Shandong's county excels in fostering Chinese virtues

Editor's Note:

The Yellow River runs through nine cities in East China's Shandong province and flows into the sea, bringing vitality and prosperity to the land. Along its banks, numerous intangible cultural heritage projects have been created and inherited, reflecting the colorful scenery, brilliant culture and rich diversity of Shandong. Shandong is a province with a long history and a splendid civilization. It boasts 186 national-level intangible cultural heritage projects, ranking it second in the country. Moreover, eight projects have been inscribed onto the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, according to the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism. Join me on a journey in Meeting the Sea Along the Yellow River in Shandong, to discover the treasures of intangible cultural heritage there and appreciate the charms of this ancient and modern land.

Dongming county – in Heze city in East China's Shandong province – has undertaken proactive measures to promote the development of Chinese virtues in the new era.

The county authorities and the people are being guided by five main themes: self-discipline and assisting others, showing filial piety and caring for the elderly, being honest and selfless, living an eco-friendly and frugal lifestyle and co-construction and sharing.

The residents of Dongming county are dedicated to developing model streets and alleys that showcase various virtues.

A display board promoting dedication, unity and cooperation in the workplace is put in place in Dongming county. [Photo by Zhao Yajing for chinadaily.com.cn]

A great example is Xincun Street, which features an array of public service ads, cartoons and landscape installations that promote positive lifestyles.

In addition, commercial businesses there have also incorporated display boards into their surroundings, further reinforcing the theme of promoting virtues.

In addition, Dongming county is leading the way in promoting spiritual well-being through exemplars. The concept has been introduced there of Abundant Good People Along the Yellow River in the urban area – to show acts of kindness through various special social initiatives such as Shandong Good People and Heze Good People.

These inspiring deeds are said to generate positive energy and serve as a moral compass for the development of a civilized community.

What's more, a model housing estate has been established in the county to provide residents with comprehensive, virtue-related education and services – with the ultimate goal of improving the handing down of Chinese virtues. (Edited by Zhou Yunlai)