In Confucius' birthplace, Shandong province is revitalizing traditional Chinese culture through innovative tourism and modern technologies. From hands-on experiences like paper rubbings to booming hanfu industries, the province is heeding President Xi Jinping's calls to creatively transform cultural heritage. These efforts are fostering economic growth and international exchanges.
Shandong province, the cradle of Qilu culture and birthplace of ancient philosophers like Confucius and Mencius, is leveraging its rich history as a dynamic resource to keep traditional Chinese culture thriving. More than 2,000 years since Confucius (551-479 BC) worked to nurture people through culture, a similar endeavor continues today.
Elizova Elizaveta, a 23-year-old Russian student studying Chinese in Qufu, recently tried the age-old technique of rubbings for the first time. As she smoothed a sheet of paper over a stone and sprinkled it with water, she traced the emerging image with her fingers. "There is no such thing in Russia. This is what makes Chinese culture interesting," she said.
In Luyuan village in Qufu, tourists participate in activities like weaving intricate lujin, or Lu brocade, and watch acrobatic performances up close. These examples of intangible cultural heritage, once at risk of fading, are gaining new vitality through integration with modern tourism, exemplifying Shandong's push for creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture.
President Xi Jinping's ongoing guidance has aided the province in inheriting and developing traditional culture. During his 2013 visit to Qufu, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, stated that the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation must be supported by thriving Chinese culture. In 2014, at the opening of the International Conference Commemorating the 2565th Anniversary of Confucius' Birth, he called for creatively transforming and boosting traditional culture to integrate old and new elements in service of cultivating the people.
This principle was enshrined in the report of the 19th National Congress of the CPC in 2017. In May 2024, during another visit to Shandong, Xi urged further exploration of fine traditional Chinese culture, advancement of its innovative transformation, and use of platforms like the International Confucius Cultural Festival to deepen exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.
Heeding the call, Shandong is making traditions tangible and engaging. The province hosted the 11th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in July, gathering over 560 guests from more than 70 countries and regions under the theme "Beauty in Diversity: Nurturing Understanding Among Civilizations for Global Modernization." Since 2010, the forum, named after Confucius' birthplace Nishan Hill, has become a key platform for civilizational dialogue.
In Heze, the ancient art of hanfu is fueling an economic boom. Local official Cao Lin said, "Hanfu represents the essence of Chinese attire and is a symbol of our fine traditional culture. We are seizing the new opportunities presented by guochao trends to build a development pattern where culture fosters industry and industry promotes culture."
Heze has invested over 5 billion yuan ($709.5 million) in industrial parks, creating a full supply chain from design and dyeing to tailoring. Annual sales exceed 12 billion yuan, capturing half the domestic market, with exports to more than 20 countries including Europe, the United States, and Southeast Asia. "We integrate cultural elements like the 24 solar terms into hanfu designs, catering to the trend popular among youth," Cao added.
The city hosts immersive hanfu shows and has collaborated with over 20 universities on co-branded doctoral robes. Heze's hanfu has appeared on international stages, such as the Chinese apparel show in Milan, Italy, and cultural events in the Republic of Korea.
Digital technology boosts these efforts in Weihai. At a VR center on Huoju Eighth Street, fifth-grader Li Junming donned a headset and entered the landscape of Mao Zedong's poem "The Long March," honoring the Red Army's 1934-1936 feat. "I used to think climbing snowcapped mountains and crossing marshy grasslands was a distant story. Now I understand that the 'hardship' described in the texts was something they had to measure step by step with their feet and fight for with their lives," Li said.
Local official Liu Guang noted, "Weihai focuses on integrating tradition with modernity, using new forms, technologies and creative ideas to enhance the appeal of traditional culture."
A recent digital short film on seaweed-roofed house construction used high-precision motion capture to replicate an old craftsman's movements, showing wood grain direction and chisel force. Released a week ago, it drew inquiries from hundreds of university students, turning a near-extinct craft into a youth trend.
Through multifaceted strategies, Shandong sustains tradition in modern life, developing immersive experiences and brands like Shandong Craft. Tang Weihong, director of people.cn's research institute, said at a Qufu symposium last month, "These efforts in promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture have unleashed a vibrant flow of excellent traditional culture across the land of Shandong."
