改革开放以来，中国的家具业一派红火，产销两旺，无论是在家具产量和国内消费量，还是在国际市场占有份额，都处于前列位置。与中国家具业同步发展的是，全国各地的家具展销会、博览会、交易会，也此起彼伏，长年不断，但到目前为止，无论是国际规模的，全国范围的，还是区域性的，行业类的，都是纯粹的商业行为，直接的商品交易。在今年年初，在与顺德区和乐从镇的领导多次接触畅谈后，我们达成了共识：决定由中国家具协会和顺德区政府联合主办一届由中国家具商贸之都承办的家具文化盛会――2005中国家具文化节。
切勿以为这是我们在赶时髦，在搞那些不切实际的新意思，我们着眼的，不仅仅是促进当地的家具生产和商贸交易，而是中国家具行业的发展取向和升级定位，真正承担起历史和时代的庄严使命。同时，我们也不是要求乐从去淡化他们的商贸色彩，恰恰相反，希望他们能将家具商贸更加做大做强，由中国家具商贸之都跃上新的台阶，争当“世界家具商贸之都”！
文化既是事物的灵魂，也是商品竞争力的核心之所在。要确保中国家具可持续的高速稳步发展，我们就要伸出文化之翼。
中国是个文明古国、家具大国。中国的家具，尤其是明清家具，在世界家具之林中，有着跨越时空、傲视同侪的魅力。个中的关键原因，在于它博大精深、鲜明独特的文化韵味，就像那句老话所说的，“越是民族的，也越是世界的”。这些家具不仅是生活用品，更是几千年中华文化和广大能工巧匠的智慧之结晶。也正是因此，国外的学人，甚至将中国的明清家具，提升到了与中国其它文物等同的地位，视为中华优秀传统文化的组成部分。
历史的辉煌除了说明昨天的伟大，更激励着当代数以百万计的中国家具同仁，薪火相传，要向时代交上出色的答卷，做出同样让世界注目的我们这个历史时段应有的作为。作为中国家具人，我们有责任为中国家具业的发展注入文化的理念，提高人们的家具文化知识、意识和审美水平，推动中国家具产业提高原创设计水平，提升中国家具设计在世界家具业界的知名度和地位，为中国家具业的长远发展输入无穷力量。传统必须继承，但“师古而不拘泥于古”，仅仅是复古，仅仅是复制，是不可能弘扬中国传统家具文化，也是不可能让中国家具风行世界的。在继承的同时，更要结合现代的审美情趣和现代人的生活需要，进行设计创新。
我希望，最先浸润在文化海洋的“中国家具商贸之都”――广东乐从镇，也能够发展成为中国的家具文化之都！
我深信，伸展开了文化翅膀的中国家具业，一定能飞得更高、更远！
Spreading the wings of culture, China Furniture Flies Higher
By Mr. Jia Qing-wen, Chairman of China National Furniture Association
Since the reform and opening up to the outside world, the furniture industry of China, both the production and marketing, has become flourishing, no matter the output and domestic consumption, or international market share, all come out in front. Along with the development of the furniture industry in China, furniture exhibition fairs, expos and trade fairs are hold one after another in all quarters of China all the year around, nevertheless, all of which, no matter it is an international, national, regional or trade-organized one, are pure commercial operation, and direct commodity transaction up to now. In the beginning of this year, we talked with the government officials of Shunde District and Lecong Town freely and to our heart's content, and came to a common understanding: China National Furniture Association and the People’s government of Shunde district will jointly sponsor a grand gathering of furniture culture --- China Furniture Cultural Festival 2005 in Lecong, the Furniture Business & Trade Center of China.
Instead of following the fashion, taking some unpractical steps, we, fixing our attention not only on the local furniture manufacturing and trade, but the development orientation and upgrading of the furniture industry in China, undertake the solemn mission of history and time in word and deed. And meanwhile, we do not request Lecong to weaken the business color, just the reverse, we hope they can enlarge and enhance furniture trade, and step into a new stage following “the Furniture Business & Trade Center of China”, striving for “the Furniture Trade Center of the World”!
Culture is the soul of things, and the core of the competitive power of commodities. To ensure sustainable development of Chinese furniture at a high and steady speed, we must spread the wings of culture.
China is a country with time-honored civilization, a great power of furniture. Chinese furniture, especially those manufactured in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, are provided with the charm going beyond time and space. The key reason is the broad and deep, well-defined and unique charm of culture, just as the old saying goes, “the more national, the more international”. The furniture is not only household goods, but also the crystallization of thousand of years’ culture of China and the intelligence of numerous skillful craftsmen. Exactly thus, foreign scholars even, putting Chinese furniture manufactured in the Ming and Qing Dynasties on an equal footing with the other cultural relics of China, regard it as an integral part of the outstanding traditional culture of China.
In addition to showing the greatness of yesterday, today the splendor of history encourages numerous people in the circle of Chinese furniture to carry on the tradition, and attract the world to focus attention upon us with the same great achievement. As furniture workers in China, we are in duty bound to introduce cultural concepts to develop the furniture industry in China, enhance people’s knowledge, consciousness and aesthetic level concerning furniture, impel the furniture industry in China to improve the original design level, upgrade the popularity and status of Chinese furniture design in world furniture circles, and input boundless power into the furniture industry of China for long-term development. We must carry on the tradition, however, “learning from the predecessors but not rigidly adhering to them”; merely restoring ancient ways or replicating could neither carry forward the traditional furniture culture of China, nor enable Chinese furniture to be in popular in the world. We should bring forth new ideas and design in combination with modern aesthetic appeal and living demand when carrying on the ancient skills.
I hope Lecong town, “the Furniture Business & Trade Center of China” swimming in the sea of culture first, can be developed into the furniture culture center of China!
I believe firmly that the furniture industry of China, spreading the wings of culture, will fly higher and farther to a certainty!
