The Confucian Temple in Qufu, Shandong province. [Photo/IC]

East China's Shandong province has been exploring creative paths for the transformation of traditional Chinese culture, in a bid to spark new vitality in its overall development.

As a world-renowned cultural brand related to the great sage Confucius, the ninth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations will be held in Qufu city from Sept 26 to 28, aiming to promote the inheritance and development of traditional Chinese culture and facilitate exchanges among different civilizations. 

Global communications

In recent years, Shandong has expanded the international influence of Chinese civilization through various events, such as the China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival and the Nishan forum, which has spread the voice of the province in promoting overseas exchanges and mutual learning.

Established in August 2019, the Nishan World Center for Confucian Studies strives to become a global hub for Confucian studies and international cultural exchanges, with key projects such as the Nishan Scholars Program, Young Sinologists Training Program and Nishan lectures.

Guo Chengyan, deputy director of the Nishan World Center for Confucian Studies, said the center is continually advancing the translation project of The Analects, publishing series such as the Confucian Classics and Encyclopedia of Confucianism and collaborating with 16 universities to offer joint graduate programs.

Cultural innovation

Shandong boasts four UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites, more than 5.58 million movable cultural relics and 1,968 cultural heritage units above the provincial level.

Wang Lei, director of the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, said the province had implemented 10 major projects for cultural relic protection and issued an action plan to explore the origins of Chinese civilization.

One typical example is the newly opened Qingzhou Museum, which currently houses more than 50,000 cultural relics, including more than 3,000 national treasures.

Yang Huasheng, deputy director of the museum, said it had adopted innovative methods for displays by incorporating multimedia, audio and lighting technologies, which allow visitors to immerse themselves in the charm of cultural relics.

Last year, leveraging intangible cultural heritage and traditional craftsmanship, Shandong set up a new model for the dynamic inheritance of culture and created the "Shandong Handmade" cultural brand.