Intl dialogue on river civilization ongoing in Shanxi

Governor Lan Fo'an addresses the Third Forum on Grand Rivers Civilization and Tourism – World Tourism Alliance • Yellow River Dialogue in Linfen on Sept 18. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]

The Third Forum on Grand Rivers Civilization and Tourism – World Tourism Alliance • Yellow River Dialogue opened in the city of Linfen in North China's Shanxi province on Sept 18.

The three-day forum was hosted by the World Tourism Alliance, several departments of the Shanxi provincial government, and the authorities of Linfen, and was themed around "river • harmony • cooperation – river ecological protection for a better life".

The Nigerian Ambassador to China and diplomatic envoys from Bangladesh, Croatia, and Egypt attended the forum, joining with other guests from home and abroad in discussing the civilizations of grand rivers around the world and seeking cooperation.

Shao Hong, vice-chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said in his speech that it is important to hold the forum and create an international exchange platform integrating ecology, economy and culture.

The platform created by the forum brings together the intellectual resources of the world's major river basins, conducts in-depth discussions on related issues and challenges, and promotes the establishment of an inter-regional cultural tourism cooperation mechanism, helping promote eco-friendly development in the Yellow River basin.

On behalf of Shanxi provincial authorities, Governor Lan Fo'an claimed that the province has adhered to ecological priorities in its development, continued pollution control and prevention, integrated the development of culture and tourism, promoted Yellow River culture, and developed itself into a vital experimental region for ecological protection and high-quality development and an internationally famous cultural tourist destination in the Yellow River basin.

He hopes that through the event, a high-end platform for cooperation and exchanges with other provinces along the Yellow River will be established to further the ecological protection and high-quality development in the basin, and a dialogue platform for the world's major river basins will be improved to further cooperation in culture, tourism, economy and trade.

A water collection ceremony was held in the Yunqiu Mountain scenic area in the city's Xiangning county during the forum.

Officials from the Ministry of Ecology and the Environment, representatives of the United Nations Environment Programme in China and Chinese tech company Huawei, and experts and scholars delivered speeches at the First Summit for the Yellow River's Ecological Protection and High-quality Development in Key Experimental Zones.