President Xi Jinping has stressed firming up cultural confidence, preserving the fine accomplishments of Chinese civilization and using cultural relics to promote exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations.
Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks on Friday in a letter replying to senior experts from the National Museum of China.
In the letter, which was read out at a meeting held on Saturday in Beijing to mark the 110th anniversary of the museum's founding, Xi said that his previous visits to the museum left him with a deep impression.
Noting the importance of museums in preserving and passing on human civilizations, Xi urged the museum workers to make new contributions to the development of China's museums and the building of China into a country with a strong socialist culture.
The National Museum of China was formed in 2003 as a result of the merger of the National Museum of Chinese History and the National Museum of Chinese Revolution, both on the east side of Tian'anmen Square in Beijing. Following remodeling and expansion, the museum formally opened to the public in 2012. It now boasts more than 1.4 million items in its collection.
Its precursor, the Preparatory Office of the National Museum of History, was established in July 1912.
Recently, 10 senior experts from the museum wrote Xi a letter, mentioning the museum's development over the past 110 years, and reporting to him the museum's work related to collection, preservation and exhibition.
Addressing Saturday's meeting, Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, said the letter shows the CPC Central Committee's utmost care and great expectations regarding the museum's work. He urged the museum staff to strive to build the national museum into a world-class museum with Chinese characteristics.
Xie Shitie, a 74-year-old retiree from the National Museum of China, said that thanks to the efforts of the museum workers from one generation to another, the museum has become a landmark site for domestic and international tourists.
"Our museum workers need to stay true to our original aspirations and keep working to show the history and revolutionary spirit of the Chinese nation as well as the splendid Chinese culture to people both at home and abroad," Xie said.