Since the age of antiquity, Chinese people have devoted themselves to the principles of cultivating one’s moral character, bringing order to one’s family and exercising good governance on one’s nation in order to bring peace to the world. Individuals attend to their own virtues when being poor and extend their help to others when being prosperous. Chinese people are devoted to both their families and their country, but when placed into the difficult position of having to choose between the two, many have chosen to dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to their country. General Secretary Xi Jinping has expressed the devotion that Chinese people have for their homes and country on many occasions, emphasizing that “our country must come first, because we have no home without our country” and “to fuse the love for our families with the love for our country, so that every individual and every family can contribute to the big family of the Chinese nation”. The National Museum of China has delved extensively into its collection of revolutionary artefacts for this exhibition, which showcases the devotion to home and country embodied by members of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and to implement key guidelines provided by General Secretary Xi Jinping on this topic.
The CPC has kept China’s fine traditional culture alive and strong, while being an active inheritor and advocate of revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture. From the moment the CPC was established, generations of CPC members have remained steadfast to the Party’s original aspirations and founding mission. They are loyal to the Party and the Chinese people, while dauntless in the face of setbacks, dangers, bloodshed and sacrifice. Consciously elevating their love for their families to the greater love for their country and people, they have integrated the fate of their families with the fate of the nation, creating countless poignant tales of epic accomplishments. For this exhibition on the theme of “devotion to home and country”, the museum has carefully selected over 170 precious documents and objects that showcase the commitment of CPC members to their families and their country, including final letters, manuscripts and personal letters. Through four sections, the exhibition vividly portrays CPC members in pursuit of their ideals on behalf of the Chinese nation and its people, their unwavering faith in their original aspirations and mission, despite their reluctance to part from their families and friends; their courage in the face of obstacles and self-sacrifice, and persistence in their struggles and pursuits on behalf of the people. This exhibition extols the passion, devotion and sacrifice shown by members of the CPC in their relentless pursuit of the Chinese Dream of great national rejuvenation in the new era.
General Secretary Xi Jinping has indicated that “each historical event, each display of revolutionary spirit, each revolutionary hero and artefact represents a major achievement along the glorious journey the Party has travelled. They represent the dreams, aspirations and commitment of the CPC, as well as the Party’s sense of responsibility, sacrifice and dedication. They are the revolutionary legacy of our Party.” The National Museum of China attaches great importance to the acquisition, collection, research and exhibition, and thoroughly leverages revolutionary artefacts as educational resources for the CPC’s history, revolutionary traditions and patriotic ideals.The museum sincerely hopes that this exhibition will help the general public gain a deeper understanding of the CPC members’ devotion to the Chinese nation and its people, carry forward the CPC’s glorious traditions and revolutionary legacy in the new journey of building China into a great modern socialist country, closely link their personal aspirations with the fate of the nation, and strive unremittingly to achieve the CPC’s Second Centenary Goal and the Chinese Dream of great national rejuvenation.