The Nishan Forum on Literature, a sub-forum of the Eighth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations, was held on Sept 26 in Qufu, a county-level city in Jining, Shandong province.

The Nishan Forum on Literature is held on Sept 26. [Photo/Dazhong News]

Themed under "Diversity of literature and common values of mankind", the forum was held by the Shandong Publicity Department, the Shandong Writers Association, and the Jining municipal government. It marked the first literature themed forum during the Nishan Forum on World Civilizations.

More than 50 writers and scholars attended the forum, and seven of them delivered keynote speeches.

Literature is the language of the world, the carrier of values and concepts, and the bridge of communication between different civilizations, said Bai Yugang, director of the Shandong Publicity Department, in his speech.

Bai noted that in the context of accelerated evolution of great changes unseen in a century, and in the course of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, it is especially necessary to give full play to the role of literature in the broad vision of human civilization, to enhance exchanges and mutual learning, and to better build consensuses on values.

The forum called for literature to shoulder a major responsibility and mission to increasingly promote the common values of mankind.

Shandong is a major province of literature with a long history. From the Book of Songs, the first collection of poems of the Chinese nation, to The Analects, The Works of Mencius, the Great Learning and Doctrine of the Mean, and from many sages to generations of literary masters, Shandong literature has created splendid eras one after another.