On September 17, 2023 World Forum on Great River Civilization (China-Zhengzhou) was held in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province. Co-sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the People's Daily, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the People's Government of Henan Province, the theme of the Forum was "Civilization Exchange and Mutual Enhancement——Developing for the Future". Hu Heping, Vice Minister of the Central Propaganda Department in charge of daily work, Secretary of the Party Group of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, attended the forum and delivered a keynote speech. Mr. Lou Yangsheng, Secretary of Henan Provincial Party Committee, delivered a speech and Mr. Wang Kai, Governor of Henan Province, presided over the event.

Hu Heping pointed out in his keynote speech that the Yellow River is the mother river of the Chinese nation, and the Yellow River Basin is the important birthplace of Chinese civilization, as well as an important ecological barrier and economic zone in China. China's promotion of ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin has injected Chinese power and provided Chinese experience for the protection and utilization of the world's rivers and the economic and social development of the basin. Holding the 2023 World Great River Civilization Forum in Zhengzhou, Henan Province is a concrete action to deeply study and implement the spirit of President Xi Jinping's important speeches at the Symposium on Ecological Protection and High-Quality Development of the Yellow River Basin and the Symposium on the Development of Cultural Inheritance, and an important initiative to practice the global civilization initiative and build a community of human destiny, and an important achievement to vigorously push forward the protection and inheritance of the Yellow River culture and carry forward its development. It is necessary to adhere to the position of Chinese culture and inherit and carry forward Chinese civilization. Strengthen the research and interpretation of the origin of Chinese civilization, implement the "Chinese Civilization Exploration Project" and other archaeological projects, increase the protection and utilization of cultural relics and ancient books, do a good job in the systematic protection of intangible cultural heritage, build and use the Yellow River, Yangtze River and other national cultural parks, promote the cultural heritage to live up to the realization of the creative transformation of the outstanding traditional Chinese culture and innovative development. We must take up a new cultural mission and build a modern civilization for the Chinese nation. We will adhere to the fundamental system of the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological sphere, unswervingly promote the modernization of Marxism, flourish cultural undertakings and cultural industries, and, on the basis of the deep foundation of more than 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, open up and develop the modern civilization of the Chinese nation and create a new form of human civilization. We should practice the Global Civilization Initiative and promote exchanges and mutual understanding among civilizations. We will promote the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom for all mankind, improve the mechanism of cultural and tourism exchanges and cooperation, explore and make good use of the cultural and tourism resources of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, organize exhibitions, performances, shows, fairs and festivals to tell the story of the Yellow River and promote its culture. The "Cultural Silk Road" program will be implemented, and "Happy Spring Festival", "Hello! China", Chinese and Foreign Culture and Tourism Year (Festival) and other high-level brand activities will be held to promote Chinese culture to the world, and to make new and greater contributions to the promotion of mutual learning and appreciation of civilizations and the building of a community of shared destiny for mankind.

Lou Yangsheng, on behalf of the Henan Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government, expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Publicity of the Central Government, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the relevant ministries and commissions of the Central Government and the states and the provinces along the Yellow River for their concern and support for the forum. He said that the Yellow River culture contains the quality of daring to struggle and perseverance, the innovative spirit of innovation, the ecological concept of the unity of man and heaven and the tolerance of all things, the idea of governance of the people for the state, and the idea of governance by virtue, and the open and tolerant, eclectic and broad-minded, which is an important foundation of the Chinese nation's firm cultural self-confidence. In recent years, Henan Province has firmly implemented the important instructions of President Xi Jinping's important speeches, continued to protect, pass on and carry forward the Yellow River culture, strengthened archaeological excavation, made good research and interpretation, and continued the historical lineage; pushed forward the integration of culture and tourism, strengthened the branding, and created cultural landmarks; continued to widely publicize, told the story of the Yellow River, and condensed the spiritual power; adhered to the openness and cooperation, deepened the exchanges and blending and promoted civilization mutual understanding, and lit up the road of building a modernized Henan Province with the bright light of culture. Henan will take this forum as an opportunity to strengthen cultural exchanges with the rest of the world, practice the global civilization initiative, promote cultural prosperity and development, and contribute to the construction of modern civilization of the Chinese nation and the building of a community of human destiny.

Representatives from People's Daily, State Administration of Cultural Heritage, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Shanghai International Studies University, Luxor Temple of Egypt, and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research of India made speeches at the forum. Representatives of provinces and regions along the Yellow River, ambassadors of Uganda, Moldova, the United States and other countries in China, experts and scholars at home and abroad, more than 300 people attended the forum.

The forum includes the main forum and four sub-forums: Diversity and Mutual Learning of World River Civilization, Inheritance and Promotion of Chinese Civilization and Yellow River Culture, Dialogue between Chinese Civilization and World Civilization, and Ecological Protection and High Quality Development of Yellow River Basin, and discussed and released the World River Civilization Forum - Zhengzhou Declaration. Before and after the forum, the "Walking in Henan - Understanding China" Chinese and foreign media interviews and research on the Yellow River Walk, the third China (Zhengzhou) Yellow River Culture Month series of activities and other supporting activities will be held.