A mountain house road, half of modern history. In the historical transformation of modern China, Zhuhai has taken the lead in the trend and has emerged a large number of outstanding talents who have influenced and changed China's modern history in many fields such as politics, economy, military, culture, education, diplomacy, and agriculture.

Over the years, Macao scholar Lin Guangzhi has been committed to digging deep into the historical and cultural roots of Zhuhai and Macao from the perspective of modern Chinese history, and promoting the in-depth integration and development of Zhuhai and Macao cultures. Tangjia Ancient Town, which carries the profound historical and cultural heritage of Xiangshan, has become an important academic research "bonanza" for Lin Guangzhi and his team. He led the team of Macau University of Science and Technology to participate in the exhibition design and preparation for the Zhuhai Study Abroad Cultural Center, which has become an important bridge for cultural exchanges and cooperation between Zhuhai and Macao.

Recently, "For the Strivers", jointly created by Yangcheng Evening News and Zhuhai High-tech New Construction Investment, had an exclusive conversation with Lin Guangzhi, Director of the Institute of Social and Cultural Studies of Macau University of Science and Technology and Executive Deputy Director of the Macao Historical Research Center of the Chinese Academy of History, to discuss how Zhuhai and Macao can work together to continue their historical and cultural roots and jointly build a "Humanistic Bay Area".

Tangjia Ancient Town is an important birthplace and gathering place of Xiangshan culture

《為奮鬥者》：It is said that Xiangshan culture is an important component of Lingnan culture, how do you understand this? What are the main research positions of Xiangshan culture that you and your team have?

Lin Guangzhi:中華文明五千多年的歷史涵養了其鮮明的文化特質，又聚合形成了統一的理念體系，連續性、創新性、統一性、包容性、和平性，這五個突出特性使得中華文化在歷史長河中不斷延續。而嶺南文化區別於中原、江南等地方文化，站在中華民族對外開放前沿，深受嶺南地域影響而逐漸形成的香山地區正是其開放性、包容性和創新性最精粹的地方。

Another very important feature of Xiangshan culture is its influence on the world. In the past, we said that Macao is a window and bridge for cultural exchanges between China and the West, and whether we can say that the Xiangshan area is a bridge and window for cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries, I think it is completely valid. If Macao is a lotus flower, then its rhizome is backed by the land of the motherland, and the place where it blooms is the Xiangshan area.

A lotus flower blooms with three petals, and the three regions of Macao, Zhuhai and Zhongshan are inseparable. It can be said that our main positions for studying and promoting Xiangshan culture are in Macao, Zhuhai and Zhongshan. On the one hand, Macau University of Science and Technology has already set up a Xiangshan Cultural Studies course as an elective course for all undergraduates, and then we have also integrated Xiangshan culture into the curriculum of doctoral students, such as Tang Tingshu, Zheng Guanying and "The Danger of the Prosperous Age" have appeared in the questions of our doctoral entrance examination. On the other hand, the Xiangshan Cultural Forum, which has been held for many years, is to consider the Xiangshan area as a whole, and the three regions of Macao, Zhuhai and Zhongshan should join hands to refine the connotation and value of Xiangshan culture and the enlightenment significance of Xiangshan culture for the present, unite and connect Xiangshan people around the world, and truly build the Xiangshan cultural brand.

Culture is fluid and expanding, with change and innovation. The individual can be a carrier of culture, and in the continuous innovation of culture, it has become the consensus of the society through the individual entering the collective creation, so that the culture has a social character. It is difficult to preserve culture if it is not accepted by society, so it is particularly important to popularize and promote society.

Therefore, we have taken Zhuhai Tangjia Ancient Town as an important position. As the core area of "China's famous historical and cultural town", it is a very important birthplace and gathering place of Xiangshan culture, a "cultural gene bank", and a cultural field for cultural popularization and development in it, and a "cultural petri dish".

aterabigbackgroundUnder the study of the culture of study abroad

《為奮鬥者》：Why youandMacau University of Science and TechnologyTeam,chooseParticipatedZhuhaiStudy abroad cultural centerChen ZhanwaitConstruction work？

Lin Guangzhi:Zhuhai Study Abroad Cultural Center is the first exhibition hall in China with the theme of study abroad culture.When we think about the opening up of the Chinese nation, we have to think about the role played by the Xiangshan region in this process, so we are fortunate to participate in the topic of the exhibition outline of the Study Abroad Cultural Center.

We have noticed that from the perspective of studying abroad, Macao is the first place for Chinese to go out. During the imperial examination era, Tang Baochen, who had already worked in Macao and had seen the world, sent his three sons, Tang Tinggui, Tang Tingshu, and Tang Tinggeng, to study "Western-style" at the Morrison School in Macao, which required considerable courage and foresight. A group of elites, such as Rong Hong, Tang Tingshu, and Huang Kuan, went out of Macao to learn advanced Western ideas. In the process, they saw the distance between China and the world at that time, and became the "fire thieves" of modern civilization in the real sense, they learned Western concepts, technologies, and ideas, and this group of people was the first batch of activators, participants, and promoters of Western learning. This group of pioneers who studied abroad not only directly participated in and promoted the Westernization Movement, but also directly participated in and promoted modernization.

The study of international students should be combined with the fate of our country and the background of the great changes we have not seen in a century.

When we received the invitation from Ms. Xu Huiping in the summer of 2022, we already had a foundation for studying abroad history. We have been doing Tang Tingshu research, Zheng Guanying research, and Rong Hong research, so in recent years, we have established the Tang Tingshu Research Center, the Zheng Guanying Research Center, and the Macao History Research Center of the Chinese Academy of History, so that our research is not only limited to Macao, but also looks to the mainland of the motherland through Macao, and closely integrates Macao with the tribulations and disputes experienced by the entire country and nation in modern times and its rise.

第一個方面，我們盡可能地挖掘所有的有關留學的史料，我們事實上呈現出來的僅僅是部分的史料，它背後還有超過十幾萬字的整篇大綱。我們的主線是以珠海人為主線，包括我們現在可看到的容閎、唐廷樞、鄭觀應等人。招收幼童的這個過程，也體現了珠海人勇於開拓、堅持不懈的精神。

The second aspect is to show that they use the power of their townships, especially Tang Tingshu, Zheng Guanying, Xu Run and others, with the power of Xiangshan nationality, to support the first batch of fellow villagers to go overseas without knowing what the future holds. It can be seen that they have a great kind of experimentation, and even a certain degree of adventure.

The third aspect is about their contributions to the country whether they are abroad or after returning from school, which is also an important part of our summary, that is, how international students repay the country and the overall national spirit of learning from the advanced.

Let the history and culture of Tangjia Ancient Town and Xiangshan come alive

《為奮鬥者》：Xiangshan culture is formed by the fusion of Zhuhai, Macao and Zhongshan, how do you think Zhuhai and Macao complement each other in promoting the development and construction of Xiangshan culture? What role can Tangjia Ancient Town play?

Lin Guangzhi:The "Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area" positions the development of Macao as "building a base for exchange and cooperation with Chinese culture as the mainstream and multicultural coexistence", and I think this positioning is not only limited to Macao, but also to the Xiangshan area. One of the most significant is the ancient town of Tangjia, we should not only pay attention to the past of Tangjia, but also pay attention to its present and future.

The Institute of Social and Cultural Studies of Macau University of Science and Technology has set up a social practice base for doctoral students in Tangjia Ancient Town, which is not only for listing, but also for participating in the development and revitalization of the ancient town.

In recent years, Zhuhai High-tech Zone has attached great importance to street renovation and cultural protection and inheritance, and Tangjiawan Ancient Town has undergone great changes. The completion and opening of the Study Abroad Hall and the Acacia Hall, as well as the "Ancient Town Renewal Plan", show that the ancient town of Tangjia is still changing, and tomorrow will be better.

Old street scene of Tangjia Ancient Town Photo provided by the interviewee" data-original-comment="Old street scene of Tangjia Ancient Town Photo provided by the interviewee"/>

Macau University of Science and Technology is willing to participate in it, so that the spirit of history and culture, the spirit of Xiangshan people, and the spirit of Tangjiawan can be expressed in a more three-dimensional and concrete way, so that Tangjiawan is not only a famous historical and cultural town, but also an ancient town with a historical atmosphere, a modern atmosphere, and a national spirit.

The current street view of Tangjia Ancient Town Photo provided by the interviewee" data-original-comment="The current street scene of Tangjia Ancient Town Photo provided by the interviewee"/>

Text: Li Xu

Photo courtesy of the interviewee