By Wang Mingfeng from the People’s Daily and Tian Liang from Global People Magazine
Translated by Zheng Aotian Zheng and Wang Shuohan
“Pear blossoms bloom, spring comes with rain; pear blossoms fall, spring falls into mud.” The performance of Ode to the Pear Blossom brought the 2025 Global People Annual Conference to its peak. Despite the steady drizzle, the audience’s enthusiasm remained high, cheering for renowned Peking Opera artist Hu Wenge.
“I am committed to carrying on the mission of preserving and revitalizing Peking Opera, ensuring that this national treasure continues to shine with contemporary vitality,” Hu said after his performance, as he reflected on the heritage of the Mei School of operatic art that informs the piece.
On September 16, the 2025 Global People Annual Conference, themed “Together for Shared Prosperity,” was held by Lugu Lake in Yanyuan County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province.
The Conference coincided with the opening of the first Mountain and Lake Circling Festival of Lugu Lake in Liangshan. Centered on the theme “Lugu Lake of World, Promote Exchanges through Cultural Tourism,” the festival highlighted the region’s signature brands—“Sichuan Ease” and “The Birthplace of Yi Sea Alliance, Colorful Greater Liangshan.” Through a series of events, it aimed to share compelling stories of protecting and inheriting outstanding cultural heritage, while fostering interaction, exchange, and integration among different ethnic groups, establishing the Mountain and Lake Circling Festival as another distinctive cultural tourism brand for Liangshan, following the Yi Torch Festival.
The 2025 Global People Annual Conference, themed “Together for Shared Prosperity,” was held by Lugu Lake in Yanyuan County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province.
Hu Wenge performed at the event.
The concept of “interaction, exchange, and integration” resonated with the theme of the Global People Annual Conference. At the “Lugu Lake Dialogue” session on the afternoon of September 16, Ji Di Majia, Former Vice President of Chinese Writers’ Association, Director of the Poetry Committee of Chinese Writers’ Association; Andrei Chevelev, Former Head of the Asia-Pacific Unit Sector for Priority Africa and External Relations at UNESCO, Recipient of Chinese Government Friendship Award and Ma Rongguo, Vice President of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, held a discussion on “New Paths for Cross-Cultural Dialogue and Global Cooperation.”
From left to right: Host Hai Bin, Ji Di Majia, Andrei Chevelev, and Ma Rongguo at the event.
Mei Shuaiyuan, Chairman of the Board of Scenery Culture Industry Co., Ltd.; José Medeiros da Silva, Brazilian Sinologist, Professor at the Zhejiang International Studies University and Liu Wenwen, Suona Artist, Associate Professor at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, engaged in a dialogue on “Global Expressions of Ethnic Cultural Heritage and Innovation.”
From left to right: Hai Bin, Mei Shuaiyuan, José Medeiros da Silva, and Liu Wenwen at the event.
Grinikh Viktoria, Douyin Creator from Russia; Mido, Foreign Expert of China International Communications Group, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Bridge Club in Cairo; Liu Qi, Co-founder, CCO and Chief Director of YChina, and moderator Hai Bin, at Hainan University’s School of Humanities, joined a dialogue on “Youth Power in Cross-Cultural Communication in the New Era.” The conversation about the globally popular animated character Nezha sparked lively discussion, with applause and laughter. Mido noted, “Every country has its unique culture, and their interactions highlight their distinct charm.”
From left to right: Hai Bin, Liu Qi, Victoria, and Liu Zhengxi at the event.
In the evening, the “Night of Tribute” at the 2025 Global People Annual Conference, was structured into four chapters: Guardianship, Heritage, Together, and Shared Prosperity.
Liu Chengyong, Curator of China National Archives of Publications and Culture, shared the institution’s carefully designed Legacy Project, which has been widely collecting treasured classics of Chinese civilization both at home and abroad, with the goal of building a “gene bank” to safeguard China’s cultural heritage.
Tian Qing, Researcher and Doctoral Supervisor at the Chinese National Academy of Arts, emphasized: “Intangible cultural heritage is a priceless asset of the Chinese nation. Its protection and transmission embody integrity, while its transformation and development represent innovation.”
La Jianli, Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor of Mosuo Traditional Costume, Founder of Mosuo Intangible Cultural Heritage Workshop in Liangshan, Sichuan Province, explained that Mosuo clothing is “not just fabric worn on the body, but also a record of history.” Preserving the culture of traditional dress, she added, is a way to give new vitality to tradition in contemporary times.
Hosts Zhang Zequn and Elyse Ribbons (U.S.) jointly presided over the “Night of Tribute ” at the 2025 Global People Annual Conference.
Tian Qing at the event.
La Jianli at the event.
Bamo Qubumo, Senior Research Fellow of the Institute of Ethnic Literature of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Advisor of 2025 UNESCO Global Report on Cultural Policies, introduced the origins and contemporary significance of the Mountain and Lake Circling Festival in Liangshan Prefecture. This important folk custom of the Mosuo people living near Lugu Lake—rooted in reverence and gratitude for nature—has now been designated as an official local holiday.
Liu Zhanfeng, Editor-in-Chief, Chinese Poetry Literature, observed that transformed cultural resources can play a greater role in public life.
Mei Shuaiyuan emphasized the importance of revitalizing traditional culture: “With methods of our era, we must find a global expression for our great national culture.”
Bamo Qubumo at the event.
Liu Zhanfeng at the event.
Bai Gengsheng, Vice President of Chinese Writers’ Association, President of Chinese Reportage Society, called on people to turn the concept of Cultural Together into concrete action, allowing the light of culture to illuminate families, society, and the future of human civilization.
Cai Zhefei, Deputy Head of Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Theatre, shared the story of “Youth Yue Opera” and the practices of bringing opera into communities and integrating art into daily life.
Wang Ning, Director of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, reflected on the institution’s 18-year journey of presenting both Chinese and international masterpieces: “Civilizational dialogue is not a one-way output, but a process of mutual listening, co-creation, and shared success.”
Bai Gengsheng at the event.
Cai Zhefei at the event.
Andrei Chevelev at the event.
As autumn’s golden hues framed the gathering, the voices of the participants converged in a shared pledge—to safeguard the world’s cultural diversity, making the garden of world civilizations colorful and vibrant.
Editor:Gao weiyi
