This year's central policy document advocates for "empowering rural areas through culture and arts" to enhance the supply of cultural products and services in the countryside. Guo Rong, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, proposed establishing a long-term mechanism for cultural workers to "return to their hometowns and adopt" cultural projects, thereby strengthening the cultural revitalization of beautiful villages.
Guo Rong recently participated in producing and performing the theme song for a documentary by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. During the recording process, she was deeply impressed by the skills of rural artisans across different regions. These crafts, rooted in local traditions, are not only a continuation of technique but also vivid carriers of rural cultural heritage and life wisdom.
Many rural artisans possess unique skills and folk arts with significant cultural value and market potential. However, due to a lack of innovative design concepts, modern communication methods, and effective market channels, these treasures often remain undiscovered.
Guo emphasized that culture and arts are the soul of rural revitalization. To shift rural cultural development from relying on external support to generating internal momentum, she suggested encouraging cultural workers to return to their hometowns, partner with local villages, and deeply engage in cultural projects. Nostalgia and emotional ties to one’s hometown can serve as intrinsic motivation for such efforts.
She called for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs to take the lead in establishing a platform for "art-driven rural construction." This would facilitate long-term collaboration between cultural workers and local craft workshops or intangible cultural heritage inheritors. Cultural workers could set up residency studios in rural cultural centers to gain a deeper understanding of local traditions and provide ongoing creative input, transforming traditional crafts into cultural products that blend ethnic characteristics with contemporary appeal.
Guo also recommended a dual-driven approach combining technology and art to build a full-chain support system encompassing digital preservation, platform transactions, and artistic dissemination. Special funds should be allocated to use digital technology in promoting rural culture, creating online platforms for displaying and trading rural cultural resources, and establishing a complete pathway from cultural assets to market realization.
Such a platform could showcase and sell distinctive works by rural artisans and cultural creative products. Consumers would not only be able to purchase items but also learn about the cultural stories and craftsmanship behind them through images, text, audio, and video. Cultural workers could participate in content planning, using music and visual media to narrate local stories, turning each product into a传播-ready cultural vehicle.
By leveraging online traffic and e-commerce capabilities, rural cultural resources could be transformed into tangible assets that increase farmers' income, achieving a win-win outcome for cultural preservation and economic benefits.
Additionally, Guo proposed creating experiential spaces for "rural artisans" and developing themed tourism routes centered on "art-driven rural construction." Integrating culture and arts with contemporary trends and aesthetics can help shape distinctive cultural tourism landscapes rich in regional character.