On November 18, the 8th Global Mazu Culture Forum was heldon Meizhou Island. Su Hui, Vice Chairman of the CPPCC NationalCommittee and Chairman of the Central Committee of the Taiwan Federation of Trade Unions, spoke and declared the opening of the Forum.
Zhang Zhijun, President of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits and former Director of the Central Taiwan Affairs Office, Lin Zhaoshu, former Chairman of the Overseas Chinese Federation of China, Zhao Zhimin, Member of the Party Group of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Zhang Yan, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Minister of the Propaganda Department, Jiang Erxiong, Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the Provincial People's Congress and Chairman of the Provincial Committee of the Taiwan League of Social Democrats, Wang Jinfu Vice Governor of the Province, Ruan Shiwei, Vice Chairman of the
Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Yuan Jingui, Former Deputy Director of the Provincial People's Congress Standing Committee, Tian Wenbiao, Chief Engineer of the Ministry of Natural Resources Liang Huimin, Director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government; Kong Lun, Deputy Director of the Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism; Lin Zhongsen, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the China National Development Foundation of Taiwan; Sergio Cabrera, Ambassador of Colombia to China; Marcin Hoszek, Chargé d'Affaires of the Czech Embassy in China; Daniela Djurdic Dedic, Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of Montenegro in China; Ana Ferriera, Minister of the Republic of Croatia in China; Ana Ferrera,Consul General of the Philippines in Xiamen; and Oulina, Consul General of the Philippine Consulate General in Xiamen, Consulate General of Thailand in Xiamen Acting Consul General Bing Yilian; city leaders Fu Chaoyang, Lin Xuyang, Su Yongge, Shen Mengmei, Yuan Suling, etc., relevant state ministries and commissions, leaders of the provincial departments, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao guests, representatives of the Mazu cultural institutions, as well as foreign guests, overseas Chinese, domestic and foreign experts and scholars, and so on, were present.
On behalf of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the Central Committee of the Taiwan Federation of Trade Unions, Su Hui expressed her warm congratulations on the grand opening of the forum, and extended her cordial greetings to the guests and friends from home and abroad who attended the forum. In her speech, she said that Xi Jinping's cultural thought pointed out that efforts should be made to continue the Chinese cultural lineage and promote the creative transformation and innovative development of the excellent traditional Chinese culture. Mazu culture is a treasure of excellent traditional Chinese culture and an important spiritual bond of national identity for compatriots across the strait. "The Mazu culture has been inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and has become a common spiritual treasure of all mankind, as well as an important carrier for promoting people-to-people communication, humanistic exchanges, and development and sharing among the countries that have jointly constructed the "One Belt, One Road". The 8th World Mazu Culture Forum advocates the spirit of Mazu's "Virtue, Goodness and Love", as well as the marine civilization concepts of the Peace, Cooperation and Harmony of the Sea, and promotes exchanges and mutual understanding between Mazu culture and the world's civilizations, injecting a deep and lasting cultural power for the promotion of building a community of human destiny.
Zhao Zhimin said in his speech that the Global Mazu Culture Forum has become an important platform for studying and promoting Mazu culture. We should use this platform to promote the rich connotation and spiritual value of Mazu culture. From the new historical starting point, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences will consciously fulfill the new cultural mission of the new era and new journey, and work together with all relevant Parties to promote the research and interpretation of Mazu culture, as well as to promote academic exchanges and cooperation.
Wang Jinfu pointed out that during his work in Fujian, GeneralSecretary Xi Jinping attached great importance to the exchange and dissemination of Fujian's distinctive culture, and carried out a series of vivid practices to protect cultural heritage, promote culture to go out, and promote the exchange and mutual understanding of civilizations. The Fujian Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government have vigorously inherited and carried forward the important concepts and practices pioneered by General Secretary Xi Jinping during his work in Fujian, conscientiously implemented Xi Jinping's cultural thinking, and carried out a variety of cultural exchanges to promote the Mazu culture as a "business card of Fujian" to the world. He said Fujian will further promote Mazu culture, actively promote Mazu culture inheritance and innovation, integration and development, exchanges and mutual learning, enhance people's mutual understanding, thicken people's friendship, create new advantages for development, and contribute to the promotion of building a community of human destiny.
Tian Wenbiao said in his speech that Mazu culture is an important part of marine culture and will usher in new development opportunities. Marine culture is crucial to the construction of a strong marine country. We hope to take the forum as an opportunity to further strengthen the exchange and mutual understanding of marine culture, tell the story of the ocean in depth, and promote the prosperity of Mazu culture.
Liang Huimin said in the speech that the development of Macao is an important node of the Maritime Silk Road, which has a close relationship with Mazu culture. This forum digs deep into the spiritual connotation of Mazu culture, promotes cultural resonance and people-to-people communication, and will write a new chapter of cultural cooperation between Fujian and Macao.
Lin Zhongsen said in his speech that the Mazu culture is a memory of the original homeland that lingers in the depths of the spirit of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. We are willing to work hard to deepen the affinity between compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, promote cross-strait economic and cultural integration, and enhance the well-being of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
In his speech, Fu Chaoyang, on behalf of the municipal party committee, the municipal government and the people of Mazu's hometown, welcomed and thanked the leaders and guests to the meeting. He said, "Inheriting the spirit of Mazu and spreading Mazu culture is our common responsibility and mission." We will uphold the values of great virtue and justice to convey the vision of peace and beauty to the world; uphold the development concept of great goodness and win-win to convey the vision of cooperation to the world; and uphold the open-mindedness of great love and tolerance to convey the vision of peace to the world.
A congratulatory letter from the Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Mr. He Yicheng, was read out at the meeting; congratulatory videos from the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries of Samoa, Mr. Rauli Schmidt, and the Deputy Minister of Tourism of Cambodia, Mr. Qian Mingguang, were shown.
Mr. Zhang Shuting, President and Professor of Communication University of China, Mr. Sun Xiao, Second Researcher and DoctoralSupervisor of the Institute of Ancient History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Mr. Zhai Kun, Professor of the School of International Studies and Vice Director of the Institute of Regional and Country Studies, Peking University, gave keynote speeches on site; and Mr. Xia Zehan, representative of the UNESCO Representative Office in China, gave the keynote speech via video.
Mayor Lin Xuyang presided over the opening ceremony of the forum.
At the meeting, the Eighth Global Mazu Culture Forum Meizhou Declaration was read out, and the Mazu Bridge - Project Promotion and Signing was held.
Co-organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region and the People's Government of Fujian Province, the Forum will be held under the theme of "Love and Peace, Mutual Understanding of Civilizations". During the same period, the 25th China-Putian Meizhou Mazu Cultural Tourism Festival will also be held at the Tian Hou Square on Meizhou Island, Putian, Fujian Province.