Soundbites

Editor's note: The State Council Information Office held a group interview on Tuesday themed "Forging Ahead on the New Journey", bringing together representatives from the culture and tourism sector to engage with the media.

I entered this industry as a trainee in 2009 and have now spent 17 years guiding tourists across Shanxi. I have witnessed our once barren land transform into a vibrant cultural tourism destination. To me, a guide is not just a navigator or narrator, but a guardian of safety, a warm messenger of local culture, and a window through which visitors see our province. I have led tens of thousands of travelers through our mountains and rivers, always striving to tell Shanxi's stories with genuine feeling. My commitment is to help more people understand Shanxi and fall in love with Chinese civilization through warm, trustworthy service.

Zhang Xiaoxu, tour guide at Shanxi Rongshi Travel Agency

I came to the hometown of Chairman Mao Zedong, Shaoshan in Hunan province, in 2007 and have been a commentator for 19 years. Over this time, I have given more than 7,000 voluntary tours. People often ask if I get bored telling the same history repeatedly. My answer is always no, because every audience is different, and each retelling is a fresh dialogue with the past. I see the spark in young students' eyes and the genuine awe of foreign visitors, which reminds me that revolutionary stories are not static records but a living, flowing river.

Li Ying, deputy director of the ideological and political education center of the Shaoshan administration in Hunan province

I have been creating dance works for over 20 years. Dance is an ancient art, and timeless performances exist across different eras. Dance is a universal language that needs no translation. Our creations come from the people and are meant to return to the people. The sincerity in our work is forged through countless revisions, intensive creative discussions, and relentless refinement of every movement. Though choreographers work behind the scenes, our hearts remain close to our audience.

Zhou Liya, first-class choreographer of China Oriental Performing Arts Group

I joined the library in 2008 and have worked here for 18 years. During this time, I have witnessed many touching moments — for instance, helping a 70-year-old man find a 30-year-old newspaper notice that reunited him with his relatives, and watching a family of three generations, eight people in total, come to our weekly reading club, making reading a true family tradition. Our collection holds thousands of ancient texts, which serve as spiritual nourishment for our small town. These experiences have taught me that a library is far more than a book depository — it radiates knowledge, warmth, and a sense of home.

Liu Ting, curator of Luliang County Library in Yunnan province

I grew up in a bamboo-carving family in Xianyou, Fujian province, learning the craft in my father's workshop from childhood. I have been carving bamboo for 30 years and have developed my own preservation technique to prevent insect damage, cracking and mildew by boiling and steaming the bamboo to remove its internal sugars and proteins. This method, developed through years of trial and error, has become my unique contribution. To pass on this heritage, I now train young apprentices by offering classes and providing food and living allowances to dedicated trainees, so they can continue learning and keep this traditional craft alive.

Wang Xinming, inheritor of Xianyou bamboo carving, an intangible cultural heritage in Fujian province