"He who writes works that will endure must first have a heart that seeks to endure." In the year, the highly acclaimed writer Lu Yao, who had won the National Outstanding Novella Award for two consecutive years, decided to turn away from the "warm atmosphere" around him and embark on "a distant expedition with an uncertain future." After years of painstaking effort and arduous journey, he published the novel "Ordinary World." Over the years, this ambitious work, which aimed to "give history a profound account," has become a classic of inspiration for generations of young people, and a banner for Chinese literary creation to uphold the spirit of realism.

President Xi Jinping, who is very familiar with Lu Yao and once lived in the same cave dwelling, often talks with him about literature and ideals. President Xi has mentioned Lu Yao on multiple occasions, fully affirming the literary and epochal value of his works, and praising his creative attitude of "working like an ox and contributing like the earth." Throughout history, both in China and abroad, outstanding literary and artistic works are always the crystallization of the creators' talent and hard work, reflecting the cultural creativity and level of a country and a nation.

In the re-publication of President Xi Jinping's keynote speech at the symposium on literary and artistic work on October 15, 2014, in the 2023 issue of the Seeking Truth magazine, President Xi clearly pointed out that "the ultimate measure of the literary and artistic achievements of an era is the works. To promote the flourishing development of literature and art, the most fundamental thing is to create outstanding works that are worthy of our great nation and great era"; emphasized that "without excellent works, no matter how lively or flashy other activities are, they are merely superficial, unable to truly penetrate the spiritual world of the people, touch their souls, or evoke ideological resonance among the people"; and required literary and artistic workers to remember that creation is their central task and works are their foundation, urging them to calm down, strive for excellence in their creations, and offer the best spiritual sustenance to the people, "It is essential to take the creation and production of outstanding works as the central link in literary and artistic work, striving to create and produce more excellent works that spread contemporary Chinese values, embody Chinese cultural spirit, reflect the aesthetic pursuits of the Chinese people, and are organically unified in terms of ideological, artistic, and观赏性, forming a situation where 'the pen can carry the weight of a hundred cauldrons'."

Two years later, at the opening ceremony of the 10th National Congress of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the 9th National Congress of the China Writers Association, the General Secretary further described what outstanding works should look like: "Classics become classics because they necessarily contain enduring beauty, eternal emotion, and a vast spirit. Through themes, character creation, emotional construction, artistic conception, and language, classics encompass profound and flowing inner worlds and vibrant, authentic lives, incorporating historical, cultural, and humanistic connotations. They possess the penetrating power of thought, the insightful power of aesthetic appreciation, and the creative power of form, which is why they remain timeless."

Literary and artistic creation is a hard creative labor that cannot tolerate even a hint of falsehood. Those outstanding works of art that are widely acclaimed, spread far and wide, and endure through time are all forged with steadfast perseverance and painstaking effort. In response to the issues in China's literary and artistic creation during a certain period, such as the phenomenon of "having quantity but lacking quality, having 'plateaus' but lacking 'peaks'," the problems of "plagiarism, imitation, and uniformity," and "mechanical production and fast-food consumption," the General Secretary pointed out sharply that the root cause lies in "impatience" and sternly warned of its dangers: "It not only misleads creation but also allows vulgar works to prevail, leading to the phenomenon of bad money driving out good money," "Rushing for quick success and instant benefits, overexploiting resources, and producing shoddy work not only harm the arts but also harm social spiritual life"; he cautioned that "to gain recognition from the people, mere showmanship won't do, opportunism won't do, seeking fame and reputation won't do, self-promotion won't do, and 'big sedan chairs carried by people' won't do"; he urged literary and artistic workers to "aim high," "strive for perfection," and possess the artistic determination of "sitting on a cold bench for ten years" and the persistent pursuit of "words that shock the world." The General Secretary particularly emphasized the need to "overcome the stubborn problem of impatience, resist the temptation of quick success and instant benefits, and shoddy production, and create more high-quality and high-caliber works with a focused attitude, a professional spirit, and solid effort."

"Poetry and prose follow the course of the times, and there is no day without innovation." Innovation is the lifeblood of literature and art. Literary and artistic creation is a deep innovation that combines ideas and techniques, integrates content and form, and is an integration of various artistic and technical elements, as well as the connection between vision and creativity. The General Secretary emphasizes that the spirit of innovation should run through the entire process of literary and artistic creation, encouraging bold exploration and vigorous progress, focusing on enhancing originality, and striving to expand themes, content, forms, and techniques. This will drive the combination of ideas and techniques, the integration of content and form, and the mutual reflection of various artistic and technical elements, making the works even more brilliant and captivating.

The profound and extensive Chinese civilization is the unique spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation, the foundation of contemporary Chinese literature and art, and also a treasure trove for artistic innovation. The General Secretary emphasized that it is necessary to combine the new conditions of the times to inherit and promote the excellent traditional Chinese culture, to inherit and promote the spirit of Chinese aesthetics, to explore the ideological concepts, humanistic spirit, and moral norms of the excellent traditional Chinese culture, to integrate artistic creativity with the value of Chinese culture, to combine the spirit of Chinese aesthetics with contemporary aesthetic pursuits, and to activate the vitality of Chinese culture. At the same time, it is important to grasp the relationship between inheritance and innovation, to learn from the ancients without being bound by them, to break the rules without violating them, to adhere to the use of ancient wisdom for modern purposes and foreign knowledge for Chinese use, to make dialectical choices, to innovate by discarding the old and bringing forth the new, to eliminate negative factors, to inherit positive thoughts, to persist in remembering the past, absorbing foreign elements, and facing the future, to transform through inheritance, to surpass through learning, to create more outstanding works that embody the essence of Chinese culture, reflect the aesthetic pursuits of the Chinese people, spread contemporary Chinese values, and are in line with the progressive trends of the world, so that Chinese literature and art can stand out in the world with distinctive Chinese characteristics, style, and spirit.

Innovation lies in forging a unique path and not being constrained by conventional forms, but it is crucial to maintain the right balance. The General Secretary warns everyone, "Innovation in the arts is important, but we must not create bizarre and discordant works," "Striving for novelty and pursuing the bizarre will not lead to excellence, but is more likely to result in mediocrity."

Cultural and artistic innovation cannot be achieved without technological progress. Over the years, various art forms have been integrated and interconnected, and various expressive forms have been cross-blended. The internet, big data, artificial intelligence, and other technologies have facilitated the innovation of artistic forms, broadening the space for the arts. Works such as "Tang Palace Banquet," "The Wandering Earth," and "Chang'an Three Thousand Miles" have fully leveraged technological support such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence, offering audiences an unprecedented audiovisual aesthetic experience. The broad community of cultural and artistic workers must adapt to the development of the times, boldly becoming the "tide-riders" of the era, actively utilizing new technologies and new means to inspire creative inspiration, enrich cultural connotations, and express thoughts and emotions, bringing about a new realm of artistic creation that is even more profound and promising.