On November 20, the second Houguan Forum, hosted by FNU, guided by the Publicity Department of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, and the Education Working Committee of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, and co-organized by the Publicity Department of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee, the Education Working Committee of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee, the Management Committee of the Fuzhou Regional University Town, and relevant universities in Fuzhou Regional University Town, was held in the hall on Qishan Campus. Zhang Yan, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and Minister of Publicity Department, attended and addressed the forum.
Xiao Guixin, Vice Minister of the Publicity Department of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, Director of the Fujian Provincial Press and Publication Bureau (Copyright Bureau), and first-level Inspector, Ye Shen, Secretary of the Education Working Committee of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, Secretary of the Leading Party Members’ Group and Director-General of the Fujian Provincial Department of Education, Lin Qihan, Deputy Director of the General Office of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, Weng Yunping, Deputy Director of the Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, Wu Weiping, member of the Education Working Committee of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, and member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director-General of the Fujian Provincial Department of Education, Pan Yuteng, Secretary of the FNU Party Committee, Chen Xiaohong, Deputy Secretary of the FNU Party Committee，relevant comrades of the General Office of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, the Publicity Department of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, the Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, the Education Working Committee of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, Fujian Daily, Fuzhou Municipal Government and Minhou County Government, heads in charge of other universities and colleges in Fuzhou Regional University Town, experts and scholars in related fields, authors of outstanding papers and representatives of teachers and students from FNU and other universities and colleges in Fuzhou Regional University Town, attended the opening ceremony and the main forum.
Zhang Yan fully affirmed the achievements in inheriting and developing Houguan culture in the past year since the first forum was held. He pointed out that Xi Jinping Thought on Culture provides a fundamental guideline for promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, and that the inheritance and promotion of Houguan culture is a vivid example of deeply putting into practice Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. We should stay firmly rooted in Chinese culture, and elaborate on the Houguan culture in terms of its deep historical accumulation, rich connotations of the times, and significant value of educating people, which are the most important parts of Houguan culture; by drawing striving force from advanced culture including Houguan culture, we should accelerate steps for building up Fujian Provincial cultural strength so that Fujian will contribute to enhancing the reach and influence of Chinese civilization and building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation, Zhang said.
Ye Shen said in his speech that it is necessary to always uphold the principles of patriotism and rejuvenating our country in the sense of Houguan wise men, inherit their practical quality of pursuing the truth, carry forward their innovative spirit, and foster a new generation of young people to shoulder the mission of realizing national rejuvenation.
The opening ceremony and main forum was chaired by Pan Yuteng. He said that hosting the second Houguan Forum to inherit and carry forward Houguan culture is a concrete action of FNU to practice Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, which has important theoretical and practical significance.
Zhao Mingzheng, Secretary of Minhou County Party Committee, said in his speech that efforts will be made to deepen cooperation between schools and local governments, strengthen inheritance and protection, and create a supportive atmosphere to faithfully shape Houguan culture into an important cultural identity of the leading Fuzhou City of Fujian Province in the new era.
Wang Yifu, President of the National Society of Taiwan Studies, wrote two articles specifically, entitled “Houguan Cultural Celebrities at Imperial University of Peking” and “Houguan Cultural Celebrities in Qing Dynasty and Taiwan,” to express his encouragement and support for the forum.
The opening ceremony kicked off with the melody of the original song “Houguan Is My Home”, led by Lin Zihao, a vocal music teacher of the College of Music of FNU and winner of the 14th Golden Bell Award (the highest-level award for music in China), and accompanied by Ye Zihao, a piano teacher of the College of Music and winner of the 9th Golden Bell Award. The choir of the College of Music performed in concert with students from other universities. The College of Chinese Language and Literature, the School of Communication and the College of Music jointly created and performed the one-act play “For Great Men in Houguan”, which, through the virtual dialogue between Lin Changmin and Yan Shuxia, two former presidents of the predecessor of FNU, reflected the defining elements of Houguan culture: patriotism, dedication, respect for education, and pursuit of truth and brightness.
Seven scholars, including Lin Dongxin, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Professor Yan Shuhan, an expert of implementing the Marxist Theory Research and Construction Project of the CPC Central Committee, Shen Lübai, a descendant of a famous figure in modern Houguan and a well-known creative in Taiwan, Shen Lüsui, a descendant of a famous figure in modern Houguan and a renowned director in Taiwan, Professor William N. Brown, the first foreign permanent resident in Fujian Province and a recipient of the Chinese Government Friendship Award, Jean-Claude G. Bünzli, a representative of foreign universities where outstanding students from Houguan have studied and a tenured professor at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, together with his wife Brigitte Malinas, and Lu Meisong, a renowned literary historian and former director of the Fujian Provincial Research Institute of Literature and History, Chen Yu, Associate Professor from Fujian Jiangxia University as the teacher representative and Xie Yan from FNU’s College of Sociology and History as the student representative, deeply elaborated on the historical accumulation, connotations of the times, and educational values of Houguan culture from different perspectives around the theme of “Inheriting the Spirit of Houguan Culture and Embracing a New Future for Fujian’s Education.”
The forum this year collected logo designs of the Houguan Forum and put them on display. The participating leaders and guests visited the art and calligraphy exhibitions on Houguan culture with the theme of “Wisdom of Fujian People and Spirit of Houguan,” organized by the College of Fine Arts of FNU.
Three sub-forums were organized. The College of Foreign Languages hosted the sub-forum on popularized international dissemination of Houguan culture from the perspective of “two combinations,” and Chen Xiaohong attended the sub-forum and delivered a speech.
The forum also carried out a series of activities with the theme of searching for Houguan culture.
(Translated by Chen Junfan/ Reviewed by Xie Xiujuan)