On the land of Yan and Zhao, along the banks of the Hutuo River, Zhengding in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, has become a popular summer tourist destination with its rich historical and cultural heritage and unique traditional cultural experiences. How can this ancient city, with a history of over 1600 years of construction, continue to thrive? Recently, reporters visited Zhengding to explore its vibrant and new "code" of vitality. 'Rong' - The prosperous history endows profound cultural heritage. On the south side of Kaiyuan Temple on Yanzhao South Street, a row of long glass curtain walls attract attention. Inside the curtain wall, it is the first large-scale urban archaeological excavation project in Hebei Province that overlaps ancient and modern times - the Kaiyuan Temple South Site archaeological site. Historical relics such as ancient wells, ancient city walls, and ancient streets and alleys are clearly visible. After six years of archaeological work, we have discovered the continuous cultural layering of seven historical periods: Tang, Five Dynasties, Northern Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing. We have discovered 326 types of relics and unearthed more than 7000 recoverable artifacts, elucidating the development of the ancient city of Zhengding from the Tang Dynasty to the Ming and Qing Dynasties Dr. Zhai Pengfei from Hebei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, who participated in the entire archaeological excavation work, spoke with pride. A square inch overlaps the past and present, and a thousand years can be seen within a short distance. Zhengding, formerly known as Changshan and Zhending, has been the administrative center of counties, states, roads, and prefectures since the Northern Wei Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It has long been the political, economic, military, and cultural center of central and southern Hebei Yu Pinglan, Secretary General of the Zhengding Ancient Culture Research Association, said. The prosperous and long history endows Zhengding with profound cultural accumulation and leaves behind numerous brilliant ancient architectural relics. The only existing bell tower in China, the Kaiyuan Temple Bell Tower in the Tang Dynasty, and the existing Longxing Temple, a large Buddhist building group in the Song Dynasty with an earlier age in China... Within the ancient city of less than 10 square kilometers, there are 10 national cultural relics protection units and 5 provincial cultural relics protection units. Architect Liang Sicheng has visited Zhengding multiple times and was pleasantly surprised by the richness and preciousness of ancient architectural culture, saying that "I cannot help but admire and admire it". Over the past few decades, relevant departments and localities have continuously increased their efforts to protect cultural relics and ancient buildings in Zhengding, striving to revive cultural heritage with dignity and value, and restore the style of Zhengding Ancient City as a northern town. History is the bone of a city, culture is the soul of a city, and historical and cultural value is the support of the ancient city of Zhengding Wang Zhimin, Vice President of the Zhengding Ancient Culture Research Association, said that today, efforts should be made to protect, inherit, and enhance the historical and cultural values, so that the ancient city can retain its charm and shine with new colors. 'Rong' - the characteristic of inclusiveness gathers diverse cultures. Walking on the streets of Zhengding, people can always discover the diversity and coexistence of cultures. In the Fu Wen Temple, which was founded and built in the Song Dynasty, tourists can feel the Confucian style and elegant charm that has been passed down for thousands of years; One kilometer south leads to Linji Temple, the ancestral home of the Linji sect of Buddhism, which was founded in the Eastern Wei Dynasty. The temple is bustling with pilgrims. On the streets and alleys, halal food shops such as shaomai and braised chicken live adjacent to the local specialty "Eight Bowls"... "The outstanding inclusiveness of Chinese civilization is vividly reflected in Zhengding." Wang Zhimin believes that on the one hand, Zhengding is known as the "north-south thoroughfare and throat of Yan and Jin" in history, where the agricultural civilization of the Central Plains and the nomadic civilization of the north intersect and collide; On the other hand, the fusion of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism in one city also allows the ancient city to have cultural inclusiveness. The unique historical and cultural background has created the open and inclusive urban characteristics of Zhengding. The openness and inclusiveness of Zhengding have also contributed to the prosperity and flourishing of the economy and literature in the history of the ancient city. The South Gate leads north, and the Yanghe Tower, standing tall on the central axis of the Zhengding Ancient City, is grand and quaint. After reconstruction, this historic building, once known as the "Town Mansion Giant Temple," has now become a grand stage for the people's arts and culture. As night falls, various cultural and artistic programs are staged here, enriching people's spiritual life. During the Jin and Yuan dynasties, the area around Yanghe Tower was once the busiest in Zhending, with numerous taverns and tea houses, exuding a festive atmosphere of the common people. This place once gathered Yuan opera writers such as Bai Pu, and classic works such as "The Wall and the Horse" were created, performed, and passed down here. Zhengding has become an important birthplace and flourishing place of Yuan opera as a result Peng Huiheng, inheritor of intangible cultural heritage of Hebei Bangzi and winner of the Chinese Drama Plum Blossom Award, said. Time flies, the ancient music still echoes in the city, and the people of the ancient city still love to play. In recent years, Peng Huiheng often went to Yanghe Tower to perform classic plays for the people, and also led students to sort out the folk music collected from the people, trying to find more connections between local opera genres such as Hebei Bangzi, Pingju, and Sixian and Yuanqu. Every time I perform, watching the entire audience listening intently, I feel everyone's love for traditional opera, and I am even more determined to pass on the ancient art Peng Huiheng said. 'Integration' - The concept of fusion inspires urban vitality. During the day, the ancient city of Zhengding is crowded with people, and tourists dressed in Hanfu linger in the ancient streets and alleys. Traditional costumes and quaint architecture complement each other. At night, the Zhengding Small Commodity Night Market is bustling with people, and the misty fireworks light up the night economy and soothe the hearts of ordinary people. Here, people and cities, history and modernity, culture and economy blend and coexist. In Wang Zhimin's view, the reason why the ancient Zhengding is thriving is because it has taken the right path of "developing in protection and protecting in development". With minimal intervention and maximum preservation, the ancient city integrates more modern life atmosphere - Zhengding has upgraded and renovated the small streets and alleys in the main urban area, maximizing the preservation of the original architectural style and style of the streets and alleys, optimizing spatial layout, improving living environment, and perfecting public facilities, making Baixing Home both commercial and residential. Using culture to shape tourism and tourism to showcase culture, the integration of culture and tourism stimulates the vitality of urban economic development - Rongguo Prefecture deeply explores the culture of the Red Chamber and launches immersive and characteristic live performances such as "Yuan Fei Sheng Qin" and "Dai Yu Jin Fu" to enrich the experience of tourists; Characteristic tourist districts such as Nanguan Ancient Town and Wangquan Ancient Street integrate traditional cultural elements into various consumption scenarios, becoming leisure "check-in spots" for residents and tourists. The reporter learned from the Propaganda Department of Zhengding County Committee that in the first half of 2024, the number of tourists in Zhengding reached 33.9786 million, an increase of 327.71% year-on-year. Next, Zhengding will continue to stimulate the vitality of cultural heritage and promote economic development through the concept of integration. In Longxing Temple, there are green trees and tourists come and go. Du Ping, Deputy Director of Zhengding County Cultural Relics Preservation Institute, has once again started the safety inspection of cultural relics in this ancient architectural complex. Every brick and tile, every hall and building, every stone and monument, every blade of grass and every tree here embodies the wisdom of ancient craftsmen and the hard work of successive cultural relic protection workers Du Ping said that every time he is here, he feels the weight of the responsibility he shoulders. Time is changing, but inheritance remains unchanged. People are changing, but protection remains unchanged. I will always uphold my passion, constantly improve my professional abilities, and do my best to protect the cultural roots of the ancient city, striving to make these cultural treasures shine with new vitality in the new era Du Ping said. (New Society)