Wang Meng, the eminent Chinese writer and former minister of China’s Ministry of Culture, has been appointed as distinguished professor at Shanxi University, where he delivered a lecture titledCulture and Confidenceon Oct 12.

Wang Meng (left), a famous Chinese author and former minister at China’s Ministry of Culture, is presented with a certificate confirming his appointment as distinguished professor at Shanxi University by Jia Suotang (right), the university’s president, on Oct 12. [Photo/sxu.edu.cn]

Wang delivers a lecture focused on his interpretation of Chinese culture and how to improve cultural awareness and confidence. [Photo/sxu.edu.cn]

His speech offered a number of proposals on how to develop cultural confidence, skillfully citing China’s abundant cultural heritage since ancient times, including theBook of Changes, theAnalects of Confucius, as well as the New Culture Movement and the revolutions led by the Communist Party of China. He also analyzed current cultural trends at home and abroad.

Wang encouraged his audience to carry forward the traditional Chinese values of integrity, righteousness and inclusiveness, and preserve and glorify the elegant Chinese cultural traditions such as Chinese characters, literature, calligraphy and painting, cuisine, and customs.

Wang called on people to respect and value the substantial accumulations of historical treasures and experience over time.

He said that Chinese cultural confidence should be progressive and innovative, filled with vitality, inclusiveness and adaptability.

Professor Wang amuses his audience by sharing his own experiences to highlight how important it is to maintain self-confidence in the continuous study of human wisdom. [Photo/sxu.edu.cn]

Wang Meng is a preeminent Chinese author and has served as honorary president of the China Writers’ Association and China’s Minister of Culture. He has published more than 60 books, including six novels, ten collections of short stories, along with works of poetry, prose and critical essays. He won the Mao Dun Literature Prize, one of the most prestigious literature prizes in China, for hisScenery on This Side in 2015. His works have been translated into more than 20 different languages.