High-end products promote cultural prosperity

Edited and translated by People's Daily Online

Chinese people have gained equal and unrestricted access to cultural resources thanks to the establishment of socialism, dominance of socialist thought, development of productivity and information technology, as well as the construction of a well-off society. Culture originates from life, and meets people's spiritual demands. People participate in and evaluate cultural activities, and are influenced by these activities. Overall, socialism has brought about an epoch-making change in China's cultural history.

Cultural market is an important proving ground for cultural products. Only cultural products meet people's demands, can they be popular on the market, furthermore, it will exert a positive impact on social development. Terms such as the box office, circulation of publications, and television ratings, which are hardly mentioned before the reform and opening-up, have become popular in today's cultural lives.

However, cultural products are different from normal commercial products, and can exist over the long term. The Book of Odes and works of pre-Qin philosophers dating back thousands of years remain popular today because they still have great influence on the spiritual world of modern Chinese people, especially intellectuals. Evaluation of cultural products is not simply based on immediate market response, and requires professionalism and profound knowledge. Since ancient times, Chinese and foreign cultural giants who are also great philosophers, thinkers, scientists, artists, inventors, writers, engineers, or explorers have had extraordinary ideas, theories, discoveries, or inventions. They are the cultural symbol of a country and even an era. Sometimes, their spiritual achievements cannot immediately gain popularity, and the process of them being accepted by the public is circuitous.

Read the Chinese version at http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrbhwb/html/2012-03/01/content_1014798.htm?div=-1