M. General Mohamed Hussein
senior under-secretary at SIS
Chongqing – At the heart of China’s storied Yangtze River, scholars from across the globe gathered to trace the enduring threads of human civilization.
Muhammad Hameed, head of the Department of Archaeology at the University of the Punjab in Pakistan, highlighted continuities between the ancient Indus Valley civilization and modern cultures, while noting the growing collaborative excavations with Chinese institutions.
Scholars representing China, France, Egypt, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Pakistan delivered speeches on world river civilizations, underscoring the shared heritage of waterways as cradles of culture.
The main forum was enriched by a series of side events, including the 2025 Longgupo Site Academic Seminar, the World Great Rivers Concert, the Yangtze River Basin Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition, and the dazzling drone performance, “New Rhythm of Chongqing.” Visitors also experienced the special exhibition “From Dunhuang to Dazu” and cultural exploration programs along the Yangtze’s banks.
Since its inception in 2023, the Yangtze River Civilization Forum has evolved from a regional initiative into a permanent provincial–ministerial-level event with nationwide and now international reach. The first two sessions brought together more than 200 experts, whose insights were compiled into the Yangtze River Civilization Forum Collection—a monumental work of 75 articles and over half a million words. Many of the proposed ideas on developing the Yangtze River National Cultural Park have since been translated into policy and practice.
Building on this foundation, the 2025 edition marked a new era of global collaboration, distinguished by its diverse cultural programming, high-level participation, and deepened academic influence. The Yangtze, once again, proved itself not only a river of history but also a river of ideas—flowing across borders, time, and civilizations.
