Cultural revival urged in commemorating Mao's arts speech

China has mobilized artists, actors and playwrights to commemorate the 70th anniversary of a celebrated speech by late Chairman Mao Zedong on art and literature delivered in former revolutionary base Yan'an.

The move is reminiscent of times gone by, when literature served the people and was warmly welcomed by them. It calls for the revival of Chinese culture in order to boost the country's soft power.

Mao made the speech at a Yan'an meeting discussing the orientation of "Chinese revolutionary arts and literature" on May 23, 1942.

The gathering was attended by writers and artists from all over the country. It was estimated that more than 40,000 young "intellectuals" broke the enemy's blockade to come to Yan'an, making the revolutionary "holyland" into a cultural hub.

However, at that time, many "intellectual" artists who had spent most of their life in small buildings in Shanghai found it difficult to get ordinary people, especially farmers, to understand their art.

Therefore, Mao urged cultural workers to better communicate with the masses to form a strong "revolutionary spirit" and guide people to save China from the Japanese invasion (1937-1945).

To answer the call, poets, writers and drama actors became prolific and produced a series of classic works that still carry influence today.

Mao paid high attention to cultural power in the revolution. That emphasis has been carried forward by the Communist Party of China (CPC) to the present era.

Last year, the sixth plenary session of the 17th CPC Central Committee offered a new interpretation on the role of culture in the nation's economic and social development.

Over the last few years, cultural reform has been deepened to meet people's spiritual wants, as the environment for cultural development has undergone profound change compared with that of the 1940s.

Under the condition of the socialist market economy, the right to create, choose and evaluate culture lies in the hands of people.

Social networking sites, including microblogs, provide more cultural options for people. Meanwhile, a thriving cinema industry, as a result of the market economy, has pushed China to become the world's third-largest film producer.

Furthermore, the listing of major Internet news portals and the transformation of media organizations and art troupes from state-owned bodies to more market-oriented companies, have unleashed cultural productivity, stimulated creativity and produced works that have better fulfilled people's demand.

A nation which exports television but not views and values cannot become a strong one. And the mere expansion of the economy and the accumulation of fortune are not the ultimate goals for the country's development.

Although China is the world's second-largest economy, its cultural influence cannot parallel the impact of its economy. The country still faces a huge "cultural deficit" in publications, performing arts and other entertainment fields.

Cultural development, as a showcase of soft power and support for economic development, should be a priority of the CPC.