Tracing Roots and Upholding Rituals: Cultivating People Through Culture

— Humon Group Organizes Traditional Culture Study Tour for Middle and Senior Management and Holds Quarterly Business Meeting

To deepen its cultural roots and draw on governance wisdom, Humon Group recently organized general managers, finance directors, and representatives of some middle-level managers from its subsidiaries to visit Qufu in Shandong Province, the birthplace of Confucian culture, to gain insights into traditional culture, cultivate a broader managerial perspective, and hold the Group’s first-quarter general manager work conference. This marks another significant journey for the Group to enhance its ideological and cultural capabilities, following its previous trip to Yan’an, a city steeped in revolutionary history.

Tracing Cultural Roots: Reflecting on the Confucian Spirit in the Hometown of Sages

In April, Qufu enjoys a serene and vibrant spring, steeped in a rich cultural heritage. The delegation visited the Confucius Temple, the Confucius Mansion, and the Confucius Cemetery, as well as the Confucius Museum, Luyuan Village, and the Nishan Sacred Land. Amidst a solemn and elegant atmosphere of ritual music and dance, they gained a comprehensive understanding of Confucius’s life, his philosophical system, and his enduring global influence that has spanned millennia.

At the Confucius Museum, visitors pause before the “Great Confucius” permanent exhibition, where they gain a profound understanding of the contemporary relevance of core Confucian tenets—such as “the benevolent love all people,” “governance by virtue,” and “cultivating oneself to bring peace to others”—through a rich array of historical artifacts, bamboo-strip texts, and cutting-edge digital displays.

At the Confucius Forest, visitors stroll slowly along the Sacred Way, paying their respects at Confucius’s tomb and at the burial site of Zigong’s hermitage, and amid the ancient trees and towering cypresses they come to appreciate the cultural tradition of “revering the end and remembering the distant past” as well as the profound ethical warmth of the master–disciple relationship, akin to that between father and son. Before the towering wall of the Temple of Confucius, they gaze upward at the solemn majesty of the sacred city, then enter the temple itself and follow the central axis to visit, in sequence, the Jinsheng Yuzhen Archway, the Lingxing Gate, the Dacheng Gate, the Xingtan Platform, and the Dacheng Hall. The grand plaques hanging inside the hall—“The Model Teacher for All Ages” and “The Essence of Culture Resides Here”—inspire deep reverence. Through the inscriptions on steles spanning the ages and the rituals of worship, visitors gain a profound sense of the solemnity and weightiness of Confucian thought as the very backbone of Chinese civilization. Afterwards, they proceed to the Confucius Mansion—the ancestral residence and administrative center of Confucius’s direct descendants. From the Chongguang Gate to the Main Hall, the Inner Residence, and the Rear Garden, every brick and tile conveys the family ethos of “passing down poetry and ritual” and the principle of “self-discipline and dedication to public service.”

In Luyuan Village, participants gained a firsthand understanding of how traditional village rules and family traditions have deeply permeated social governance; meanwhile, at the Nishan Sacred Land, the majestic statue of Confucius and the exquisite artistic displays within the Great Academy left everyone in awe. That evening, the entire group attended the grand ceremonial music performance “Golden Sounds, Jade Resonance,” which used the changing seasons to portray the journey of a gentleman’s growth, transforming the Eastern wisdom that “without learning ritual, one cannot establish oneself” into a profoundly moving audiovisual experience that touched the very heart.

“Standing before Confucius’ tomb, a profound sense of reverence that transcends time and space naturally arises. The Confucian principle of ‘cultivating oneself, regulating one’s family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world’ resonates deeply with the Group’s corporate ethos of ‘people-oriented management and sustainable development,’ as well as with the Chairman’s call for managers to cultivate ‘three virtues.’” remarked a participant in the study session.

Reflections Across Time: Empowering Management Insights with Traditional Wisdom

This study tour is by no means a mere isolated cultural visit; rather, it represents a continuation of the Group’s initiative to advance a learning system centered on “drawing lessons from history to inform the present and aligning with important speeches.” Previously, the Chairman instructed mid- and senior-level managers across the Group to watch the historical drama “The Era of Peace” and to study and deeply comprehend the wisdom it conveys. The series features a particularly thought-provoking scene: Emperor Guo Wei of the Later Zhou dynasty engages in a discussion on Confucianism with his minister, Feng Dao. Guo Wei asks, “What, then, is Confucianism?” Feng Dao replies, “Confucianism is what people truly need. When one person has a need, that constitutes Confucianism for that individual; when many people share a common need, that becomes Confucianism for the entire realm. In the context of the imperial court, Confucianism is none other than the hearts and minds of all the people.” Guo Wei then inquires, “If I govern the country according to Confucian principles, can I ensure everlasting peace?” Feng Dao candidly responds that even immortals cannot guarantee eternal peace, nor can sages secure a thousand years of tranquility. Guo Wei presses further: “What about a hundred years of peace—can that be assured?” Feng Dao answers, “We must strive to achieve it; only then will we know.”

This dialogue reveals a simple yet profound truth: peace does not come by itself, and a century-old enterprise does not spring up out of thin air—it can only be achieved through hard work. In the drama, Guo Wei personally visited Qufu to pay his respects at the Confucius Temple and honor the sages, precisely in order to draw from Confucian culture the principles for governing the country and ensuring national stability. Today, as we stand in the very hometown of these revered sages, we should even more clearly understand that the same holds true for enterprises. A century-long Humon is not something that is simply waited for or hoped for; it is something that can only be realized through the concerted efforts of generation after generation of Humon employees.

Looking at the world, we live in an era that is far from peaceful. Ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and other regions have plunged people into dire suffering. In contrast, Humon has been able to remain in relative tranquility, focusing on production development and scholarly pursuits. This peace is truly precious. As the chairman emphasized, we must help everyone understand how hard-won peace is and cherish the peace we enjoy today. Compared with times of chaos, we have no excuse to “lie flat”; instead, we must embrace a grateful heart and a determined spirit to shoulder our responsibilities.

Everyone has come to a profound realization: Qufu is not only the birthplace of Confucian thought, but also a sacred site where generations of benevolent and ambitious individuals have drawn spiritual strength and reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to serving the people. In light of the Chairman’s guidance at the annual summary and awards ceremony and in his numerous internal addresses, we believe that the complex environment confronting modern enterprises shares underlying logical parallels with the cycles of order and chaos, rise and decline faced by the sages of antiquity: only by cultivating inner steadfastness, acting with disciplined methodology, and making choices guided by principled judgment can we proactively assume responsibility, take decisive action, and navigate change with stability and long-term vision.

Work Deployment: Clarifying Priority Areas for Tackling Tough Challenges Through Quarterly Meetings

On the morning of April 15, the Group held the First-Quarter General Manager Work Conference in Qufu. During the meeting, each subsidiary reported on the completion of key performance indicators, an analysis of deviations from the annual plan, and progress in advancing priority initiatives. The Group also provided an overview of overall business performance and outlined the findings of the quarterly review, with particular emphasis on workplace safety, standardized management, and continuous learning and development.

The meeting noted that overall production and operations in the first quarter were generally stable, but certain performance indicators still lagged behind. The second quarter represents a critical window for catching up; logistics and road-and-bridge operations must focus on “turning the tide” and “securing more orders,” stepping up efforts and implementing robust, actionable measures to make up for past shortfalls and achieve greater results.

Chairman Wang Denning, drawing on the company’s first-quarter production and business performance, his reflections from the recent trip to Qufu, and the insights gleaned from the TV series “The Peaceful Era,” put forth clear expectations for all attendees.

The Chairman began by discussing the cultural insights: during this trip, between the “Three Confucian Sites” and Mount Ni, the core principles of “benevolence,” “virtue,” and “ritual” were evident everywhere—benevolence means loving others; governing with virtue means setting an example through one’s own moral conduct; and self-discipline in accordance with ritual. These are not empty dogmas; rather, they are the daily practices for managers to cultivate themselves. He specifically mentioned the dialogue between Guo Wei and Feng Dao in “Taiping Nian”: “A century of peace must be achieved through action before it can be truly understood.” The same holds true for enterprises: to build a century-old Humon, we too must proceed step by step with down-to-earth efforts.

He then went on to emphasize responsibility and commitment: History has placed us in this position, and as long as we hold office, we must get things done. We must reject the mentality of “lying flat,” cultivate a strong sense of responsibility and accountability, develop a keen understanding of human relationships and social dynamics, and unite the collective strength of our team. Each of us has come together from different places and different roles—our very coming together is itself a matter of fate. We must cherish the time we spend working side by side, foster a team spirit of “shared glory and shared loss,” and support one another while helping each other achieve success.

Finally, the Chairman emphasized the importance of learning and self-discipline: we must strengthen our learning and broaden our horizons. We should learn from history and from culture, Learn from role models and draw strength from the Confucian principles of “self-reflection” and “prudence in solitude,” committing ourselves to continuous learning and maintaining unity and collaboration. We must be strict with ourselves and lead by example. Every word and deed of managers serves as a guiding benchmark; in our work, we must uphold rules and standards, ensuring that all matters are handled in accordance with established procedures and norms. We should internalize the awareness of “rules” and “standards” and translate it into concrete actions. At the same time, we need to further strengthen our “rule-of-law” mindset, fully implementing the Group’s working philosophy of “operating in accordance with the law, conducting business in a standardized manner, and practicing democratic management.” We must enhance process management and transform the “sense of reverence” and “steadfastness” cultivated through the study of traditional culture into precise judgment and effective control over data, processes, and risks. Always engage in self-reflection guided by “benevolence, virtue, and propriety,” motivate ourselves with the commitment to “get things done while in office,” and use the certainty of culture to address the uncertainty of our environment, so as to make every possible effort to achieve our work-plan objectives.

Unity of Knowledge and Action: Transforming Cultural Potential into Development Momentum

This visit to Qufu is not only a dialogue across millennia between civilizations, but also a collective forging of management thought. From the solemnity of the Confucius Temple, the orderliness of the Kong Family Mansion, and the timelessness of the Kong Cemetery, to the vastness of the Confucius Museum and the grandeur of the Nishan Sacred Land, the wisdom of “benevolence,” “virtue,” and “ritual” embedded in Confucian culture has deeply permeated the hearts of all who have visited. Moreover, the historical echo of Guo Wei’s pilgrimage to Qufu to seek the Way and his exchange with Feng Dao—whose words, “One must put it into practice to truly understand”—reminds every leader that genuine leadership stems from a clear awareness of responsibility and a sustained commitment to self-cultivation, rooted in a pragmatic spirit of “taking action.”

All participants stated that, upon returning to their posts, they would earnestly implement the Chairman’s directives: reject complacency and take proactive responsibility; cherish the bonds of collaboration and work in unity; intensify learning and maintain strict self-discipline; truly bring traditional culture to life and put it to practical use within the enterprise; and transform the spiritual insights gained from this trip to Qufu into a powerful driving force for the company’s high-quality development.

From the spiritual cleansing in Yan’an to the cultural nourishment in Qufu; from the strategic insights gleaned from the historical drama “Peaceful Times” to the enlightening lessons from Confucian classics—Humon Group is advancing a systematic cultural learning initiative to help its managers broaden their horizons and cultivate unwavering composure. As one executive who participated in the program put it: “Only by truly understanding China can we run a Chinese enterprise well.” Every step we take in tracing our cultural roots is ultimately aimed at providing Humon’s unique answer on the exam of the new era.