Editor's note: "The Numbers of a Decade: A Journey through China's Modernization" is an interactive multimedia product developed by CGTN. It recounts the past decade's developments in China after the conclusion of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). This article offers a glimpse of insights that the product offers on the cultural sector. Click here for the complete experience.

"Chinese culture is like the trunk of a tree, while individual ethnic cultures are branches and leaves; only when the roots are deep and the trunk is strong can the branches and leaves grow well," Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the Central Conference on Ethnic Affairs on August 27, 2021.

Tending to this tree, the government took a range of initiatives to not only meet people's contemporary cultural needs but also preserve history.

Government spending on culture, tourism, sports and media rose steadily in the past 10 years. It more than doubled from 189.34 billion yuan ($29.15 billion) in 2011 to 424.56 billion yuan ($61.63 billion) in 2020.

By building infrastructures like libraries, museums and galleries, the government has not only been preserving historical treasures but also providing spaces for people to practice and cherish the traditions they hold dear.

Young Chinese people's comfort with their own culture is reflected in the increasing demand for domestic brands and the popularity of traditional clothing styles such as Hanfu.

China is home to 55 ethnic minority groups, of which 52 have their own spoken languages besides Mandarin Chinese. All these ethnic groups have distinct customs and traditions which are highlighted the best at their festivals.

In the past decade, these groups continued to hold their time-honored festivals with the government's support.

Moreover, China has been going above and beyond in nurturing a strong culture of sports and fitness. It has been forging ahead with its national strategies of Fitness-for-All, Healthy China Initiative and Building China into a Country Strong in Sports.

A large number of public sports and fitness facilities were also built in China in the past 10 years for strengthening the culture of fitness and raising awareness about health among the masses.

Furthermore, as many as 16 sites in China, including the Grand Canal, and eight Chinese elements, including Tai Chi (shadow boxing), were added to UNESCO's lists of world heritage and intangible cultural heritage between 2011 and 2021.

Meanwhile, the past decade saw groundbreaking archaeological discoveries, ranging from paleolithic sites of global significance to excavations that shed light on the roots of the Chinese civilization.

For more details about China's accomplishments in the cultural arena and an in-depth account of China's overall journey in the past decade, visit "The Numbers of a Decade: A Journey through China's Modernization."