The 2026 International Cultural Heritage Protection Week commenced in the Ancient City of Yuci, Jinzhong, Shanxi province, on July 15. The event focuses on cultural heritage preservation and international exchanges, fostering a dialogue that transcends time and space.

The opening ceremony was attended by diplomats from Jordan, North Macedonia, the Maldives, Latvia, Bangladesh, and other countries, along with international cultural experts and overseas sinologists. Over 100 guests gathered, overcoming language barriers to discuss cultural heritage preservation.

The 2026 International Cultural Heritage Protection Week kicks off in the Ancient City of Yuci. [Photo/Yellow River News]

Md. Nazmul Islam, Bangladesh's ambassador to China, highlighted the historical ties between Bangladesh and Shanxi in his speech. He praised Shanxi’s world-class cultural heritage sites, such as the Ancient City of Pingyao and the Yungang Grottoes, and lauded the province's achievements in digitizing and socially preserving its artifacts. He expressed a strong desire to deepen cooperation in ancient architecture restoration, joint archaeology, digital heritage, and youth exchange.

Evandro Menezes de Carvalho, an associate professor of international law at Fluminense Federal University in Brazil, emphasized that cultural heritage is a living resource that empowers the future. He advocated for collaboration between Shanxi's cultural heritage institutions and Brazil's historic cities to establish a joint digital heritage research platform, contributing to global cultural diversity protection.

The event also featured the "Shanxi International Communication Center Think Tank Experts" awarding ceremony, bringing together global cultural experts to build a regular, professional platform for international cultural exchange.

As Shanxi's high-level, multi-departmental international cultural exchange initiative, this protection week features a rich array of events including the opening ceremony, roundtable discussions, the "Discovering Shanxi's Ancient Chinese Architecture" visual journey, academic lectures, and the production of overseas documentaries.