Shandong has formulated a number of progressive plans to carry forward excellent traditional Chinese culture and the inheritance of red culture such as the Yimeng spirit.

In September 2017, Shandong issued the "work plan for the development of excellent traditional Chinese culture in Shandong province", which clearly states that Shandong should be a good leader in the inheritance and development of traditional Chinese culture.

By 2025, Shandong should basically have formed a system of inheriting and developing the excellent traditional Chinese culture, and developed a research and elucidation system, universal education, a practical cultural cultivation system, and systems for inheritance protection and exchange.

In August 2017, the province issued "opinions on vigorously promoting the spirit of Yimeng", which proposed deepening research and elucidation, innovating ways to develop public awareness and promoting education inheritance. Literary and artistic creations with a Yimeng theme have since flourished, and red-themed tourist routes have become popular.

Qufu is the core area for the inheritance and promotion of traditional culture. In January 2018, Shandong issued the "construction plan for Qufu traditional cultural heritage development demonstration zone".

The plan anticipates building a cultural highland that will lead in fashion, serve society, and promote cultural development and exchange by 2020.

By 2030, Qufu is expected to become a leading region with international influence and the world's oriental spiritual home.

To realize creative development of excellent traditional culture and carry out the red gene inheritance project, Shandong should dig deep into the ideological and moral essence contained in Qifu culture, and let the cultural genes integrate with economic production and life through innovative practice. 

In a variety of ways the province has introduced excellent traditional culture into teaching materials, classrooms and communities, promoted the "four virtues" of good deeds and made good use of historical culture and revolutionary cultural resources, including an education base, to cultivate political and moral integrity.

In 2018, Shandong held the Nishan Forum on World Civilizations and the World Confucian Conference, vigorously implemented inheritance of the Yimeng spirit in a demonstration project, held seminars on the theory of the Yimeng spirit and the relationship between the Party and the public in the new era, and promoted the creative transformation and innovative development of traditional Chinese culture.

Building a strong cultural province must have strong support from the cultural industry. Shandong province has included the cultural and creative industries and boutique tourism industry in its top ten industries eligible for new and old kinetic energy conversion.

In 2018, the "Shandong province cultural and creative industry development plan (2018-2022)" was issued.

According to the plan, by 2022, the added value of the province's cultural and creative industries is expected to exceed 600 billion yuan ($89.5 billion), accounting for six percent of GDP.

The province will focus on major fields such as cultural tourism, film and television performing arts, publishing media, creative design, cultural exhibitions and trade and cultural manufacturing.

For the film and television industry, the province issued the "Shandong Province Film and Television Industry Development Plan (2018-2022)", and proposed to make the Qingdao Lingshan Bay Film and Television Cultural Industry Area the leader in building a national world-class film and television industry base, radiating and driving a group of distinctive film and television industry parks, and forming a “1+N” film and television base (park) layout in the province. 

Quality tourism is required for high-quality development. The "special plan (2018-2022) for the development of quality tourism in Shandong province" proposes that by 2022, Shandong will have achieved more than 40 billion yuan from the cultural quality tourism industry, and created more than 300 cultural tourism scenic spots featuring distinct cultural themes and complete facilities.

A scene from the national opera Yimeng Mountain. [Photo/zhonghongwang.com]

A pupil learns Chinese zither at a village cultural practice station in Qufu, East China's Shandong province on Nov 20. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Confucian Temple in Qufu, a county-level city of Jining, Shandong province. [Photo/VCG]