The 2024 China International Confucius Cultural Festival opened on September 27th in Qufu, Shandong, birthplace of Confucius. Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended and announced the opening.
Chinese and foreign guests believe that the Confucianism founded by Confucius and the Confucian thoughts developed on this basis have profoundly influenced the development of China and played a positive role in the progress of human civilization. The Confucius Cultural Festival, as an effective platform for implementing the global civilization initiative and deepening cultural exchanges and mutual learning, is playing an increasingly active role in promoting dialogue among world civilizations and enhancing friendship among people of all countries.
Guests from China and abroad believe that the valuable heritage of thinkers from various countries, including Confucius’ thoughts, needs to be jointly guarded, passed down from generation to generation, and developed in an innovative way. We should draw nourishment from the thoughts of great ancient philosophers, persist in the creative transformation and innovative development of traditional Chinese culture, strengthen the exploration, protection, research, interpretation, and dynamic inheritance of excellent traditional culture, to showcase its eternal charm and radiate the brilliance of the times. We should seize the opportunities of digital development, focus on the new trends and formats of world cultural development, promote cultural development in step with the times, and let the radiance of culture illuminate the hearts of more people. We need to deepen exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, strengthen international cooperation in the fields of literature, art, cultural heritage, public cultural services, etc., and create high-level brand events, making the garden of world civilization more colorful and splendid.
The 2024 China International Confucius Cultural Festival, with the theme of “Dialogue with Confucius: Mutual Learning among Civilizations”, is jointly hosted by Shandong Provincial People’s Government, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and National Commission of the People’s Republic of China for UNESCO.