Jackie Chan aims to promote culture

Jackie Chan recalled the moment he received the Academy Honorary Award for his lifelong effort to persist in making movies in his own comic-action style.

Chan, a CPPCC National Committee member, was attending a news conference on culture for the fifth session of the 12th CPPCC National Committee during the two sessions in Beijing on Tuesday.

"I used to act in roles that I was not suitable for in Hollywood. Now, after 30 years, I see China's development, I see China's big film market, and I see every important thing happening here. I know it's not me who earns respect, it's the country, and its 1.4 billion people who back me up," he said.

A household name in China, Chan is considering how to combine more cultural elements with his kung fu movies, adding that he attends formal events only in Tang suits, which signals his identity as Chinese.

"As more international filmmakers come to China to cooperate, we're offered an opportunity to gain more global appeal for our cultural products, including films," he added.

Chan's confidence with what's Chinese is echoed by a recent nationwide passion toward learning and revaluing treasures from traditional culture, noted China Central Television hostess Hai Xia, who also attended the news conference.

Several television shows have added fuel to that trend, Hai said.

Moreover, calligraphy, which the Chinese have been practicing for thousands of years, is becoming more popular at Chinese schools, and CPPCC member Su Shishu is advocating to include the art into the school curriculum.

"The problem is that we don't have enough teachers," Su said.

Meanwhile, writer Feng Jicai, also a CPPCC member, has been making efforts since 2012 to save traditional villages, 4,153 of which were selected and enlisted by the architecture authority as representative ones.

"Many people have left villages for cities. The problem is how to keep them, and help them get richer by not hurting the old architecture and customs of the traditional villages," Feng said. "The villages carry with them the country's memories, values and cultural genes."

"Traditional culture is what brings happiness and peace," Feng said, adding that the country has 1,372 performances, practices, costumes and skills listed as intangible cultural heritage at the national level, which is a great treasure for younger generations.

Liu Changle, president of Phoenix Television, shared his views on the elements that attract a global audience: the beautiful, the true and the things full of Chinese features. He cited the successful acceptance of the song Jasmine Flower in the West as an example.

"The world awaits new Chinese stories, and I suppose our anti-corruption campaign is a good one among the many," Liu said.