Changping highlights Ming Dynasty culture

Development of tombs and surrounding area welcomed by event's participants

The Ming Dynasty Culture Forum 2024 will kick off on Saturday at the Ming Tombs Scenic Area in Changping district in Beijing.

The upcoming forum is guided by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Beijing Committee and co-hosted by the city's bureaus of culture and tourism, radio and television, and cultural heritage, as well as the Changping district Party committee and government. A group of history experts, renowned actors and foreign diplomats will gather together to discuss and share insights on the culture of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) during the event.

This year, the forum will inherit and promote excellent traditional Chinese culture and draw wisdom from history by conducting in-depth research and analysis of the outstanding achievements, significant events and influential figures of the dynasty, organizers said.

It features one main forum, six themed forums, one international academic seminar, five cultural relics exhibitions, and over 30 cultural activities.

The main forum, serving as the opening ceremony, will provide keynote speeches by Ming history experts, insightful opinions from renowned actors, and dialogues between Chinese and foreign diplomats, all centered around the themes of development and collaboration.

The Condensed Ming Dynasty, a drama created by the Changping district federation of literary and art circles, will be performed during the opening ceremony as a highlight, showcasing major historical events of the dynasty to the public.

The main forum will also unveil plans for the comprehensive opening of the Ming tombs, and the development of a Ming culture complex and research-based tourism routes.

The six themed forums will involve extensive and in-depth discussions on the historical achievements and contemporary value of the Ming Dynasty culture. And, the international academic seminar will invite over 120 renowned experts and scholars from home and abroad to discuss the latest research results of the Ming Dynasty.

Also, two exhibitions, including one featuring the Yongle Dadian, or Yongle Encyclopedia, will be organized during the themed forums to enhance the utilization of cultural relics.

More than 100 exquisite cultural relics from over 10 domestic institutions are expected to be showcased at the Ming Tombs Scenic Area.

Additionally, four themed sections of cultural activities — Rituals of the Ming, Delights of the Ming, Colors of the Ming and Melodies of the Ming — are designed specifically for the public.

In addition to existing activities such as the Ming Dynasty culture lectures and etiquette performance, visitors can experience a range of new activities scheduled throughout the year.

They include aerial tours, traditional Ming Dynasty ceremonies, grand banquets, sacrificial performances, fashion shows and short dramas depicting scenes from the reign of the 16 Ming Dynasty emperors, bringing the Ming Dynasty culture closer to the public in a more vivid way.

This year's forum will invite 30-plus international friends to participate in dialogues and keynote speeches, promoting the exchanges and mutual learning between the Ming Dynasty culture and other excellent cultures worldwide.

According to the district government, Changping will continue to host the Ming Dynasty Culture Forum, and promote related academic exchanges and cultural-tourism integration.

Meanwhile, it will enhance infrastructure, and push forward the building of a Ming Dynasty culture complex which integrates a museum, convention and exhibition halls, hotels, commercial streets and an intangible cultural heritage creative zone.

At the beginning of this year, Changping launched the first aerial tour route from the Ming tombs to the Juyong Pass of the Great Wall, offering a new perspective for the public to explore traditional Ming Dynasty culture.

The vast Ming Tombs Scenic Area boasts numerous cultural relics and sites. Looking ahead, Changping will pour more resources into the development of unopened mausoleums and the 7.3-kilometer main road of the Ming tombs, in a bid to achieve the all-region tourism.

haonan@chinadaily.com.cn