(Lecture by Professor Zheng Changzhong en Route from Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum to Restaurant on May 20, 2025)
This morning’s visit to the Emperor Qin Shihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum must have deeply impressed you all. As the Eighth Wonder of the World, the Terracotta Warriors are not only a vital part of Emperor Qin Shihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum but also a tangible testament to ancient Chinese civilization. The subsequent symposium with museum experts revealed that archaeology is not just about excavating and restoring relics; it is about decoding ancient societies through modern technological means, achieving a cross-time dialogue between history and reality. Over 70 years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the government has always attached great importance to archaeological and cultural relics protection. This reflects not only cherish for historical heritage but also a commitment to civilizational inheritance. By scientifically tapping the potential value of cultural relics, China both safeguards its cultural roots and breathes new life into ancient civilizations, achieving the dialectical unity of “protection through development and development through protection.”
Why has the Chinese nation become one of the earliest civilizations to enter the civilized stage and the only one that has never been interrupted?
One crucial reason is our well-established historical memory system. China has always valued historiography, forming the world’s most complete system of historical records. As early as 2,500 years ago, the Shangshu (Book of Documents) recorded political events from the Yao and Shun eras to the Spring and Autumn Period, making it the earliest compilation of historical documents in China. Confucius compiled the Spring and Autumn Annals (Chunqiu), which recorded major events of the Spring and Autumn Period in a concise style, laying the foundation for annals-style historiography. Sima Qian’s Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) in the Han Dynasty, documenting 3,000 years of history from the Yellow Emperor to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. After the Tang Dynasty, successive dynasties established special institutions for historiography. Through the efforts of successive dynasties, we have formed the “Twenty-Four Histories” system (from Shiji to History of the Ming Dynasty), plus the Draft History of the Qing Dynasty compiled during the Republic of China period, which completely records the civilizational process from the legendary era to the end of the Qing Dynasty. These historical records are not only factual records of events but also contain the wisdom and philosophy of governance.
In addition to the historical records system, we can also verify history through archaeology. Archaeological discoveries provide physical evidence for history. For example, the Terracotta Warriors we visited today visually demonstrate the military system and craftsmanship of the Qin Dynasty through the shapes of the pottery figures and inscriptions on weapons. This “double evidence method” of integrating documents and physical relics makes historical narratives more three-dimensional and credible. From oracle bone inscriptions verifying the history of the Shang Dynasty to the Sanxingdui Ruins supplementing the ancient Shu civilization, archaeology continuously fills the gaps in historical records and revises existing understandings.
This is China’s memory of historical facts. At the same time, over thousands of years of civilization development, China has also formed an ideological system of Classics, Histories, Philosophies, and Belles-Lettres that expounds on a series of principles and mechanisms regarding human society, state building, social governance, and interpersonal relationships from both official and folk dimensions. Among them, the “Histories” category records historical facts, while the “Classics,” “Philosophies,” and “Belles-Lettres” categories respectively record and inherit reflections on governance wisdom and social ethics from different perspectives.
Thus, these two systems—the historical system centered on historical records and archaeology, which tells us the stories and practices of China’s past; and the ideological system embodied in the classics, philosophies, and belles-lettres, which explains the principles and mechanisms behind these practices—work together. The former allows us to “tell China’s stories well,” understanding the figures and events of past dynasties; the latter helps us “explain China’s principles clearly,” understanding the deep logic of governance and social ethics. Together, these two systems constitute an internal framework for understanding China’s development, supporting the Chinese nation’s civilizational memory and continuity.
China’s historical memory is not just a record of the past but also a wellspring of wisdom for the future. Currently, promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture aims to achieve threefold value: preserving cultural genes through carriers such as Chinese characters, classic texts, and cultural relics; drawing governance and social management experience from history; and providing Chinese wisdom for global governance through civilizational mutual learning. Just as today’s visit and symposium are not only a tribute to ancient civilization but also an inspiration for modern civilization construction.
We must inherit the profound heritage of spiritual civilization while also valuing the practical needs of material civilization. Everything I’ve said so far belongs to the realm of spiritual civilization, but spiritual content can never replace material needs. Next, we’re going to have lunch to address the “construction of material civilization.” Thank you all!
*The views and opinions expressed in the articles are solely those of the individual authors and do not reflect the position of the Secretariat of the Belt and Road Journalist Network.