World Yangming Conference in Yuyao, Ningbo

On 23 November, the World Yangming Conference was held in Yuyao, Ningbo and Shaoxing, China, to mark the 550th anniversary of Wang Yangming's birth. With the themes of "Cultural Resonance in the Community of Human Destiny" and "Yangming Xinxue and Common Wealth" respectively, experts and scholars from the fields of culture, philosophy and social sciences at home and abroad were invited to meet online and offline to discuss the historical significance, contemporary value and global impact of Yangming culture. 

The conference is organised by the Zhejiang Provincial Government, hosted by the Propaganda Department of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, the Ningbo Municipal Government and the Shaoxing Municipal Government, and supported by the International Confucian Union, the Chinese Society for the History of Philosophy, the Chinese Academy of History and the Chinese Society of Ming History.

Zhejiang is the place where Yangming culture originated, matured and was the centre of its dissemination.

More than 500 years ago, the great master Wang Yangming was born in Yuyao, Zhejiang Province, and was buried in Shaoxing after his death. He founded the Yangming Xinxue, which is based on the principle of "conscience" as the essence of virtue, "Zhi Liang Zhi" as the method of cultivation, and "the unity of knowledge and action" as the means of practice.

As a sage in Chinese history who combined virtue, speech and merit, Mr. Yangming's thoughts, legendary experiences and charisma have left an indelible mark on the history of Zhejiang. Yangming Xinxue has also become a civilizational bridge to the world, spreading its unique charm and common values to all parts of the world and exerting a wide influence in overseas intellectual, educational and cultural circles.

For more than 500 years, Yangming Studies has been like an inextinguishable light that has enlightened generations of people.

Many high-level experts and scholars who have studied Yangming culture have fully exchanged ideas and reached consensus at this conference. For Zhejiang, which is building a new era of cultural heights at a high level, the World Yangming Congress is not only a "return" of excellent Chinese thought and culture, but also an "expedition" based on the present and looking to the future.

Next, Zhejiang will continue to deeply explore the contemporary value of Yangming Xinxue, through creative transformation and innovative inheritance, and launch a number of fruitful achievements with contemporary characteristics and significance, so as to promote the resonance of Yangming culture with the times, provide stronger spiritual guidance and cultural momentum to promote Chinese modernization and the "two forerunners", and continuously tell the story of China and Zhejiang.

Translator: Fan Chenyu (Intern)

Editor: Ye Ke, Fan Chenyu (Intern)