The opening ceremony of the ninth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations is held in Qufu, Shandong province on Sept 27. [Photo by Liu Chuan/chinadaily.com.cn]

The ninth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations opened in Qufu, East China's Shandong province on Sept 27 with more than 1,600 Chinese and foreign participants gathering at the birthplace of Confucius to discuss the integration and mutual learning of civilizations, and to seek solutions to global challenges.

Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Shohrat Zakir announced the opening of the forum. Addressing the event, he emphasized that equal communication and mutual learning among different civilizations would provide a strong spiritual guidance for humanity to solve problems of the times and achieve common development.

He highlighted the importance of respecting the diversity of human civilizations, promoting inclusiveness, and advocating common values of humanity to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

In a written message to the forum, Liu Yandong, president of the International Confucian Association, underlined the need to harness the power of civilizations, and uphold the principles of solidarity, inclusiveness and mutual learning.

She called for promoting the excellent cultural heritage of all ethnic groups throughout the country, nurturing the vigor of global dialogue and cooperation, injecting new impetus into the process of human modernization and the construction of a global community with a shared future.

Hu Heping, minister of Culture and Tourism and chairman of the organizing committee of the forum, urged carrying forward Chinese civilization, promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, and actively undertaking the new cultural mission and creating a new form of human civilization in the new era.

In his speech, Lin Wu, Party secretary of Shandong, said that on the path towards Chinese-style modernization, Shandong is willing to work together with friends from home and abroad to fulfill the Global Civilization Initiative and jointly build an environmentally friendly, open and inclusive modern civilization featuring cultural advancement, material affluence and common prosperity.

Co-hosted by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, International Confucian Association, and Shandong Provincial People's Government, this edition of the Nishan Forum on World Civilizations features one main forum and 13 parallel sub-forums. 

It has attracted 330 foreign guests including ambassadors from various countries, representatives from international organizations, friendly provinces and cities, as well as over 1,000 Chinese and foreign experts and scholars.