As this year's "Cultural Heritage Day" draws near, Chinese people are considering ways to better preserve traditional Chinese culture. A popular plan suggests electing one Chinese city each year as the "capital of culture" to host various cultural activities and promote its historical significance. The Chinese government has not yet made any official motions, but said it would consider adopting this measure if the general public thinks it beneficial.

According to a joint survey conducted by Sina and International Herald Leader, 61.14 percent of over 1,000 people who voted online are in favor of establishing a "capital of culture" and agree that this act can "enhance cities' and urban residents' awareness of cultural conservation".

Mr. Zhu from Guangzhou said that establishing a cultural capital as an icon can give Chinese people spiritual support by offering them more chances to learn about traditional culture. Wan Wenlan from Shanghai has lived in Europe, and commented that Europe has done a very good job in preserving its ancient buildings and customs because the countries do not mix their traditional cultures and modern cultures.

In fact, the idea for a Chinese capital of culture is inspired by a European contest of the same name. Starting in 1999, the European Union decided to elect one or two cities from its member countries as capitals of culture each year. The title is kept for twelve months, during which time it hosts assorted activities in order to showcase its cultural characteristics for the international community.

However, not all people questioned were in support of the plan. The survey also shows that 35.95 percent of people consider the capital of culture as too formal and costly of an endeavor. Ms. Xu from Jiangsu maintained that capital of culture might not be suitable for China, because it could just become a way for local governments to make money from notoriety. After a city is no longer called capital of culture, local governments are likely to lapse into neglecting cultural conservation and the general public would not gain any benefits. 

When asked about the appropriateness of the name, "capital of culture", 66.67 percent believe it is a clear concept and are willing to accept it; however, 27.5 percent of people disagree. Some argue that it is not suitable because the term "capital" is too political in China. They suggest that China should instead make an effort to promote free cultural activities rather than establish such a capital.

In regard to questions about the idea's popularity, Professor Chen Tao from China Youth University of Political Sciences said: "The fact that over 50 percent of people voted in favor of a capital of culture shows the sense of cultural identity of this nation. It is because they see the unfathomable depth and vastness of Chinese traditional culture that they consider it a necessity to establish a capital of culture."

"In essence, the reason why so many people are for the establishment of a cultural capital is that they feel it is extremely urgent to take actions to preserve traditional Chinese culture," explained Professor Xia Jianzhong from Renmin University of China. "Indeed, it is very urgent for China to act for cultural conservation. China has a vast cultural heritage that has faced many obstacles throughout history. However, living in this fast-paced market economy, Chinese people can spare little time to learn about traditional culture."

Professor Xia said, "Healthy development of Chinese culture needs two requirements: One is to emphasize the uniqueness of each kind of culture; the other is to integrate different kinds of culture into the Chinese culture. The annual capital of culture event can play an important role in connecting different cultures. Japan has similar city elections, and spares no effort to package and market the characteristic culture of the elected city. Many small Japanese cities become famous in this way."

He suggested, however, an alternate idea for cultivating awareness of Chinese culture. "Rather than elect a capital of culture through intense competition, China should organize more free cultural activities for its people," he said. "There are far fewer free cultural activities in China than in foreign countries like Europe and the US. During my ten-month stay in the US, I found that there were many free cultural performances in the community where I was living, given by artists from many places. Encouraging people to participate in such activities is more practical than the establishment of a capital of culture."

In recent years, the "European Capital of Culture" has become more and more popular among European citizens. It boosts people's pride in their cultures, in addition to aiding the EU's cultural conservation and spurring its tourism industry. There are very strict rules to apply for the European Capital of Culture. The success of candidate city relies on whether its plan can underline its cultural fabric and the tone of European unification.

(China.org.cn by Pang Li, May 29, 2007)