SHENZHEN -- President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to a high-level international forum on museums, which began Thursday in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province.

Museums, which are important places that protect and pass on human civilizations, as well as bridges that link the past, the present and the future, play a special role in promoting the exchanges and mutual learning of the world's civilizations, Xi said in the letter to the UNESCO High Level Forum on Museums.

Xi said that in recent years, Chinese museums have made continuous progress in the building of facilities, protection and research of collections, exhibitions and granting free admission, as well as in serving the public's needs and promoting cultural exchanges.

Aside from the preservation and recording of Chinese history, museums in China are also witnesses and participants of Chinese people's ongoing efforts to realize the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, said Xi.

The president called on attendees at the forum to pool their wisdom of managing museums and make contributions to the joint efforts of protecting cultural diversity, promoting understanding among people of different countries and promoting the progress of human civilizations.