Chongqing - The 2024 Forum for Yangtze River Civilizations will be held on September 25 in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, with a theme on Cultural Construction of the Yangtze River and High-Quality Development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, according to Friday's press conference. 

Experts and scholars from across the country will gather in the mountainous city to discuss the cultural construction of the Yangtze River and the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

The forums focus on national strategy and developing a new Chongqing, particularly in establishing a culturally strong city in the new era. Discussions with 15 renowned experts and scholars will center on how culture can support the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, create artistic masterpieces themed around the Yangtze, protect historical and cultural heritage in urban and rural areas, and establish an international golden tourism belt along the river. The goal is to generate significant research outcomes with both theoretical and practical value, promoting the construction of a culturally strong city and enhancing cultural benefits for the people along the Yangtze.

Chongqing will seize the opportunity presented by the 2024 Forum for Yangtze River Civilizations to strengthen exchanges and interactions with neighboring provinces, regions, and cities along the Yangtze River. The aim is to transform the rich cultural resources of the Yangtze River basin into developmental advantages, promote the progressive and innovative development of Yangtze culture, and contribute to the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. In the next step, Chongqing will also focus on promoting the exchange and mutual learning among world river civilizations, carefully preparing for the 2025 Forum for Yangtze River Civilizations, and inviting renowned experts and scholars from both home and abroad to participate in discussions, further enhancing the recognition and influence of the Yangtze River Civilizations Forum in Chongqing and beyond.

Establishing an international golden tourism belt along the Yangtze

This year's discussions at the Forum for Yangtze River Civilizations will include new topics closely related to the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, such as "Establishing an International Golden Tourism Belt along the Yangtze." Ran Huazhang, Secretary of the Party Committee and Director-General of the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Cultural and Tourism Development, said that Chongqing is located upstream of the Yangtze River, with its section stretching 691 kilometers, accounting for 11% of the river's total length. The civilization of the Yangtze River provides Chongqing's cultural tourism with profound heritage and enormous opportunities, allowing this mountainous city to shine with the light of a new era of civilization.

Qutang Gorge, a scenic spot, is an important tourist attraction along the Yangtze River. (Photo/2024 Forum for Yangtze River Civilizations)

In the future, Chongqing will focus on advancing three key areas. First, it will promote integrated development by creating a high-quality tourism product system unique to Chongqing. The Chongqing Municipal Commission of Cultural and Tourism Development aims to ensure that visitors experience the natural beauty of the mountainous city while appreciating the beauty of the Bayu culture. Efforts will be made to shape three tourism brands: "World Mountain and Water City," "Majestic Yangtze Three Gorges," and "Colorful Wuling," and to develop world-class tourist attractions, a collection of inland river cruise routes, red tourism destinations, heritage tourism sites, and a world-renowned hot spring city.

The Baiheliang Underwater Museum is an important tourist attraction along the Yangtze River. (Photo/2024 Forum for Yangtze River Civilizations)

There will be a strengthened collaborative approach to create a high-level model of cross-regional cooperation. Efforts will be made to continuously improve the joint meeting mechanism for the construction of the Bashu cultural tourism corridor, the rotating presidency of the tourism alliance in the Yangtze River Three Gorges region between Chongqing and Hubei, and the Wuling Cultural Tourism Conference, expanding the "circle of friends" and promoting coordinated development in regional cultural tourism. Strengthening cooperation between Sichuan and Chongqing will be essential for co-building the Bashu cultural tourism corridor, and further collaboration among Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, and Guizhou will help reshape the cultural tourism development brand of the Wuling Mountain region.

Moreover, there will be an emphasis on both promoting tourism and optimizing the environment to continuously enhance Chongqing's cultural tourism image. Chongqing is a very hospitable city, and "putting guests first" is its sincerest promise. The city will continue to implement inbound tourism promotion plans, push for the establishment of the headquarters of the Lancang-Mekong Tourism Cities Cooperation Alliance in Chongqing, and strive to build it into an international tourism hub. Efforts will also focus on optimizing the tourism consumption environment, improving the public service system, and ensuring every visitor feels at home. Additionally, Chongqing will advance digital cultural tourism initiatives, streamlining processes such as "one-stop service for scenic area congestion" and "integrated handling for inbound tourism ports," creating an intelligent management platform for the tourism market, and working to establish a safe, orderly, convenient, and pleasant travel environment.