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Culture engraves the memory of Lishui, and solid work composes a glorious chapter of the times.
The Sixth Plenary Session of the Fifth Lishui Municipal Party Committee proposed that citizens should keep pace with the times and shoulder “one historical mission” and “three strategic tasks”, sounding the clarion call for further comprehensive deepening of reform.
Looking back on 2024, the publicity, ideological and cultural front of Lishui City earnestly studied and implemented Xi Jinping’s thought on culture, focused on the important deployments by the CPC Central Committee, the Provincial Party Committee, and the Municipal Party Committee regarding reform of the cultural system and mechanism, systematically planned reform programs in the publicity and cultural fields, and with the fighting posture of “if not now, then when”, played the strongest melody of “striving diligently and taking responsibility to compete for excellence”.
Tracing the source to build a foundation of belief
The earnest instructions urge people to forge ahead. Lishui has always taken the study and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the primary political task, promoting theoretical armament to take root in minds and hearts.
Digging deep into the ideological treasure trove, a learning upsurge was ignited. Lishui is a key birthplace and pioneer of the concept that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”. During his work in Zhejiang, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Lishui eight times, making a series of insightful and locally tailored important instructions and directives, filled with deep affection for the people in the revolutionary base areas of southwestern Zhejiang.
In 2024, Lishui earnestly implemented the project of “Forging the Soul and Tracing the Source with Heart”, bringing together theoretical research experts and think tank forces, comprehensively sorting out General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions on Lishui, focusing on eight aspects including “exploring a development path led by science and technology, conserving resources, and being environmentally friendly”, advancing key topic research, incorporating theoretical achievements into the study content of theoretical learning groups at all Party committee (leading Party group) levels, and embedding them into the core courses of Party schools (administrative institutes), providing both ideological and action guidance for promoting high-quality development.
The essence of theory lies in practice; the logic of practice lies in theory. The entire city earnestly practices the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on Lishui, nurturing and expanding the “5+5” industrial system, and deploying a “string of pearls” sci-tech innovation platform... A series of landmark achievements testify to the truth and power of scientific theory. Entering a new stage of development, the Party’s innovative theories are being internalized by Party members and cadres into conscious methods and actions through constant learning, application, and renewal, leading Lishui to open new chapters and achieve new leaps forward.
Theory “attracts” the youth, with publicity becoming “new” and “heartfelt”. Lishui puts “post-80s, post-90s”, and “post-00s” youth center stage as key speakers, appearing on the podium of the Municipal Party Committee’s theoretical study group. The youth theory publicity brand “Tonight at 7:30” has deeply taken root.
On September 26, 2024, the first event of the “Tonight at 7:30” youth theory publicity brand was launched at Qizilou in the urban area, with mobile “publicity + art” and “publicity + skits” attracting more than 6,000 onlookers. Since then, the “Tonight at 7:30” brand has flourished across all nine counties (cities and districts). In Songyang Old Street, young speakers integrated cultural elements such as Songyang Opera and Zhang Yuniang’s poetry, allowing residents and tourists to listen while strolling. On the Lishui Learning Platform of “Xuexi Qiangguo”, the “Tonight at 7:30” channel launched a series of short videos like “1-minute scenes” and “20-second golden quotes”, with total online views exceeding 1.57 million.
Cultural inheritance revitalizing the pool of spring water
Rich and diverse cultural resources are Lishui’s precious treasures. Passing on excellent traditional culture is about consolidating the “root” and “soul” of the millennia-old Chuzhou.
Carrying forward red culture and inheriting red genes. 2024 marked the 90th anniversary of the Red Army’s Long March. As a strategic response area during the Long March, Lishui successfully hosted the Fifth Red Army Long March Forum, bringing together nine cities along the Long March route including Ganzhou, Zunyi, and Yan’an. A forum consensus on cooperation was released, opening a new chapter in cross-regional exchanges among key cities in revolutionary base areas.
Meanwhile, Lishui held the first Revolutionary Base Area Development Forum of Southwest Zhejiang, cultivating urban spiritual temperament with revolutionary spirit and building an important platform for talent and innovation in city development. During the forum, over 380 Lishui-born elites and various supporters of Lishui development discussed cooperation and planning. Seven major industrial projects and a series of strategic cooperation agreements were successfully signed.
Following cultural threads to invigorate the city. The Chuzhou Civilization Tracing Project made significant progress in Oujiang River Basin archaeology. The Xianshengwan site in Yunhe and Xiaoxiongshan excavation project in Qingyuan were selected among Zhejiang Province’s “Top Ten” Major Archaeological Discoveries of 2024. Discoveries in Yunhe in recent years extended the Oujiang civilization to over 8,000 years ago, reaching the Kuahuqiao cultural period and forming a complete historical timeline from Kuahuqiao to Haochuan to the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties.
Intangible cultural heritage have gained widespread recognition through innovation and integration. Lishui released the “World Heritage Window” Cultural Identity Project Plan, accelerating the creation of new cultural landmarks such as the Guyan Art Window in Liandu and Longquan Celadon Cultural and Creative Window. Qingyuan’s “Traditional Craftsmanship of Chinese Timber Arch Bridges” was included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Longquan Celadon and Jinyun’s Yellow Emperor culture were selected for provincial-level cultural identity construction projects. At the 12th World Urban Forum held in Cairo, Egypt, Songyang shared its innovative model of ancient village protection, and its experience of revitalizing rural areas by saving old houses was promoted by the National Development and Reform Commission.
Original literary and artistic works showcased cultural prosperity. Lishui continued to implement the Literary and Artistic Creativity Enhancement Plan, nurturing distinct artistic forms across counties such as Liandu oil painting, Longquan ceramics, Qingtian Chinese painting, Yunhe children's literature, Qingyuan rural galas, Jinyun calligraphy, Suichang music, Songyang drama, and Jingning online literature—resulting in a vibrant and flourishing scene.
The animated series “RICE FISH” won the Special Award at the Busan International Film & Video Content Market in Korea. The symphony “Golden Voice Lishui” was passionately performed at the Provincial People’s Hall. Multiple online novels like “Mom’s Expecting Again” and “He Came from the Firelight” were adapted into TV dramas, and the film Cloud Above the Cloud drew wide attention.
This year, Lishui won the top Chinese folk art award “Shanhua Award”, the top Chinese photography award “Golden Statue Award”, and the “Little Plum Blossom” award for children’s Chinese opera, highlighting the city’s strong ability to produce quality artistic works.
Cultural empowerment to enhance urban quality
Cultural consumption not only creates economic value but also enriches the spiritual life of the people. On the path to high-quality development, a people-centered cultural economy infuses new warmth and vitality into urban economic growth.
Revitalizing industries through culture, igniting a new engine for the cultural economy. Over the past year, Lishui has focused on upgrading its cultural industry platforms. It completed the Jinyun Cultural and Creative Park for Stationery and the Jingning Preschool Education Equipment Industrial Park, launched a three-year action plan for the inheritance and innovation of historically significant industries, and accelerated the development of five key cultural industries—Longquan swords and celadon, wooden toys, stone carving, cultural and sports goods, and digital imaging. Over the past year, the city added one provincial-level key cultural industry park, two provincial-level cultural and creative blocks, two key provincial-level cultural enterprises, and five provincial-level growth-oriented cultural enterprises. The revenue of large-scale cultural and related enterprises increased by 13.6% year-on-year.
“Lishui Mountain Breeze”, a regional public cultural brand cultivated by the city, has seen its “Mountain Breeze Select” products featured at the Shenzhen Cultural Expo and the Yangtze River Delta Cultural Fair, drawing the attention of cultural enthusiasts nationwide and generating cumulative revenue of over 13 million yuan.
In the Yaowang Youth Innovation Park of Longquan City, young entrepreneurs from across the country have gathered. Driven by the “Longquan Returnees” and “Long Drift Influx” initiatives, artisans continue to launch fashionable new products that integrate modern design aesthetics, breathing new life into the sword and celadon industries.
Integrating culture and tourism, painting a new scroll of poetic destinations. This year, Lishui held a city-wide conference on the high-quality development of the culture and tourism industries, accelerating the construction of a modern cultural tourism system. The Yunhe Terraces became the city’s second national 5A-level tourist attraction. Four scenic spots—Xianju in Jinyun, Guyan Huaxiang in Liandu, among others—were included in the provincial list of “Ten-Million-Level Core Scenic Spots” and the national recommendation list for tourist resorts. Xitou Village in Longquan was selected by the United Nations World Tourism Organization as one of the “Best Tourism Villages”, while the project “Unextinguished Kiln Fires” was recognized as a typical case of the humanistic economy in the Yangtze River Delta, becoming a nationally influential cultural tourism IP.
Following films and micro-dramas to travel has become a popular trend among young people. Lishui has keenly seized on the “traffic dividends” of viral works, pushing several internet-famous destinations into the public spotlight. The video game Black Myth: Wukong popularized Sisi Temple in Jingning; the fantasy drama Flight to You made the Cloud Courtyard in Xianju, Jinyun a fan-favorite check-in spot; and Xiandu, as a filming location for Joy of Life, frequently trended on Weibo. Lishui’s distinctive landscape and cultural heritage, coupled with its natural “studio” advantages, continue to attract waves of visitors.
This year, Liucitang Ridge Street reopened. As the only surviving Ming and Qing-era street in downtown Lishui, it serves as a living record of time, with centuries of commercial activity embedded in its grey brick walls, ancient buildings, and alleys. Lishui applied “embroidery-like craftsmanship” in revitalization—restoring it as authentically as possible under the principle of “no large-scale demolition or construction”. At the same time, smart navigation systems and accessible facilities were quietly embedded, allowing visitors to explore the thousand-year-old Chuzhou Prefecture and appreciate its history and culture through leisurely wandering.
New cultural tourism models and scenes are reshaping the city’s cultural character—turning “internet traffic” into long-term visitation, and “momentary fame” into sustained popularity. In 2024, Lishui welcomed 18.99 million overnight tourists, and its total tourism revenue grew by 6.9%, steadily advancing the transformation of lucid waters and lush mountains into invaluable assets.
Spiritual wealth illuminating the essence of common prosperity
Achieving spiritual wealth through common prosperity is both the people’s aspiration and a fundamental requirement in building a national demonstration zone for high-quality development in former revolutionary base areas.
Cultural landmarks illuminate the city. Over the past year, Lishui has advanced the deep integration of culture and urban development, completing the construction of several key cultural facilities, including the International Convention and Exhibition Center, the Photography Culture Center, and the Art Center of Penal Colony Scenic Area.
The Lishui International Convention and Exhibition Center, with an architectural form resembling a traditional covered bridge, stands as the first comprehensive venue of its kind in southwestern Zhejiang. It complements surrounding hubs such as the Southwestern Zhejiang Sci-Tech Innovation Park and the Southern Sports Complex, injecting strong momentum into the city’s convention and exhibition economy. Located at the foot of Wanxiang Mountain, the Photography Culture Center—shaped like a camera capturing the cityscape—marks a new phase in building Lishui into an “International City of Photography”. The Lishui Museum, which successfully advanced to national first-class museum status, now features immersive theater and nighttime intangible cultural heritage experiences, breathing new life into cultural relics through technological innovation. Meanwhile, the Hyde Vinyl Music Collection Hall has brought the charm of vinyl music closer to the general public.
The new ethos of civilization beautifies urban and rural life. This year, Lishui has used the citywide campaign to upgrade the quality of its “Grand Garden” initiative as a key driver for improving spiritual civilization. It vigorously promoted the “Spiritual Homeland” foundation-enhancement project and the all-area civilization advancement program. Projects such as “opening up enclosed green spaces” to return views to the people and the “Warmhearted Toilets” campaign have improved both public amenities and emotional wellbeing. Practical measures for civilization and small “micro-civilization spaces” have quietly planted the seeds of harmony and civility in the hearts of the people.
The most beautiful scenery lies in civilized citizens of lishui. Throughout the year, Lishui carried out extensive campaigns under the “Zhe-Li New Ethos” initiative. Yielding to pedestrians at crosswalks has become a moving scene on the streets, and the “Serving Dishes with Public Chopsticks” campaign has cultivated new dining habits. Three individuals were named “National Moral Models”, eight were honored as “Zhejiang Moral Models”, and one was selected as a “National Outstanding Youth of the New Era”. More than one million residents participated in civilization practice and volunteer services.
Coordinating urban and rural civilization construction with a focus on the countryside. The key and challenge of coordinated spiritual civilization construction lies in rural areas. In the past year, Lishui has deepened the implementation of the cultural commissioner system, with 182 commissioners stationed in villages to protect and carry forward local traditions and promote rural civilization.
In Songzhuang Village, Songyang County, cultural commissioners developed the “Mountain People’s Theater” and the “Weaving Art Museum” projects. By integrating villagers’ hand-drawn artwork into the packaging design of agricultural products, they enabled villagers to become both participants and beneficiaries in the artistic revitalization of rural life. Lishui has now established 13 cultural commissioner development alliances and 182 distinctive cultural projects, and created 20 provincially recognized “Humanities Villages”, effectively opening the “last mile” to deliver high-quality cultural resources directly to the grassroots. All administrative villages in the city have revised their village regulations and codes of conduct, and expenses for weddings and funerals have decreased by nearly 30%. The practice of “cultivating people through culture” and “educating through culture” is extending from the cities into the countryside—turning ornamental “bonsais” into thriving “landscapes”.
Media integration capturing the brilliance of the city
In the Internet era, information is no longer scarce—the real need lies in high-quality content that resonates with the public.
Audience-oriented narratives bring the city closer to the people. Over the past year, Lishui’s mainstream media remained committed to content-driven strategies, advancing the campaign to enhance “Three Political Capabilities” (political judgment, understanding, and execution), and produced a wealth of compelling reports that showcased real people, real stories, and real spirit.
Journalists across the city focused on major themes such as President Xi Jinping’s reply letter to the cadres and people of Jingning, the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and the “striving diligently and taking responsibility to compete for excellence” performance campaign. Dedicated columns were launched, including Forging Ahead on the Road to National Rejuvenation and Embarking on a New Journey, along with the “In Search Of” all-media reporting initiative. Special reports like Gratitude and Determination: Advancing with Resolve garnered wide acclaim.
In the major coverage surrounding President Xi’s reply to the people of Jingning, municipal and county-level journalists went deep into grassroots towns such as Wutong, Dajun, and Chengzhao, telling vivid stories of tea-driven prosperity and the integration of basic public services, highlighting the tremendous changes over Jingning’s 40-year history. These reports reached over 100 million views across online platforms. During the flood prevention and disaster relief efforts in Qingyuan County, impactful on-the-ground pieces such as The Village Guardians: 49 Residents’ Story and Pillars in the Storm powerfully documented the dedication of Party members and local citizens through photos and video, offering moving glimpses of their heroic efforts.
Global storytelling extends Lishui’s reach worldwide. With an open-minded approach to communication, Lishui established its International Communication Center and launched six major global engagement programs, including the Overseas Chinese Network Expansion Project and the Cultural Branding Initiative. The city actively hosted major national media activities like Cultural China Tour and High-Quality Development Field Visits. Stories about Lishan Future Community, changes at the Special Education School, and the Yunhe wooden toy industry were promoted globally by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Over the past year, central and provincial mainstream media published more than 15,000 reports on Lishui, with over 1,500 featured in People’s Daily, Xinhua News Agency, and China Media Group.
Lishui also hosted a range of cultural exchange events in this year. The 2024 FIAP World Photographers Conference attracted 2,656 photographers from 116 countries and regions, showcasing a record-breaking 10,087 photographic works. The Chinese New Year in Hometown of Overseas Chinese event welcomed more than 580 guests from over 30 countries—foreign friends and overseas Chinese alike—to experience traditional festivals, with related coverage viewed over 30 million times.
Reform-oriented thinking drives mainstream media to adapt and innovate.Embracing reform-driven thinking, Lishui’s mainstream media has actively responded to evolving trends. The Lishui Media Center adheres to a mobile-first strategy and has built an all-media communication matrix centered on its flagship “Source News” platform. It has deepened the reform of the “large department system”, enabling its core media forces to fully advance into the front lines of communication. The center has successively launched a series of key programs such as Today’s Observation, In-depth Lishui, and Source Vision, while revamping and upgrading classic columns including Lishui Daily, Lao Bai Talks, and Beautiful Lishui: Daily Image. Its all-platform fan base has reached 10.6 million followers. To date, it has released 13 viral works with over 100 million views and 168 with over 10 million views—fully demonstrating the role of mainstream media as the backbone, primary channel, and key position of news communication.
Majestic mountains forge the city’s spirit; flowing waters nurture its culture. Today’s Lishui is unfolding a magnificent panorama where natural beauty and humanistic charm shine in harmony.
The year 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the “Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets” concept and the 25th anniversary of Lishui’s transition from prefecture to city. Lishui’s publicity, ideological, and cultural sectors will stay focused on the goals of “Making Three Major Leaps and Achieving Three New Breakthroughs”, fully embracing their cultural mission in the new era. Together, they will build a renowned cultural city rooted in mountains and waters, contributing robust cultural strength to the realization of Lishui’s “One Historic Mission and Three Strategic Tasks”.