Hehe Culture Park in Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province (Photo/Taizhou Communication Department)

In the long history of Chinese civilization, harmony is commonly seen as the most precious element and the most valued virtue of Chinese traditional culture. 'Hehe Wenhua' or literally 'Hehe Culture', an epitome of China’s 'harmony', encompasses the fundamental principles of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism, which are commonly known as the three spiritual pillars of the Chinese culture. 

Hehe Culture Global Forum kicks off in Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, on December 9, 2021 (Photo/Ye Ke)

On December 9, the 2021 Hehe Culture Global Forum kicked off in East China’s Taizhou City, where its Tiantai County is believed to be the birthplace of China’s 'Hehe Wenhua'. Tiantai County is noted for its scenic Mount Tiantai, which is an important Tiantai Buddhism site. 

With the theme of “Hehe Culture and A Community of Shared Future for Mankind”, the forum brings together a total of about 150 intellectuals with backgrounds of government, universities and research institutions coming from more than 10 countries such as Japan, South Korea and France. 

Three parallel sub-forums on themes of 'development', 'win-win cooperation' and 'ecological civilization' were held on the same day, facilitating in-depth discussions on the potentials and opportunities of 'Hehe Culture' to the global sustainable development. 

At the opening ceremony, Du Zhanyuan, President of China International Publishing Group (CIPG) pointed out that facing an increasingly turbulent world, a culture of harmony like 'Hehe Wenhua' is a great 'gift' to the world from China, which will provide referential values to better global governance and solve the common challenges in front of all countries. 

Yukio Hatoyama, Japan’s former Prime Minister delivered an online keynote, indicating that the core of diplomacy lies in seeking peaceful co-existence with countries and peoples with different values and ways of thinking. It’s important to face the reality that countries vary in opinions. A harmonious approach to diplomatic relations means that both sides should not completely deny each other when they have different views. Instead, they should try to reconcile with each other so as to create a win-win situation.

"In my opinion, communication and exchanges between people are of great importance in 'Hehe Wenhua'. It is the spirit of harmony that is deeply rooted in the heart of people living in Taizhou and Zhejiang." said Qian Wenzhong, a professor and researcher in history at Fudan University.

According to the organizers of the forum, 'Hehe Culture Global Forum' will be held annually from 2022, and will be rich in content, such as conferences, cultural activities and symposiums. 

For big fans of Chinese culture and sinologists, the forum will be a unique platform for intellectual ventures and cultural dialogues in search of the next step of global development and the role of China in helping the world to be a better planet. 

Author: Ye Ke