On January 2, 2025, the top 10 cultural development events of Sichuan Province for the year 2024 were announced.

As we look back on the year 2024, the province's public communication and culture sectors have diligently adhered to upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, strived for excellence, and actively embodied Xi Jinping Thought on Culture through a variety of dynamic activities across the province. The year 2024 saw a series of cultural developments, from carrying forward and advancing fine traditional Chinese culture, cultivating unique cultural brands, and promoting integrated culture-tourism development to facilitating major policy innovations, the creation of high-quality literary and artistic works, and the global outreach of Sichuan's culture wealth, and more. These impactful cultural events have collectively portrayed a lively and thriving landscape in the land of Tianfu.

Cultivating Roots and Enriching Souls to Strengthen Cultural Confidence

In Taoping Village, Lixian County, Aba Prefecture, visitors are led along winding stone paths through the historic Qiang settlement, where traditional dwellings are nestled against the mountainside, featuring distinctive stacked stone architecture. The ancient Qiang village settlement is a testament to the fruitful outcomes of cultural heritage preservation efforts. In November 2024, Taoping Village was honored as one of the Best Tourism Villages for 2024 by the United Nations World Tourism Organization. In December 2024, the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage conducted a review and subsequently approved the application for moving the Qiang New Year festival from UNESCO's Urgent Safeguarding List to its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

As 2024 began, the second evening of the lunar New Year witnessed the much-anticipated broadcast of the Spring Festival Chinese Opera Gala, which was pre-recorded in Deyang. Over a hundred renowned opera masters and promising young actors brought their talents to the fore with exceptional performances. "Chinese opera's legacy is a continuous thread in this context," emphasized Chen Zhilin, Chairman of the Sichuan Federation of Literary and Art Circles and Dean of the Sichuan Opera Troupe. "I hope the audience can genuinely experience the benefits bestowed by our fine traditional Chinese culture," Chen said with heartfelt sentiment.

Safeguarding our cultural heritage is both a responsibility and a calling. Several events among the 20 nominees for the top 10 cultural development events of Sichuan Province for 2024 are closely tied to cultural heritage, exemplifying Sichuan's efforts in preserving, growing, and innovatively advancing its cultural legacy.

Sichuan held the Provincial Symposium on the Protection and Inheritance of Cultural Heritage, infusing significant momentum into its endeavors to foster high-quality development in this domain. From an overall perspective, Sichuan's rich historical context significantly contributes to strengthening cultural confidence. Through research, discovery, elucidation, and preservation, using the "rich cultural mine" as the "ink", it presents a long scroll that vividly portrays the interplay of past and present in Bashu's cultural heritage.

In May 2024, the archives relating to the traditional teahouses of Chengdu and the woodcut printing plates preserved in the Dege Sutra-Printing House were both inscribed on the Asia Pacific regional register of UNESCO's Memory of the World (MoW) Programme. This achievement marks the first time Sichuan has had items listed in the UNESCO MoW Programme. "Archives are the living history crafted by the people," asserted Liu Jun, a former Level 2 Bureau Rank Official and research curator at the Sichuan Provincial Archives. "The exploration and application of the archives related to Chengdu's traditional teahouses not only preserve the tea house culture but also provide valuable insights and references for related industries and economic advancement," Liu said.

The 22-volume Comprehensive History of Bashu Culture (巴蜀文化通史 Ba shu wenhua tongshi), a monumental work encompassing around 16 million words, was officially launched. This extensive and voluminous publication stands as the first comprehensive work on Bashu culture, covering a vast historical scope. In 2024, other significant works like A Brief History of Sichuan (四川简史 Sichuan jianshi) and The Edition Integration of Collected Works of the Three Sus (三苏合集版本集成 Sansu heji banben jicheng) were also published, further perpetuating the rich cultural heritage of Ba and Shu.

By working together to protect our precious cultural heritage, Sichuan and Chongqing have made further strides in their systemic and holistic preservation efforts. Key highlights of the Sichuan and Chongqing partnership include archaeological and comprehensive research on the ancient Shu Roads in both regions, the protection and utilization of the Sichuan-Chongqing grotto temples, and the collaborative development of their museums, among others. The Sichuan-Chongqing Joint Action Plan for Establishing a Cultural Highland in the New Era has been released. This comprehensive document outlines a five-year initiative encompassing 11 key areas, with the aim of creating a cultural hub that showcases distinct Chinese characteristics, resonates with the spirit of the times, highlights the essence of Bashu culture, and takes a prominently leading role in the new era.

Cultural Flourishing with Strong Momentum

A landmark venue has consistently drawn an assembly of prominent figures in the cultural domain. At the Chengdu Century City New International Convention and Exhibition Center, the 11th China Internet Audio and Video Convention and the 2024 China Internet Civilization Conference were held sequentially, attracting the deep involvement of key organizations, senior executives, experienced professionals, and academic experts. They gathered to engage in in-depth discussions about the vibrant and evolving landscape of the cultural industry.

In 2024, Sichuan Province welcomed a series of significant cultural activities. The 2024 Media Cooperation Forum on Belt and Road, the Global Panda Partners 2024, and the "Journey through China" Sichuan tour for the first World Conference of Classics were all held in Sichuan, capturing worldwide interest and spotlight.

Outstanding cases of internet civilization building and the Initiative for Internet Civilization in Family Traditions were introduced in Sichuan. The Belt and Road Media Cooperation: Chengdu Initiative promotes the sharing of stories that highlight mutual learning between civilizations and the deepening of people-to-people bonds. The think tank report titled Toward a More Beautiful China and a Cleaner World: Understanding Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization was released in both Chinese and English to a global audience. These are just several of many such examples. Fueled by key industry events, a commitment to upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, as well as an energetic drive for pioneering and entrepreneurship spirit, are spreading outward. Concurrently, a series of consensuses that direct the industry's future and encourage the pooling of ideas have been released in Sichuan. Together, these efforts contribute to the collective movement towards high-quality cultural development.

Beyond hosting major cultural events, Sichuan is actively developing and enhancing its internal dynamism. Notable achievements in Sichuan's media, film and publishing sectors have bolstered the province's overall strength and competitiveness in cultural industry.

The Tianfu Media Convergence Consortium, China's first comprehensive media platform integrating provincial, municipal and county levels, is advancing with significant momentum. All 21 cities (prefectures) in Sichuan have successfully achieved media convergence. Provincial, municipal, and county-level media are now operating in a coordinated manner, pursuing united growth.

Sichuan's film industry is opening a new chapter. Three locally produced films have surpassed the 100 million yuan box office threshold, ending a nearly seven-year streak of no films by the province achieving this milestone. The prestigious Hundred Flowers Awards for Popular Films returned to Chengdu after 39 years, enriching the cultural experiences of hundreds of millions of viewers.

With book sales surpassing 100 million yuan under the fixed price scheme and attracting over ten million visits both online and offline, the Tianfu Bookfair has emerged as one of China's four major regional book fairs, successfully turning the event into a grand literary festival that engages society at large.

In 2024, the revolutionary "red" ideals have also become a vibrant element in Sichuan's cultural development. The province has launched new thematic promotion brands for ideological and political courses, establishing a collaborative "Sichuan model" of archival ideological education involving archival institutions, the Provincial Committee of the Communist Youth League, and universities. The Sichuan Liangdan Cheng Museum and the Space Science and Technology Museum have opened, integrating with the Liangdan Cheng scenic area to provide additional venues and platforms for patriotism education activities.

Sichuan's Cultural and Artistic Presence Reaching Further, Engaging More, Impacting Deeply

Among the significant cultural events in the internet domain in 2024, the comeback of prominent stars from Sichuan stands out as a key topic of discussion. The singer Dao Lang and the influential short video creator Li Ziqi both returned to the spotlight: Dao Lang's online concert garnered a remarkable 53 million views, and Li Ziqi's two videos achieved an astounding single-day viewership of over 500 million.

Despite remote mountains and vast seas, no goal is too far to achieve. The Bashu culture embraces the power of communication to transcend geographical and cultural boundaries, continuously expanding its influence. This pervasive reach allows the stories of China to be shared more broadly and amplifies the voice of Sichuan on a wider stage.

A diverse array of ancient Shu artifacts, such as mysterious sun-shaped bronze artifacts and resplendent gold foils featuring the sun and immortal birds, compel visitors to halt and immerse themselves in these relics. On November 5, 2024, Peru local time, the exhibition "Light of the Sun: A Dialogue Between Ancient Shu and Inca Civilizations" kicked off at the Inca Museum (Museo Inka) in Peru. Replicas of 16 iconic artifacts from the Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan and the Jinsha Site Museum in Chengdu, along with 3D printed art pieces, were exhibited alongside seven exquisite objects from the Inca Museum. This fascinating combination opens up a dialogue and exchange of ideas, showcasing the harmonious convergence of diverse cultural beauties. Eleazar Crucinta Ugarte, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Inca Museum, remarked that the exhibition enlightens Peruvian audiences about the shared reverence for the sun in both ancient Chinese and Peruvian civilizations, thereby fostering a sense of cultural affinity and enhancing the understanding between the two cultures.

The giant panda, another globally recognized emblem, has emerged as a cultural icon, pooling emotional identification and building an international circle of friends for panda partners. The international outreach television program "Panda Wandering" commenced its worldwide tour in May 2024, featuring themed cultural exchange events in countries such as Australia, South Korea, Tunisia, and France, and received acclaim from dignitaries and audiences across multiple countries. The innovative integration of panda intellectual property into tourism and culture brands, like the Panda Post Office and Panda-themed Special Train, has facilitated the global distribution of postcards featuring panda motifs and specialty agricultural products to over 50 countries and regions.

In addition to receiving "likes" from friends around the world, 2024 also saw people with shared passions and deep connections coming together. The first original song contest in Sichuan Province received widespread acclaim, attracting 2,318 entries from across China, taking audiences on a musical journey through Sichuan's scenic landscapes. Liangshan is actively working towards becoming a provincial sub-hub for arts and culture. In 2024, its Torch Festival attracted interest from over 70 countries and regions, while the Daliangshan Drama Festival featured performances from 11 countries.

Through the lenses of cameras and the words of journalists, the dynamic and colorful aspects of Sichuan are vividly brought to life. For four consecutive quarters, the large-scale thematic interview campaign "Diverse Prevailing Features of Sichuan" has seen enthusiastic participation from nearly 700 journalists. Covering over 10,000 kilometers across Sichuan's 21 cities and prefectures, they have reported live from the field, creating narratives that deeply resonate with the audience.

Sichuan, braving waves and steadfast in its course, assumes a pivotal and new cultural role with a sense of purpose, illuminating the tapestry of Chinese civilization with the vibrant hues of Bashu culture.