Introduction

“Dew turns into frost since tonight; the moon viewed at home is brighter.”Hometown is the most haunting place in everyone’s heart.Wherever you go,the scenery and customs of your hometown will always be the most unforgettable.When we recalled our hometown,what came to us first is its history and culture.The culture of one’s hometown is not only the most vivid,lasting,vibrant and influential resources of a place,but also an important foundation for strengthening the emotional ties among people of a place,promoting the unity of them and maintaining social stability.Teenagers,future constructors of their hometowns,are in the critical period of the initial formation of their outlook on the world,values and life.It is the most feasible and resonating way for teenagers to receive patriotic,ideological and moral education through learning the long history and brilliant culture of their hometowns.

Baoding,with a long history and a brilliant culture,is one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization.Tang Yao Culture,Yan Culture,Loyalty Culture of the Three Kingdoms,Zhili Culture,Counter-Japanese War Culture of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Area and the modern literature represented by a group of Baoding writers after the founding of the People’s Republic of China have constituted a glorious chapter for the history book of Chinese civilization.The profound history and culture cast a unique humanistic spirit.In ancient times,there was the loyalty culture represented by Jing Ke’s assassination of Emperor Qin and the oath in the peach garden; in modern times,there were heroic stories in the Counter-Japanese war,such as the tunnel warfare and the five heroes on the Langya Mountain.Baoding is the hometown of Zu Chongzhi,Guan Hanqing and other historical and cultural figures well-known in the whole world,and it is also known as the“Hometown of Chinese Traditional Opera”and the“Cradle of Champions,”etc.In short,the culture inherited from generation to generation has nurtured a great number of brilliant figures and constructed a splendid civilization building of Baoding.

Knowing and loving Baoding’s culture,and uniting,guiding,inspiring people with the culture are our historical responsibilities.In order to promote the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region and to publicize and display Baoding’s great strategic opportunities,special location advantages and profound cultural heritage to people at home and abroad,we have compiled My Lovely Hometown: Baoding,which shows Baoding’s history,culture,human resources,literature and art,industrial structure and city appearance from different levels and perspectives in a simple manner.This book can not only become a carrier for the promotion of Baoding,but also enhance the teenagers’ perception and recognition of Baoding’s rich cultural heritage,and establish their confidence and determination to build Baoding better.