On the 75th anniversary of the founding of the PRC founded in 1949, an exhibition themed the CPC’s Thirteen years in Yan’an and Chinese Modernization was officially launched by Renmin University of China at the Tongzhou campus.
Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, Li Qun; Chair of the RUC University Council, Zhang Donggang; Director of the Academic and Editorial Committee of the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee, Wang Junwei; Director of the Office of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, Zhang Junfeng; Director of the Revolutionary Cultural Relics Department of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, Yue Zhiyong; Secretary of the Tongzhou District Committee, Meng Jingwei; Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of China Railway Group Limited, Chen Yun; Deputy director of the department in charge of revolutionary-themed relics under the National Cultural Heritage Administration; Deputy Director of the Revolutionary Cultural Relics Department of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, Peng Yuehui; Deputy Director of the National Museum of China, Zhang Weiming; General Manager and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of State Grid Beijing Electric Power Company, Zhang Tieheng; Vice Governor of Tongzhou District, Dong Minghui; representatives from various construction parties and supporting units of the Tongzhou campus; university leaders from RUC of China; and overall advisor for the Tongzhou campus construction, He Yaomin, along with National First-Class Professor Huang Jiashu, were all present. The President of RUC, Lin Shangli, presided over the event.
Li Qun, Zhang Donggang, Lin Shangli, Wang Junwei, Zhang Weiming, and Meng Jingwei jointly inaugurated the exhibition titled “The CPC’s Thirteen years in Yan’an and Chinese Modernization”.
Zhang Donggang stated that Yan’an is a sacred site of the Chinese revolution, the cradle of the new China, and the historical starting point of RUC. The thirteen years in Yan’an were a crucial period for the Communist Party of China to reverse the fate of the nation, and they also marked the formation of the political standards and spiritual essence of RUC as the first new-style formal university founded by the Communist Party. In the new era and on this new journey, RUC will continue to serve as an inheritor, promoter, and practitioner of the Yan’an spirit. The university will strive to deeply comprehend the essence of the Yan’an spirit, comprehensively enhance research and interpretation, actively construct an independent knowledge system, and distill and elevate the rich connotations, spiritual essence, and contemporary value of the Yan’an spirit. The university will transform its valuable revolutionary resources into an inexhaustible driving force for talents cultivation and education.
Li Qun stated that this exhibition, themed “The Thirteen Years in Yan’an and Chinese Modernization,” comprehensively showcases the glorious history of the Communist Party of China during the Yan’an period and its great practices in exploring a path to Chinese modernization through rich historical materials and precious artifacts. By organizing more exhibitions that reflect Chinese culture, red themes, and a youthful spirit, we aim to bring revolutionary artifacts to life and make them vibrant.
Wang Junwei emphasized that understanding why Chinese modernization has successfully reached today is inseparable from recognizing the significance of the thirteen years in Yan’an. Similarly, a deep understanding of how Chinese modernization can better move toward the future also relies on that. He expressed hope that RUC would leverage its educational advantages and disciplinary features to elucidate the historical, theoretical, and practical logic of Chinese modernization, thereby making a greater contribution to the comprehensive promotion of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through this modernization.
Song Lingyun stated that the exhibition offers a panoramic representation of the struggles of the Communist Party of China and its explorations of Chinese modernization through rich and detailed historical materials. This helps us deepen our understanding of the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee from a historical and contemporary perspective. He assured that the Ministry of Education’s Social Sciences Department will continue to support the ideological and political education and the development of philosophy and social sciences at RUC, creating favorable conditions for the collaborative research center for revolutionary artifacts.
Lin Shangli stated that the thirteen years in Yan’an created fundamental social conditions for achieving Chinese modernization. The exhibition serves to deepen our understanding of the significant role that the Yan’an period played in China’s modernization and further promote the vibrant practice of Chinese modernization. He emphasized the need to draw ideological strength and actionable energy from the Yan’an spirit, to effectively carry forward the glorious traditions and red gene, to tell the story of the Communist Party of China, and to share the story of Chinese modernization, and, ultimately, to contribute to the construction of a strong nation and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with the strength of RUC.
The leaders and guests attending the opening ceremony jointly enjoyed the exhibition. Through a wealth of historical images and revolutionary artifacts, they gained a profound understanding of the historical roots and fundamental elements of Chinese modernization from five perspectives: the relationship between the thirteen years in Yan’an and the creation of the fundamental social conditions for modernization; the cultivation of leadership for Chinese modernization; the core elements nurtured during this period; the exploration of successful paths to Chinese modernization; and how higher education, originating from Yan’an, promotes Chinese modernization.
The exhibition is presented in both Chinese and English, showcasing the arduous journey and achievements of the Party’s leadership during the thirteen years in Yan’an. It explains the important significance of this period in exploring Chinese modernization, allowing the world to better recognize the Communist Party of China as the backbone of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and to understand the historical genes and spiritual blueprint of Chinese modernization.
In conjunction with the exhibition, the National Museum of China and the RUC National Collaborative Research Center for Revolutionary Artifacts hosted an academic seminar titled “Inheritable Protection and Revitalization of Revolutionary Artifacts.” The seminar focused on in-depth discussions around the research and thematic presentation of revolutionary artifacts, the preservation and restoration of red literature, and the integration of artificial intelligence in these processes.
On May 20, 2023, RUC established the CPC’s Thirteen Years in Yan’an and Chinese Modernization Research Institute and held a high-level forum on the same theme. Leveraging the institute, the university launched the “The CPC’s Thirteen Years in Yan’an and Chinese Modernization: First Undergraduate Thesis Writing Workshop on Party History and Party Building.” It also initiated a series of lectures and hosted the “The Republic Comes from Yan’an: Academic Seminar Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the Founding of New China,” while publishing the book “The Thirteen Years in Yan’an and Chinese Modernization: Historical Exploration and Genealogy.” These efforts aim to provide high-quality talent support and intellectual resources for achieving Chinese modernization.
Building on this exhibition, RUC plans to develop a museum themed CPC’s thirteen years in Yan’an and Chinese modernization, one that simultaneously function as an exhibition hall, a research base, and a talent hub.
