses, providing a clear orientation for cultural empowerment in ideological and political education in higher education institutions in the New Era. Higher education institutions must adhere to educating people with culture, leading youth to consolidate their spiritual foundation, uphold their spiritual lifeline, and enrich their spiritual world through inheriting and promoting fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture, thereby straightening the backbone of being Chinese.

习近平总书记在对学校思政课建设作出重要指示时明确提出要求：“以中华优秀传统文化、革命文化和社会主义先进文化为力量根基，把道理讲深讲透讲活，守正创新推动思政课建设内涵式发展，不断提高思政课的针对性和吸引力。”习近平总书记的重要论述，明确定位了中国特色社会主义文化三大组成部分在思政课建设中的重要作用，为新时代高校思想政治教育明确了文化赋能的鲜明导向。高校必须坚持以文育人，引领青年在传承和弘扬中华优秀传统文化、革命文化和社会主义先进文化中夯实精神根基、坚守精神命脉、丰富精神世界，挺立做中国人的脊梁骨。

Educating People with Culture: Consolidating the spiritual foundation through the continuation and development of fine traditional Chinese culture. On the one hand, it is necessary to lead youth to inherit the national spiritual lifeline while strengthening their confidence in fine traditional Chinese culture, deeply experiencing the moral concepts, humanistic spirit, and educational ideas accumulated by the Chinese people in long-term production and life, such as the world being for the common good, the people being the foundation of the state, and emphasizing trust and harmony. Promote the cultural essence contained in fine traditional Chinese culture that transcends time and space, surpasses national boundaries, possesses eternal charm, and has contemporary value, fully integrating it into the construction of core socialist values, subtly influencing all aspects of youth growth and development. On the other hand, from the perspective of promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, efforts should be made to open up new paths for the cultivation and practice of values, so that the guiding function of values and the educational attribute of culture can be fully exerted. Higher education institutions are an important force for cultural inheritance and creation, and should actively promote youth to practice the distinctive theoretical character of Xi Jinping’s cultural thought of “understanding the substance and applying it, integrating substance and application” [3]3 “Understanding the substance and applying it, integrating substance and application” (明体达用、体用贯通) is a classical Chinese philosophical concept, here used to characterize the theoretical character of Xi Jinping’s cultural thought as both principled and practical. in building the spiritual high ground of the Chinese nation.

以文育人，在赓续与发展中华优秀传统文化中夯实精神根基。一方面，要引领青年在坚定中华优秀传统文化自信中传承民族精神命脉，深刻感受其中蕴含的天下为公、民为邦本、讲信修睦等中国人民在长期生产生活中积累的道德理念、人文精神、教化思想。把中华优秀传统文化中包含的跨越时空、超越国度、富有永恒魅力、具有时代价值的文化精髓弘扬起来，使之充分融入社会主义核心价值观建设，潜移默化于青年成长成才的方方面面。另一方面，要从推动中华优秀传统文化创造性转化、创新性发展的视角出发，努力开辟价值观孕育与践行新路径，使价值观的引领功能与文化的育人属性得以充分发挥。高校是文化传承与创造的重要力量，要积极推动青年在构筑起中华民族的精神高地中践行习近平文化思想“明体达用、体用贯通”的鲜明理论品格。

Educating People with Culture: Strengthening the spiritual lifeline through the inheritance and promotion of revolutionary culture. The revolutionary culture nurtured in the great revolutionary practice and struggle of the Party and the people transcends time and space, is ever-renewing, and “has become a powerful spiritual driving force and cultural support for achieving national rejuvenation.” For higher education institutions to educate people with culture and strengthen the spiritual lifeline of youth, they must pass on and promote the red bloodline well by influencing their thoughts and nourishing their hearts. In this regard, Xi Jinping’s cultural thought has drawn a theoretical map of the revolutionary spirit of the Communist Party of China, enhanced the influence and appeal of revolutionary culture in the contemporary era, and pointed out the direction for the transmission and development of revolutionary culture from generation to generation. Higher education institutions should, in light of the new conditions of the era, tell the stories of the Party, the revolution, and heroes and martyrs well, stimulating the patriotic feelings and sense of responsibility of youth while strengthening historical memory and national sentiment. Deeply integrate revolutionary culture into the ideological and political education system, through various educational forms such as practical experience, thematic seminars, and campus cultural activities, so that the red gene seeps into the blood and penetrates the heart, inspiring youth to consciously take on the confidence and determination to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the era of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

以文育人，在继承和弘扬革命文化中坚定精神命脉。在党和人民的伟大革命实践斗争中孕育的革命文化，跨越时空、历久弥新，“已经成为实现民族复兴的强大精神动能和文化支撑”。高校以文育人，坚定青年精神命脉，要在熏陶其思想、滋润其心灵中把红色血脉传承好、弘扬好。对此，习近平文化思想为我们描绘出了中国共产党革命精神的理论图谱，增强了革命文化在当代的影响力和感召力，为实现革命文化的代代传承和发扬光大指明了前进方向。高校要结合新的时代条件讲好党的故事、革命故事、英雄和烈士的故事，在强化历史记忆和民族情感中激发青年的爱国情怀与责任担当。将革命文化深度融入思想政治教育体系，通过实践体验、专题研讨、校园文化活动等多种教育形式，使红色基因渗进血液、沁入心脾，激发青年自觉担当起实现中华民族伟大复兴时代重任的信心与决心。

Educating people through culture, enriching the spiritual world in upholding and perfecting advanced socialist culture. Advanced socialist culture is rooted in the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics, takes Marxism as its fundamental guide, represents the forward direction of advanced human culture, and is an important support for enriching the spiritual world of youth. For universities to educate people through culture and enrich the spiritual world of youth, they must highlight the upholding and perfecting of advanced socialist culture. This is a logical necessity of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, a logical necessity of advancing Chinese-path modernization, and even more so an inherent requirement of cultivating qualified builders and successors for socialism. On the one hand, universities should guide youth to establish a firm belief in Marxism. On the other hand, universities should give play to the guiding role of core socialist values in the thinking of youth. Core socialist values, as the essence of advanced socialist culture, should be integrated into every aspect of the daily study, work, and life of youth in the New Era, actively using core socialist values to nourish people’s hearts and shape society, educating and guiding the broad masses of youth to establish a correct worldview, outlook on life, and value system, to fasten the “first button” of life [4]4 “Fasten the first button of life” is a metaphor used by Xi Jinping, meaning that young people must establish correct values from the start, as the first button of a shirt, if misaligned, will cause all subsequent buttons to be wrong., so that positive energy becomes more abundant and the main melody becomes more resounding.

以文育人，在坚持与完善社会主义先进文化中丰富精神世界。社会主义先进文化根植于中国特色社会主义的伟大实践，以马克思主义为根本指引，代表着人类先进文化的前进方向，是丰富青年精神世界的重要支撑。高校以文育人，丰富青年精神世界，要突出坚持与完善社会主义先进文化。这是建设中国特色社会主义的逻辑使然，也是推进中国式现代化的逻辑必然，更是培养社会主义合格建设者和接班人的题中之义。一方面，高校要引导青年树立坚定的马克思主义信仰。另一方面，高校要发挥社会主义核心价值观对青年的思想引领作用。社会主义核心价值观作为社会主义先进文化的精髓，要把社会主义核心价值观教育融入新时代青年日常学习工作生活的方方面面，积极用社会主义核心价值观滋育人心、塑造社会，教育引导广大青年树立正确的世界观、人生观、价值观，扣好人生的“第一粒扣子”，让正能量更加充沛、主旋律更加高昂。

Moistening the heart through culture, cultivating an upward and striving “spirit, energy, and drive” [5]5 “Spirit, energy, and drive” (精气神) is a traditional Chinese concept referring to the vital essence, energy, and spirit that animate a person or group; here it denotes a positive, vigorous mental state.

以文润心，涵养奋发向上的“精气神”

Culture is like water, silently infiltrating, connecting a nation’s past, present, and future. Adhering to moistening the heart through culture is an inherent requirement for strengthening ideological and political work in universities and running universities of socialism with Chinese characteristics well. Attention should be paid to leveraging the functions of cultural infiltration, infection, and edification, and in the combination of explicit education and implicit education, guiding youth to strengthen cultural confidence, enhance cultural literacy, and cultivate an upward and striving spirit, energy, and drive.

文化如水，浸润无声，连接着一个民族的过去、现在和未来。坚持以文润心，是加强高校思想政治工作、办好中国特色社会主义大学的内在要求。要注重发挥文化的浸润、感染、熏陶功能，在显性教育和隐性教育的结合中，引导青年坚定文化自信、提升文化素养，涵养奋发向上精气神。

Environment moistens the heart, constructing an ecological field for cultural education. The campus environment is an energy field for carrying out cultural education, nourishing the character of teachers and students in a “silent and subtle” manner [6]6 “Silent and subtle” (润物无声) is a classical allusion from Du Fu’s poem “Spring Night Happy Rain,” describing rain that moistens things without sound; it is used here to mean education that influences people imperceptibly.. Universities should fully utilize the educational function of the environment, organically permeate cultural elements into the construction of the campus environment, actively create an immersive traditional cultural education field, and explore a school-based practice path of cultural education that educates people through “environment” and transforms people through “environment.” Deeply tap into resources such as regional culture, university history culture, outstanding alumni, and historical figures, so that fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture permeate every aspect of school buildings, plant construction, sculpture landmarks, walls, and flower beds in a static and visualized way, striving to form a cultural environment with a rich cultural atmosphere and profound humanistic heritage, exerting the educational effect of cultural root-nourishing and heart-moistening in a silent and subtle, spring-breeze-and-rain manner [7]7 “Spring breeze and rain” (春风化雨) is a classical allusion from Mencius, meaning timely wind and rain that nurture growth; it is used here to describe education that transforms people gently and effectively..

环境润心，构建文化育人的生态场域。校园环境是开展文化教育的能量场，于“润物无声”处滋养着师生的品格。高校要充分发挥环境育人功效，将文化元素有机渗透于校园环境建设中，积极营造沉浸式传统文化教育场域，探索出一条以“境”育人、以“境”化人的文化教育校本化实践之路。深入挖掘地域文化、校史文化、杰出校友、历史名人等资源，让中华优秀传统文化、革命文化和社会主义先进文化以静态化、形象化的方式渗透于学校建筑、植株建设、雕塑标志、围墙花坛等方方面面，努力形成文化氛围浓郁、人文底蕴深厚的文化环境，以其润物无声、春风化雨的方式发挥文化培根润心的育人功效。

Curriculum moistens the heart, cultivating the spiritual source of cultural education. The curriculum is an important carrier and main channel for helping cultural education take root effectively. Promoting the integration of cultural education into the curriculum is an important measure for achieving systematic, long-term, and institutionalized cultural inheritance and development. Universities should combine the requirements of the times, continuously promote curriculum education, deepen curriculum reform, and actively develop cultural courses with school characteristics. On the one hand, endow fine traditional Chinese culture with new contemporary connotations and modern forms of expression, making it an important source for cultivating students’ humanistic foundation and cultural literacy; on the other hand, draw strength from the great revolution and construction cause, using revolutionary stories familiar to students, earth-shattering construction feats, and the struggle journeys of ordinary people to construct a modern cultural curriculum system, allowing students to enhance their profound understanding of traditional culture and strengthen cultural confidence and cultural identity through diverse and rich courses; allowing students to effectively improve their humanistic foundation and cultural literacy through inheriting classics, continuing the bloodline, understanding the contemporary, and savoring achievements.

课程润心，涵养文化育人精神源泉。课程是助力文化育人有效落地的重要载体和主要渠道。推进文化教育进课程，是实现文化传承发展系统化、长效化、制度化的重要举措。高校要结合时代要求，不断推动课程育人，深化课程改革，积极研发富有学校特色的文化课程。一方面，赋予中华优秀传统文化新的时代内涵和现代表达形式，使其成为涵养学生人文底蕴与文化素养的重要源头；另一方面，要从伟大革命和建设事业中汲取力量，用学生耳熟能详的革命故事、惊天动地的建设壮举、平凡人物的奋斗历程，建构出现代文化课程体系，让学生在多元丰富的课程中增进对传统文化的深刻认知，增强文化自信与文化认同；让学生在传承经典、赓续血脉、感悟当代、品味成就中获得人文底蕴和文化素养的有效提升。

Activities moisten the heart, exploring the multidimensional space of cultural education. Activities are an important channel for cultural education to take root and promote students’ cultural literacy. Carrying out cultural theme education activities is not only an educational thought and educational concept but also a vivid educational practice. Universities should combine the interests, hobbies, and personality traits of young college students, carry out targeted cultural theme education activities, and create a strong campus cultural atmosphere. Campus cultural activities should take achieving educational heart-moistening as the starting point. Among them, creating a scholarly campus is an important carrier for realizing culture’s nourishment of the soul, cultivation of sentiment, and increase of knowledge. Through holding “reading check-ins” and “reading sharing sessions,” opening campus bookstores, and setting up borrowing rankings and other activities, arouse students’ interest in reading and enhance the fun and appeal of reading. Use internet information means, combine the characteristics of youth who are willing to share and are creative, adopt a combination of online and offline methods to carry out activities, continuously expand influence and participation, and achieve the effect of multi-dimensional and three-dimensional cultural infiltration. Universities should continuously promote the diversity of content and forms of campus cultural activities, and strive to build a new space for cultural education that is profound in heritage, civilized and harmonious, dynamic and inclusive.

活动润心，探索文化育人多维空间。活动是文化教育落地生根、促进学生提升文化素养的重要渠道。开展文化主题教育活动不仅是一种教育思想、教育理念，更是一种鲜活的育人实践。高校要结合青年大学生的兴趣爱好和性格特点，开展有针对性的文化主题教育活动，营造浓厚的校园文化氛围。校园文化活动要以实现育人润心为出发点，其中，营造书香校园是实现文化滋养心灵、涵养情操、增长知识的重要载体。通过举办“阅读打卡”“阅读分享”，开设校园书店，设立借阅排行榜等活动唤起学生对阅读的兴趣，增强阅读的趣味性和吸引力。要利用互联网信息手段，结合青年乐于分享、富有创意等特点，采取线上线下相结合的方式开展活动，持续扩大影响力和参与面，实现文化多元立体浸润的效果。高校要不断推动校园文化活动内容多元与形式多样，着力构建底蕴深厚、文明和谐、活力包容的文化育人新空间。

(The author is Director of the Student Affairs Department of Fujian Normal University and a researcher at the Fujian Normal University Research Base of the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Research Center)

（作者系福建师范大学学生工作部部（处）长、福建省习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心福建师范大学研究基地研究员）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心