The 14th Cultural and Arts Festivalof Countries in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin opened on October 28 in Jinghong, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. Chinese and foreign artists from the Lancang-Mekong Basin gathered together, taking culture and art as a bond to renew friendship and boost exchanges.
On October 28 local time, the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) received 2lost Chinese cultural relics returnedby the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. Tang Wei, Deputy Director of the NCHA, Liu Jinsong, Chinese Ambassador to Australia, and Nick Mitzevich, Director of the National Gallery of Australia, attended and delivered remarks at the repatriation ceremony. Representatives from relevant agencies including Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Arts were also present.
Following over 3 years of renovation and upgrade, the Great Wall Museum of China, located at the foot of Bejing’s Badaling Great Wall, kicked off its trial opening to the public on October 24. This national cultural home to the heritage of Chinese civilization over thousands years welcomes guests from across the globe with a fresh appearance.
To mark the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army, the documentary The Long March Memories Preserved in Shanghai, jointly produced by SMG Real Media, the Memorial Site of the Fourth National Congress of the CPC, the Memorial Site of the League of Left-Wing Writers and the Shanghai Lu Xun Museum, premiered on Dragon TV on the evening of October 22.
On October 20, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) officially released the list of the first batch of 136 iconicmajor application scenarios.
The 5th Chinese Archaeology Congress opened today in Yuncheng, Shanxi Province, and will run for three days. The event features 28 professional committees, more than 570 academic reports, 22 public archaeology lectures, one exhibition, and three field research routes.
According to Zhejiang Shaoxing Opera Art Research Institute on October 12, the celebrated Shaoxing Opera monkey play Sun WukongThriceBeats the White Bone Demonhas recently kicked off its national tour. The show will visit 11 cities across China in sequence, inviting audiences to revisit the timeless story of Journey to the West.
On October 17, the 2026 Weifang Chen Jieqi Epigraphy Culture Week will open in Weicheng District, Weifang City. Preparations for the event are currently being accelerated.
With the resonant beat of gongs and drums carrying the artistic charm of Zhejiang, the melodies of Wu Opera are reaching the African continent. A performance troupe jointly formed by the Zhejiang Wu Opera Art Research Institute (Zhejiang Wu Opera Troupe) and its Wuyi branch, the Wuyi County Wu Opera Art Inheritance Center, has set off for Lesotho and Zimbabwe to embark on a multi-day international cultural exchange tour.
Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs released the list for the 8thbatch of China nationally important agricultural heritage systems(China-NIAHS).Atotal of 88 traditional agricultural systems were included,four of which comefrom Shandong province, namely:Heze Peony Cultivation System, Feicheng Buddha Peach Cultivation System, Jiaozhou Chinese Cabbage Cultivation System and Pingyin Rose Cultivation System.
Chinese short-video platforms have removed thousands of AI-generated videos pairing Sun Wukong, the Monkey King fromJourney to the West, with Lin Daiyu, the female lead ofDream of the Red Chamber, after a viral crossover trend triggered debate over the boundaries of reworking classical literature.
In Huzhu Tu Autonomous County, Haidong city, northwest China's Qinghai Province, coiled embroidery has been passed down among the Tu people for more than 1,000 years. Today it has grown into a distinctive industry worth more than 27 million yuan (about $4.03 million) a year.
The Confucius Institute in Belgrade celebrated its 20th anniversary on Friday, bringing together Chinese and Serbian representatives from the education and cultural sectors, along with teachers and students, to mark two decades of Chinese language education and cultural exchanges.
The ninth China Now Music Festival concluded Sunday at Lincoln Center in New York City with a concert showcasing the resilience and aspirations that connect the American and Chinese peoples.
At the Sanxingdui Museum in southwest China's Sichuan Province, conservator Xie Li and her colleagues put on full protective gear before entering a cold, humidity-controlled storage room. Inside are hundreds of elephant tusks unearthed from new sacrificial pits at the Sanxingdui Ruins site in 2021.
On September 28, in Qufu, Shandong, the 2026 China International Confucius Cultural Festival and the 2026 Nishan Forum on World Civilizations were held in succession. The Confucius Cultural Festival invited approximately 300 guests from 42 countries and regions, while the Nishan Forum brought together around 340 participants from 44 countries and regions, all gathering for a civilizational rendezvous that transcends mountains and seas. The opening ceremony of the 2026 Nishan Forum on World Civilizations. Photo by Xiao Jiaxin, People's Daily The opening ceremony of the 2026 China International Confucius Cultural Festival. Photo by Xiao Jiaxin, People's Daily At the opening ceremony of the China International Confucius Cultural Festival, the awarding ceremony for the 21st UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy was held, with three educational projects from Lebanon, Mexico, and Thailand receiving the honor.Established in 2005, the prize continues to promote Confucius' educational philosophy of "education without discrimination" worldwide. The event also featured presentations on the "Study Tours with Confucius" initiative and the launch of "Canal No. 1," alongside the inauguration of a cultural tourism carnival. Following the opening ceremony, the Confucius Memorial Ceremony took place at the Confucius Temple, preserving traditional rituals including the opening of the city gates, temple gates, and household doors, as well as musical and dance offerings and the reading of sacrificial addresses. The ceremony was linked with Confucian temples and academies across regions, enabling audiences to appreciate the culture of rites and music online beyond geographical boundaries. Centered on the theme of “Benevolence and Rites for the World, Harmony and Great Unity,” this year’s China International Confucius Cultural Festival is co-hosted by the People’s Government of Shandong Province, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, and will run until October 7. Prior to the opening ceremony, a series of public events had already been launched: 13 outstanding traditional music ensembles from cities along the Grand Canal gathered at the Liaohe Grand Theatre in Jining, Shandong Province, to perform, followed by flash-mob tours at the Wanren Palace Wall in Qufu’s Ming Ancient City and at Nishan Sacred Realm. Meanwhile, the Confucius Cultural Temple Fair on Wuma Temple Street in Qufu’s Ming Ancient City kicked off with a Confucian-style market, lion dances, and stilt performances. Last year’s festival introduced five themed study-tour products, attracting over ten million visitors in total. This year, immersive courses such as the Nishan Teacher-Respecting Ceremony and the Six Arts Workshop have been launched, making the Confucian experience tangible and accessible. Attendees in cultural and creative products exhibition area to explore distinctive merchandise. Photo by Yang Guoqing Young people in traditional attire reciting Confucian classics at the Qufu Confucius Temple. Photo by Yang Guoqing On the afternoon of September 28, the opening ceremony of the 2026 Nishan Forum on World Civilizations was held. Since its inception in 2010, the forum has been successfully convened for 11 editions. This year, it is jointly organized by the People’s Government of Shandong Province, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the International Confucian Association. On the afternoon of September 28, the opening ceremony of the 2026 Nishan Forum on World Civilizations was held. Since its inception in 2010, the forum has been successfully convened for 11 editions. This year, it is jointly organized by the People’s Government of Shandong Province, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the International Confucian Association. Under the theme “Civilization, Order, and Justice,” the forum features four sub-themes: the contemporary value and global significance of Confucianism; civilizational resilience and global governance; intellectual dialogue and civilizational integration; and artificial intelligence and universal harmony. Attendees listening attentively at the Nishan Forum on World Civilizations. Photo by Yang Guoqing Jin Minqing, member of the Party leadership group of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and director of the Institute of Contemporary China Studies, elaborated on three key concepts—civilization, order, and justice: "The essence of 'propriety' lies in the regulation of order. The contemporary world faces deficits in peace, development, security, and governance; we should uphold the global governance principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, so that civilizational order can serve as a solid guarantee for safeguarding world peace and stability." Thomas Bach, Honorary Life President of the International Olympic Committee, highlighted the common ground between Confucian thought and the Olympic philosophy in his video address: "Confucius placed great emphasis on the all-round development of individuals, both physically and mentally. The ancient Romans also expressed a similar idea — a sound mind in a sound body — which lies precisely at the core of the Olympic spirit." During the subsequent keynote speeches, Chen Lai, a senior professor of humanities at Tsinghua University, distinguished between the narrow and broad senses of civilizational dialogue and called for advancing shared civilizational prosperity through dialogue. Dipak Kumar, a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, pointed out that translation serves not only as a bridge between civilizations but also as a process of their joint creation, noting that the ancient translation of Buddhist scriptures between India and China constituted a sustained project of knowledge production. Edmond Mukala, the representative of UNESCO in Ghana, proposed that global governance should be refined by drawing on the principles of "benevolence, righteousness, and harmony" inherent to Chinese civilization; furthermore, global governance should shift from "global control" to "global coordination," and that "cultural identity is not an obstacle to development; on the contrary, it is the very source of momentum for sustainable development." On the morning of September 29, the forum also held eight panel discussions and two high-level interviews, alongside three parallel forums: the "Cultural China · Nishan World Chinese Community Forum," the "Sports Culture Forum," and the "Confucian Business Culture Forum." In the afternoon, the second keynote speech and the closing ceremony were held, during which the Consensus of the 2026 Nishan Forum on World Civilizations was released. Confucius Museum in Qufu, Shandong Province. Photo by Xue Gang (Image China) Young people performing in ancient ceremonial attire in front of the Dacheng Hall at the Qufu Confucius Temple. Photo by Yang Guoqing From the intellectual exchanges at the China International Confucius Cultural Festival to the vibrant clash of ideas at the Nishan Forum on World Civilizations, this cross-continental engagement of civilizations is not only a tribute to ancient sages but also a reflection on humanity’s shared future. Confucian wisdom, such as “benevolence and love for others ” and “do not impose on others what you do not desire,” offers the international community a distinctive Eastern perspective.
Rapid advances in artificial intelligence are reshaping human production and daily life, yet they also bring global challenges such as algorithmic bias, the digital divide, and technological ethics. The 2026 Nishan Forum on World Civilizations has designated “Artificial Intelligence and Universal Harmony” as a sub-topic, exploring the civilizational questions underlying technological development. Participating scholars generally agreed that technology is not merely a tool, but a key variable in shaping the future form of civilization. Algorithmic bias may deepen cultural divides, the digital divide may widen development gaps, and blurred boundaries in technological ethics may trigger trust crises. These challenges urgently require answers through civilizational dialogue. "AI can compute rapidly, but the judgment of 'whether it should be done' ultimately rests with humans," said Lu Zequan, a researcher at the Research Management Department of the Nishan World Center for Confucian Studies. He emphasized that efficiency should not be the sole criterion; it is insufficient to focus solely on how quickly a society develops—we must also consider in which direction that society is heading. Riccardo Pozzo, Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Rome Tor Vergata, called for technology to remain bound by moral traditions, arguing that while AI can replace human computation, it cannot replace human value judgment. In the face of the knowledge explosion brought about by AI, scholars argued that both openness and boundaries are necessary. Wang Xia, Vice President of the Laozi Research Institute, stated that in confronting AI, we must neither reject technological progress nor allow the unchecked expansion of knowledge, but rather find a balance between openness and restraint. If Confucius were living in the present day and faced the various challenges posed by AI, could he find a way to overcome them? Wei Yanhua, vice president of the Confucius Research Institute, raised this question during the discussion. He believes that the enduring continuity of Chinese civilization over more than five thousand years stems from its underlying principle of "inheritance and adaptation" —namely, adhering to what should be preserved and making necessary adjustments where required. When facing artificial intelligence, it is equally important to strike a balance between upholding fundamental principles and fostering innovation; the newer the technology, the greater the need to remain clear-headed. Ancient wisdom may not provide a definitive answer, but it reminds us that no matter how fast technology advances, we must never forget why we set out in the first place. Confucianism advocates that "benevolence and love for others" and "do not impose on others what you do not desire," providing a profound ethical foundation for building responsible AI. Through their discussions, the scholars reached a consensus: to guide technology toward a positive direction through civilizational dialogue, ensuring that the development of artificial intelligence consistently serves the comprehensive progress of humanity.
On the afternoon of September 29, the 2026 Nishan Forum on World Civilizations concluded in Qufu. Centered on the theme of "Civilization · Order ·Justice ", the forum featured two sessions of keynote speeches, two high-level interviews, three parallel forums, and eight group dialogues, attracting more than 340 guests from China and abroad. The participants included renowned scholars and experts, diplomatic envoys to China, representatives from cultural sector, leaders of overseas Chinese communities, and cultural influencers, spanning over 40 countries and regions. Over the past two days, domestic and international experts, scholars, and distinguished guests engaged in in-depth exchanges on topics including the contemporary value and global significance of Confucianism, civilizational resilience and global governance, ideological dialogue and civilizational integration, as well as artificial intelligence and universal harmony for the world. They explored how civilizations can engage in dialogue, how order can be constructed, and how universal principles can be upheld, sending out the "Nishan Voice" and contributing wisdom and strength to the implementation of the Global Civilization Initiative, the promotion of the common values of humanity, and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. At the closing ceremony, the keynote session was chaired by Chen Weiping, a professor in the Department of Philosophy at East China Normal University and Deputy Director of the Academic Committee of the Nishan Forum on World Civilizations. Six scholars from China and abroad engaged in in-depth exchanges on civilizational dialogue and the common values of humanity. Moving progressively from diagnosing crises to offering intellectual responses, and from institutional frameworks to practical pathways, they jointly outlined a contemporary vision of "harmony without uniformity." Mu Fengling, Scientific Supervisor of the Center for China and Asia-Pacific Studies at St. Petersburg State University of Economics and Vice President of the St. Petersburg Branch of the Russia-China Friendship Association,attributed contemporary challenges to three crises: crises of international order, values and interrelations. She argued that Confucian concepts such as "ren and li," "harmony without uniformity," and "the world as one community" can provide ethical support for rebuilding order, restoring values, and fostering civilizational coexistence. She emphasized that Confucianism is not a museum exhibit, but a living body of thought for addressing the crises of our time. In response to the modern dilemma that humanity wields formidable technological powers yet often loses sight of its fundamental purpose, Professor Li Jianqiu of the Department of Philosophy at Fu Jen Catholic University advocated "returning to our roots while forging new paths," offering a response grounded in Confucian principles ofren,yi, andli. He argued thatrenreminds us that individuals must first be recognized as human beings;yidemands upholding the moral baseline that distinguishes humanity from algorithms; andliemphasizes propriety and respect, thereby transforming traditional humanistic spirit into a resource for global ethics. While Professor Li Jianqiu responded to the crisis of values at the level of thought, Professor Gan Chunsong, Dean of the School of Philosophy at Nankai University, further addressed the issue from the perspective of institutional carriers. He pointed out that the Confucius sacrifice is not an act of worship directed toward an external object of devotion, but rather a demand placed upon oneself. Through the ritual, participants experience the principle of “emulating the worthy,” making it a process of “learning to become a sage.” In this framework, ritual and music are not ends in themselves, but means of self-cultivation. He emphasized that enabling tangible carriers such as Confucius Temples to once again serve as cultural spaces for the continuity of Chinese civilization is key to promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture. Ideas require fertile ground for practical application. Liu Hongwu, dean of the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University, believes that the 70-year history of people-to-people exchanges between China and Africa, as well as between China and Arab countries, represents pioneering practices of the Global Civilization Initiative. From the Tanzania-Zambia Railway and medical aid to Africa to the mutual translation of classical texts and youth exchanges, the two sides have established a new model of civilizational engagement characterized by bidirectional interaction and mutual benefit, demonstrating that international relations need not lead to confrontation; instead, they can achieve common development through mutual learning and exchange. Eric Greene（Dongfang Ruide）, former Academic Vice President of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, pointed out that contemporary Western ethics is unconsciously converging toward Chinese philosophy. He argued that Mencius's discussions on human nature and virtue can provide a more profound foundation for modern moral judgment. In his view, Western philosophy requires a comparative perspective, and Chinese and Western thought can indeed inspire each other on the fundamental question of "how to live." Flaher Ferrari, professor and vice president of the Algerian Academy of Sciences and a visiting scholar under the "Qilu Visiting Scholar and Research Program," employed quantum epistemology to elucidate the dynamics of civilizational exchange, noting that once a civilization is labeled with a single identity, it risks "collapsing" into a stereotypical image. She argues that civilizations are not separate entities, but rather intertwined, overlapping, and non-copiable existences; Confucius's principle of "harmony without uniformity" exemplifies a "non-collapsing epistemology," and in today's world, it is essential to engage in equal dialogue grounded in diversity. In his academic summary of the forum, Professor Yang Chaoming, Distinguished Professor at the Confucian Studies Institute of Shandong University, stated that participating scholars have reached a consensus: in the face of compounded challenges including deficits in peace, development, security, and governance, it is essential to break through impasses by civilizational dialogue, consolidate foundations through the construction of sound order, and forge a shared spirit based on common principles and consensus; thereby fostering an organic integration of civilization, order, and justice, and contributing profound civilizational wisdom to the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative, as well as to the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind. At the closing ceremony, the Consensus of the 2026 Nishan Forum on World Civilizations was also read aloud.
September 28 marks the 2,577th anniversary of the birth of Confucius. The 2026 Nishan Forum on World Civilizations opened on the same day in Qufu, the philosopher's hometown in east China's Shandong Province.
An elderly man with a lined face, a calm expression and a dignified bearing: the familiar image of Confucius. Yet we cannot be certain what the philosopher actually looked like.
