NANPING, China, Oct. 16, 2025 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--
Co-hosted by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), the International Confucian Association (ICA), and the People's Government of Fujian Province, the Conference on Zhu Xi's Doctrine and Global Civilizations Dialogue (the 4th Kaoting Forum) will be held in Nanping, Fujian, from October 18 to 19.
Themed "Carrying Forward the Contemporary Value of Zhu Xi Culture and Promoting Mutual Learning & Shared Growth of Global Civilizations," the conference will feature four parallel sub-forums and one roundtable discussion. Renowned sinologists, leading overseas experts in Zhu Xi's doctrine, and representatives from friendly institutions, hailing from over 50 countries and regions, will attend and address the gathering.
"Confucius rose in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty; Zhu Xi shone in the Southern Song." Zhu Xi is widely recognized as a pivotal figure in Confucianism after Confucius, whose philosophy has profoundly shaped Chinese civilization for centuries. By the Song and Ming dynasties, Zhu Xi's thought had already spread to Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and beyond -- serving as a vital bridge between Chinese and global civilizations. His philosophical concept of "Li Yi Fen Shu" (the unity of principle and the diversity of its manifestations) provides guidance for cross-civilizational dialogue, while his principle that "the people are the root of the state" offers value-based support for the Global Development Initiative.
In 2017, shortly after securing local legislative authority, Nanping enacted its first substantive local regulation: the Regulations of Nanping Municipality on the Protection of Zhu Xi Cultural Relics. This laid a solid legal foundation for preserving and inheriting Zhu Xi culture.
In recent years, Fujian has hosted three consecutive sessions of the Kaoting Forum. Nanping has also signed a long-term cooperation framework agreement with the Institute of Philosophy of CASS. The International Confucian Association and the Nishan World Center for Confucian Studies have established research and training bases in Nanping, while the China Confucius Foundation has launched a special fund for Zhu Xi culture.
Locally, over 60 monographs on Zhu Xi studies have been published, more than 230 academic papers released, and 29 projects approved under the National Social Science Fund. After years of sustained effort, the provincial-level Zhu Xi Cultural Ecology Reserve in Nanping was officially greenlit for establishment at the end of 2023.
Fujian has strengthened cultural heritage protection by registering over 100 immovable cultural relics to promote the inheritance and development of Zhu Xi's culture. The documentary Zhu Xi: The Great Confucian and stage plays such as Moonlight Over Wuyi have achieved widespread circulation, with related short videos racking up over 350 million views. The province has hosted five sessions of events including the Cross-Strait Academy Forum and the Retracing Zhu Xi's Footsteps. Cultural gatherings like the World Conference on Sinology have drawn over 500 experts and scholars from more than 70 countries and regions. Additionally, 18 consecutive "Zhu Xi's Path" study tours have attracted nearly 30,000 scholars, descendants of Zhu Xi, teachers, and students from nearly 30 countries.
Source: Organizing Committee of the Conference on Zhu Xi's Doctrine and Global Civilizations Dialogue