Annual conference of Taihu World Cultural Forum to be held in Bengbu

The sixth annual conference of the Taihu World Cultural Forum is slated to be held in Bengbu, East China’s Anhui province, from October 11 to 13, organizers said at a press briefing in Beijing on Friday.

Nearly 500 participants from more than 30 countries and regions will attend the conference. They will discuss cultural diversity and the Belt and Road Initiative as well as six globally-challenging issues such as COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control, ecological development, poverty reduction and scientific and technological development.

The Republic of Azerbaijan will be a guest country of honor at the conference.

Founded in 2008, the forum is a high-end and nonofficial platform created by China for international cultural exchanges. It was named after Taihu Lake in the Yangtze River Delta region. Five cities - Suzhou in Jiangsu province, Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, Shanghai, the Macao Special Administrative Region and Beijing - have hosted its annual conferences.

The municipal government of Bengbu has given a facelift to Bengbu Ancient Residence Expo Park, the venue of the conference. The park features around 450 ancient houses.