Chongqing — The 2026 Yangtze River Civilization Forum continued Sept. 17 with the Chinese and International Experts Dialogue of the Yangtze River Culture Tour and Exchange. The event featured three groups, each addressing a different aspect of river civilizations, from cultural heritage conservation and riverfront ecology to cultural tourism and the relationship between geography and culture.

“Conservation, Revitalization, and Utilization of Cultural Heritage in the Yangtze River Basin and Other Major River Basins Worldwide” was the focus of the first group, which examined the close ties between major rivers and the historical memory of the communities along them.

Chinese and international experts participate in the group discussion during the Chinese and International Experts Dialogue of the Yangtze River Culture Tour and Exchange. (Photo/Natalia Vakhrusheva)

Dr. Alaa Hussein Mahmoud Menshawy, visiting scholar at the National Academy of Chinese Modernization, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, member of the Board of the Faculty of Archaeology at Luxor University and former director-general of the Luxor Museum in Egypt, noted that protecting major river basins extends beyond water resources and natural ecosystems to include historic landscapes, traditional knowledge and collective memories.

Using the Yangtze and Nile as examples, Menshawy emphasized the need for governments, museums, universities, cultural institutions, local communities and international partners to work together. Cooperation between countries with major river civilizations can foster cultural exchange, mutual learning and sustainable development.

Ahmed Khamis Rehema Mohammed, assistant to the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of Egypt, called for a more active approach to heritage protection amid rapid urbanization and climate change. Combining the ecological knowledge of ancient civilizations with modern technology, he proposed new approaches to revitalizing and sustainably using heritage sites.

“Ecological Conservation of Riverfront Areas along the World’s Great Rivers and Development of Riverside Cultural and Tourism Offerings” was among the themes explored. Thiago Tanji, second vice-president of the National Federation of Journalists of Brazil (FENAJ), highlighted the role of sustainable development in promoting and preserving local culture. He also emphasized the role of journalism and communication in telling the stories of major rivers, saying that sharing these stories can also be a way of valuing and protecting rivers. Tanji pointed to the Yangtze and the Amazon as examples of river basins that can share experiences, address common challenges and seek solutions through international cooperation.

Participants engaged in an in-depth dialogue on “Shaped by Rivers and Mountains: A Dialogue Between Culture and Geography” during the Chinese and International Experts Dialogue of the Yangtze River Culture Tour and Exchange. (Photo/Natalia Vakhrusheva)

The third group, under the theme “Shaped by Rivers and Mountains: A Dialogue Between Culture and Geography,” brought a literary perspective to the relationship between landscapes and civilization.

Russian lyric poet and violinist Anna Ganin, recipient of the Pushkin Medal, reflected on the connection between geography, history and Chinese literature.

“The connection between time and geography is forever engraved in Chinese civilization, in its great literature and beautiful poetry,” Ganin said.

Recalling Li Bai, Du Fu and Qu Yuan, she described the journey along the Yangtze as an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of generations of Chinese poets and encounter the landscapes, legends and traditions that shaped their work. Her interest in Chinese classical literature, she added, began through Russian translations she encountered as a child.

Across the three sessions, the experts examined different dimensions of major river civilizations, linking heritage preservation and ecological protection with local communities, tourism, literature and cultural traditions.