Cheng Xueyuan said in his address, “This forum provides a very good platform to carry forward Master Fa Xian’s spirit and consolidate the time-tested friendship between China and Sri Lanka.”

“Two thousand years ago, our ancestors established friendly relations through the ancient maritime Silk Road. Today it is time for us to jointly build the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road to bring real benefits to our two peoples and realize the common development of our two countries,” said the ambassador.

At the opening ceremony, President Maithripala Sirisena handed certificates to the winners of the art competition held in parallel to the anniversary. A commemorative stamp was also officially issued by Sri Lanka’s Department of Post to mark the event.

At the forum held in the afternoon, Buddhist masters and scholars from both countries held discussions and gave keynote speeches, to exchange ideas and to explore the future development of Fa Xian culture and the Maritime Silk Road.

The weeklong event will feature a series of activities, including the anniversary of Master Fa Xian’s birthday, prayer meetings, visits to Buddhist shrines and cultural exchange talks.