Taking the local history of Lyuliang to the world

In Lyuliang, the past is always present. Visitors to the city in Shanxi province will find history almost everywhere: in former revolutionary sites, in village stories and in the songs that endured the years of war.

During the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), Lyuliang was integral to the Jin-Sui border region. The struggle during that period gave rise to what is now known as the Lyuliang Spirit, a tribute to the sacrifices of soldiers and civilians during wartime, and a source of inspiration to overcome severe poverty and adversity.

That rich history deserves to be known beyond China. But sharing it with a global audience is a challenge. For those unfamiliar with China's revolutionary history, the stories of Lyuliang might seem distant. The key lies in finding effective ways to communicate the revolutionary heritage to an international audience.

Instead of presenting it as a lesson for the world, the focus should be on making the history accessible and engaging.

The first step is ensuring historical accuracy. The Lyuliang University has established the Jin-Sui Research Institute, bringing together researchers in history, literature, art and foreign languages.

They have preserved and digitized vast amounts of historical material, including wartime newspapers and other documents.

Archives may seem less glamorous than documentaries or viral videos, but without reliable sources, international storytelling quickly becomes little more than publicity. Digitized newspapers give researchers abroad access to authentic historical data.

Researching the writings of foreign journalists, such as United States reporter Harrison Forman, can also help contextualize the Jin-Sui experience within a broader international narrative. Readers outside China may approach Chinese history with different assumptions, but this is no reason to rewrite the past to make it more palatable to outsiders.

Instead, providing sufficient context enables readers to understand what they see and then form their own opinions.

The greater challenge is fostering a connection with this history. While historical arguments can explain why the Lyuliang Spirit matters, cultural expressions — songs, novels or films — can evoke an emotional understanding of its importance. That is also why cultural forms should play a central role in sharing Lyuliang's history abroad.

The university has produced musical works and other projects drawing on local folk traditions. The revolutionary novel The Lyuliang Heroes is being translated into English and a documentary is being produced about artistic life in the Jin-Sui border region.

These projects should avoid the common mistake of over-explaining to foreign audiences. Often, what they need is a better story. Instead of simply stating that people in the revolutionary base areas demonstrated self-sacrifice and solidarity, it may be more compelling to depict the personal choices faced by families, villages or artists during wartime. The first approach tells an audience what to admire. The second gives them something to think about.

This is where digital technology can be useful. Virtual exhibitions, digital archives, short videos, and social-media platforms can bring Lyuliang's history to audiences thousands of miles away.

Lyuliang's traditional culture — paper-cutting, shadow puppetry and dough sculpture — is not merely local handicrafts. Properly presented, it can serve as a natural introduction to the region's history. A piece of folk art can spark curiosity, leading to a story, and ultimately fostering understanding.

Lyuliang University is exploring ways to weave stories of the region into such traditions, through bilingual embroidery, digital paper-cutting and online heritage experiences.

But technology is only the delivery mechanism. It cannot determine what stories are worth telling. A million views do not necessarily mean a million people understood the story. Nor does technological novelty make a historical narrative more convincing.

The true test is whether audiences feel invited into the history or are being lectured about it.

We need to rethink the approach to international cultural communication. Local history does not become universal simply because it has been translated into English or posted on foreign social platforms.

It becomes meaningful when it answers questions that resonate beyond its place of origin: How do ordinary people endure a catastrophe? What unites a community? How do memories of sacrifice endure when the generation that experienced them is gone?

Lyuliang has no shortage of answers to those questions. The challenge is to present them in a way that doesn't assume that the rest of the world already understands their significance.

Rather than asking others to share a memory that is not theirs, give them a way into it through the people who lived it and the choices they made.

That is what could give Lyuliang's revolutionary past a wider meaning. What began as a local history could evolve into a narrative for the rest of the world.

The author is the secretary of the Party Committee of Lyuliang University, Shanxi Province.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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