5th International Daoism Forum opens in east China's Jiangsu

NANJING, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The 5th International Daoism Forum on Sunday opened at the Maoshan Mountain in east China's Jiangsu Province. The event also saw the inauguration of the World Federation of Daoism.

China's top political advisor Wang Huning sent a congratulatory letter to the forum and extended his greetings to the guests at the event, which was jointly hosted by the Taoist Association of China and the China Religious Culture Communication Association.

In his letter, Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said that the theme of the forum, "Revering the Dao and Upholding Virtue, Moving Forward with the World," demonstrates the joint aspiration of sharing the achievements of human civilizations and building a better homeland for humanity.

Wang noted that the inauguration of the World Federation of Daoism represents the shared aspiration of the international Daoist society. The federation serves as a new platform for exploring the values of Daoist culture at the present times and is bound to promote the mutual exchange and learning among human civilizations, he said.

The Chinese government will continue to support in-depth and friendly communications between Chinese and overseas Daoist communities to make contributions in promoting enduring world peace and shared prosperity, Wang said.

During the forum, the inaugural meeting of the World Federation of Daoism was held. Initiated by the Taoist Association of China, the federation currently consists of 52 founding members from 20 countries and regions.

Shi Taifeng, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended and addressed the opening of the forum and the inaugural meeting of the World Federation of Daoism.