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South Africa in October ushered in the annual “Heritage Month”. In this land of the rainbow country, the six-color stripes of the national flag and the fiery red crown of the king protea flower together tell the power of rebirth in adversity. The black, yellow, green, white, blue and red of the South African flag are not only a symbol of diverse ethnic groups, but also a healing network – black carries the sedimentation of history, gold illuminates the way forward, green holds up new life, white and blue embrace pain, and red connects all scars like blood. This inclusiveness is just like the unique meaning of the king protea ashtray: the ashes after burning are gently collected by the carefully designed grooves and turned into fertile soil to nourish new life. The circular pattern of the king protea ashtray hides a deep meaning: the ashes are not the end, but the starting point of transformation. Just as the national flower of South Africa blooms in the barren cracks of the rocks, every shock of this country is precipitated and transformed within the arc-shaped boundaries of the ashtray. When people flick the ash with their fingertips, what they see should not be the embers of fading away, but the metaphor of the Phoenix Nirvana – just like when the new national flag was raised in 1994, the ashes of the old era nurtured the buds of democracy. In this Heritage Month, every moment of gazing at the national flag and every tapping of the ashtray reminds us that the real heritage is not the perfect past, but the wisdom of transforming the burning pain into nutrients. Let the residual warmth of history drive new buds to bloom, which is the deepest tribute to this land.

In Oktober lui Suid-Afrika die jaarlikse “Erfenismaand” in. In hierdie reënboogland spreek die seskleurige strepe van die nasionale vlag en die vurige rooi kroon van die keiserblom saam van die krag van wedergeboorte in die aangesig van teëspoed. Die swart, geel, groen, wit, blou en rooi van die Suid-Afrikaanse vlag is nie net ‘n simbool van etniese diversiteit nie, maar ook ‘n genesende web – die swart dra die sediment van die geskiedenis, die goud verlig die pad vorentoe, die groen hou nuwe lewe vas, die wit en blou omhels die pyn, en die rooi verbind al die letsels soos bloed. Hierdie inklusiwiteit is net soos die unieke betekenis van die Protea-asbak: die as word na verbranding sagkens deur die sorgvuldig ontwerpte groewe versamel en omskep in vrugbare grond wat nuwe lewe voed. Die sirkelvormige patroon op die Protea-asbak het ‘n verborge betekenis: as is nie die einde nie, maar die beginpunt van transformasie. Net soos Suid-Afrika se nasionale blom in die dorre rotsskeure blom, word elke skok van hierdie land binne die geboë grense van die asbak neergeslaan en getransformeer. Wanneer mense die as met hul vingerpunte raak, is dit nie die verdwynende kole wat hulle behoort te sien nie, maar die metafoor van die feniks wat uit die nirvana opstyg – net soos toe die nuwe nasionale vlag in 1994 gehys is, die as van die ou era die spruite van demokrasie gekoester het. In hierdie Erfenismaand herinner elke oomblik van staar na die nasionale vlag en elke getik van die asbak ons daaraan: die ware erfenis is nie die perfekte verlede nie, maar die wysheid om die pyn in voeding te omskep. Om die oorblywende warmte van die geskiedenis nuwe knoppe te laat blom, is die diepste huldeblyk aan hierdie land.