LANZHOU: The Third World Conference of Sinologists opened Wednesday in Dunhuang, a historic city along the ancient Silk Road in northwest China’s Gansu Province, bringing together scholars and cultural figures from around the world to discuss the role of Chinese civilization in addressing global challenges.
Held under the theme “Pooling Wisdom of Civilizations to Jointly Address Challenges of Our Times,” the conference has drawn more than 300 participants from nearly 70 countries.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mulatu Teshome Wirtu, a Sinologist and former president of Ethiopia, highlighted the global significance of Sinology.
“Sinology originated in China, belongs to the world, and is a shared intellectual treasure of all humanity,” he said.
Tiziana Lippiello, Rector of Ca’Foscari University of Venice, said the gathering helps foster deeper understanding among cultures.
“The event contributes to the construction of new and enduring bridges toward a world founded upon mutual trust, shared human dignity, empathy, and sustainable peace,” she said.
She noted that Dunhuang provides a particularly meaningful venue for such discussions, where history, culture and imagination intersect across centuries.
The conference features four sub-forums focusing on topics such as the global relevance of Chinese modernization, the peace-oriented values of Chinese civilization, the development of Sinology and intercultural exchanges, and the contemporary significance of traditional Chinese philosophical thought.
Organizers said the selection of Dunhuang as the host city carries strong symbolic value. More than 2,000 years ago, the city served as a major crossroads on the ancient Silk Road, facilitating exchanges of goods, ideas and cultures between East and West.
Today, Dunhuang remains one of China’s most important cultural centers, home to three UNESCO World Heritage sites and more than 260 officially registered cultural relic locations.
