The 2023 Beijing Culture Forum, co-hosted by the Publicity Department of the  Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, and the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, will kick off in Beijing on September 14-15.

The forum has a permanent theme of “Inheritance, Creativity, Mutual Learning”, and has chosen “Inherit Cultural Legacies, Promote Exchanges and Cooperation” as the theme of this year. The aim is to study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important statements on cultural development under socialism with Chinese characteristics and follow the Party’s strategic plan of building up China’s cultural strength laid out at the 20th National Congress of the CPC. To achieve this, the forum has established four platforms: a platform to display cultural development results, a platform to exchange cultural development experience, a platform to cooperate on  cultural innovation, and a platform to promote cultural exchanges and mutual learning.

The event  will consist of an opening ceremony and main forum, five parallel forums, and related cultural activities that will benefit the public. Guests from home and abroad will be invited to deliver speeches and engage in-depth discussions on the following topics: the protection and utilization of cultural heritage; the deep integration of culture and science & technology; literature, art and social life; the integrated development of culture and tourism; and exchanges and mutual learning among world civilizations. The ultimate goal is to pool wisdom and efforts for the development of modern civilization of the Chinese nation and the common progress of human civilization. In addition, several significant results will be released during the forum, such as the Annual Report on the Development of Chinese Culture and the “Ten Major Events in the Construction of National Cultural Center in 2022”.

Before, during and after the forum, a variety of cultural events will take place. At the Big Air Shougang, an iconic venue of the Beijing Winter Olympics, a cutural show will be presented for both forum guests and the general public. Other activities include the Watch Outstanding Performances in Beijing seasonal production, the Public Benefit Cultural Consumption Season, the Beijing October Literature Festival, the “City of Readers” public reading program, and the reopened “Temple of Earth and Me” book fair, which are expected to see wide participation.

The forum will gather over 600 Chinese and international guests, including leaders from central and local publicity and cultural departments, renowned experts and scholars, writers, artists, industry leaders, international dignitaries, and heads of international cultural institutions. Preparations for the forum are currently underway at full speed.