Chongqing - On March 13th, the Chongqing Yangtze River Culture Research Institute was officially inaugurated at Southwest University. According to the introduction, the Chongqing Yangtze River Culture Research Institute will leverage the comprehensive academic strengths of Southwest University to aggregate high-quality resources from both domestic and international sources. Through five years of development, the institute aims to establish itself as a nationally representative institution for Yangtze River culture research with a global perspective and distinctive Chongqing characteristics. It seeks to form a comprehensive system for the research, protection, inheritance, and dissemination of Yangtze River culture, thereby serving national strategies and regional development.

Chongqing Yangtze River Culture Research Institute was officially inaugurated at Southwest University (photo/Xuelin Mu)

Zou Fudu, Vice President of Southwest University, underlined that the institute will focus on key areas and organize systematic, innovative, and leading research around a series of foundational and strategic projects. This aims to provide solid academic support for the protection, inheritance, and promotion of the Yangtze River culture.

With 691 kilometers of the Yangtze River flowing through its territory, Chongqing—the only municipality located along the river's upper reaches—plays a significant role in protecting its culture and preserving its ecology. In recent years, the city has also engaged in international cooperation with other countries, particularly those with major rivers, in areas such as cultural relic preservation and ecological conservation. When asked how the institute will leverage its strengths to promote international collaboration between Chongqing and the world, Executive Director of the Institute, Professor Lan Yong, shared the following: "On one hand, the institute will facilitate communication and exchanges with international institutions, organizations, and overseas universities on research related to river civilizations. On the other hand, it will adopt new formats and diverse media platforms to present its latest research results to the world." 

Academic seminar on Protection, Inheritance, and Development of Yangtze River Culture (photo/Xuelin Mu)

Meanwhile, on the same day, an academic seminar on research into Yangtze River culture, titled "Protection, Inheritance, and Development of Yangtze River Culture," was held at the university. Several renowned Chinese scholars gathered in the mountain city to explore pathways for the protection, inheritance, and development of the Yangtze River culture.

Professor Ge Jianxiong, a senior professor from Fudan University, discussed the intertwined and interdependent relationship between the Yangtze River and Yellow River civilizations in the course of Chinese civilization. Wang Wei, a member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, used the Sanxingdui site as an example to reveal the profound influence of the Central Plains' Xia and Shang cultures on the ancient Shu civilization in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. In addition, scholars at the conference also explored the unique role of the Yangtze River in shaping the spiritual world and Chinese civilization from theoretical perspectives such as "cultural archetypes" and "the correspondence between heaven and humanity."