In China, almost every place has its own "encyclopedia" documenting its local history and present conditions, some of which have been maintained for thousands of years. Chinese people refer to them as "local chronicles."

Studying local chronicles is an important knack in Xi Jinping's work approach.

One day in 1985, shortly after becoming deputy mayor of Xiamen in southeast China's Fujian Province, Xi sought out a local chronicle specialist and requested to borrow several local chronicles of Xiamen to read. He also proactively arranged a meeting with the expert to discuss Xiamen's history, a conversation that lasted until midnight.

The expert later described Xi as "a person with a strong sense of history."

Later, Xi took the lead in formulating Xiamen's economic and social development strategies, incorporating and drawing on a large amount of information found in local chronicles.

Whether engaged in local governance or conducting grassroots research, reading local chronicles has become integral to Xi's work.

Where do we come from? Where are we going? As China has arrived where it is today, Xi constantly reminds himself to maintain a strong sense of history.