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The 2020 World Canal Cities Forum kicks off in Yangzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, on Sept 28. [Photo/yangzhou.gov.cn]
The 2020 World Canal Cities Forum kicked off in Yangzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, on Sept 28.
Themed on sustainable prosperity and development of cultural tourism industry of world canal cities, the forum invited over 500 officials, experts and scholars from home and abroad to discuss the long-term development of the cultural tourism industry in canal cities around the world.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, guests who could not be present in Yangzhou took part online. They shared their experiences related to canal culture and provided useful advice on the development of the world's canal cities and culture.
Grand Canal culture in China is currently experiencing a golden age unlike anything seen throughout history, as the country has ramped up efforts to protect the Grand Canal and has issued a plan to construct national Grand Canal culture parks, said Liu Qibao, vice-chairperson of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), at the forum.
Wu Zhenglong, governor of Jiangsu province, noted that Jiangsu will strive to promote the construction of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt and build the Jiangsu section of the Grand Canal into a popular business area in the province.
A variety of activities, such as the 2020 Canal Carnival and the 2020 World Canal Cities Food Expo, were also staged during the event in a bid to further demonstrate the cultural charm and vitality of the Grand Canal.
Founded in 2007, the annual World Canal Cities Forum has become a well-known platform for boosting cooperation among canal cities and promoting heritage protection, tourism development, environmental governance, urban construction, protection of the Grand Canal, and economic and cultural exchange among canal cities.