72 nations to take part in World Buddhist Forum

Spreading peace, development and prosperity around the world are common pursuit for Buddhists and all humanity. This shared vision will be illustrated at the Sixth World Buddhist Forum, which begins on Tuesday at Mount Xuedou in Ningbo, Zhejiang province.

Themed "Hand in Hand for Coexistence", the three-day event will be attended by some 800 participants from 72 countries and regions which aim to seek consensus and practical approaches to address global challenges in an ever-evolving world, said Venerable Master Minghai, vice-president of the Buddhist Association of China, at a news conference ahead of the forum on Monday in Ningbo.

The forum will include one main seminar and several side discussions on topics such as the wisdom of inclusiveness in Buddhism, the digitalization of Buddhist scriptures and the charm of Buddhist art. The talks will be held both offline and online to increase participation in the dialogue.