The third Liangzhu Forum is set to open in Hangzhou, East China’s Zhejiang province, on Saturday, under the theme of “Revitalization of Civilization: Cultural Heritage and Human Culture Diversity”.

Around 400 guests, including archaeology, museology and cultural heritage protection experts and scholars from home and abroad, will take part in this year’s forum, according to organizers. The Hangzhou gathering will feature a main forum, four sub-forums and six supporting activities.

Saturday’s opening ceremony and main forum will be attended by leaders from China’s culture and tourism authorities, UNESCO and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). This will be the first time that the heads of these two UN organizations will participate in the forum.

According to organizers, the four sub-forums will discuss the modern relevance of ancient civilizations, archaeological site protection, museum innovation and the preservation of cultural heritage.

Supporting events include a symposium on the book project A Comprehensive Collection of Ancient Chinese Paintings, a cultural creative market, a concert by the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Zhejiang Symphony Orchestra, the China (Hangzhou) International Biennale of Art and Technology, and an exhibition of Chinese and Arabic calligraphy.

On the eve of the forum on Friday, the UNWTO will hold an award ceremony for the Best Tourism Villages 2025 in Anji county, Huzhou, also in Zhejiang province.

Launched in 2021, the award honors locations that use tourism as a vehicle to preserve landscapes, cultural practices, and ecological and culinary diversity. China now has 15 villages on the list, with three villages from Zhejiang among them—Yucun village in Anji, Xiajiang village in Chun’an and Xitou village in Longquan.

The third Liangzhu Forum will be co-hosted by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the Zhejiang Provincial People’s Government.