The 5th International Taoism Forum was held on September 24th to 25th in the Taoist holy land of Mount Maoshan, Jiangsu, China. More than 500 representatives from the Taoist community, experts, and scholars from 39 countries and regions attended the forum. During the forum, various activities were organized, including the main forum, television forum, new media forum, sub-forums, and Taoist cultural exhibitions.
This forum was hosted by the China Taoist Association and the Chinese Association for Religious and Cultural Exchange, with the co-sponsorship of the Hong Kong Taoist Federation, Macau Taoist Association, and the Taiwan Chinese Taoist Association. The theme of the forum was “Respecting Tao and Upholding Virtue: Walking with the World.” During the forum, the inaugural meeting of the World Taoist Federation was held, and the first council of the World Taoist Federation was elected, with Li Guangfu, the President of the China Taoist Association, elected as the Chairman. The World Taoist Federation was initiated by the China Taoist Association and is an international, professional, non-profit organization voluntarily formed by Taoist groups, Taoist temples, Taoist-related institutions, and prominent individuals who believe in or love Taoist culture. Currently, it has 52 founding member units from 20 countries and regions worldwide.
On September 24th, a press conference for this forum was held in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, where Zhang Gaocheng, the Vice President of the China Taoist Association, stated, “Taoism is gradually reaching the world.” He emphasized the need for the establishment of an international Taoist organization recognized by Taoists from various countries to unite and connect Taoists worldwide effectively and integrate the global Taoist resources.
On the morning of September 25th, the main forum with the theme “Respecting Tao and Upholding Virtue: Walking with the World” was held at the Xuan Palace. The co-hosts of the main forum were Zhang Gaocheng, Vice President of the China Taoist Association, and Liu Chengyong, President of the German Taoist Association. One notable aspect of this forum was the use of English by Zhang Gaocheng for hosting and Chinese by Liu Chengyong for hosting, reflecting the globalization of modern society and the excellent language skills of contemporary Taoists, as well as the adaptability of Taoism to the times.
During the main forum, speakers discussed various topics related to the global dissemination of Taoism, talent development, and delved into the philosophical concepts, moral education, ecological conservation, cultural dissemination, and international exchanges of Taoism. They actively explored the contemporary value of Taoist thought and contributed the wisdom of Taoism to the construction of a community of shared human destiny.
In the afternoon of September 25th, the second session of the sub-forum, “The Inheritance and Innovation of Taoism,” was held. It was announced by Daoist Li Jia, President of the Russian Taoist Association, that Liu Chengyong, President of the German Taoist Association, had officially become the Vice President of the Russian Taoist Association, and certificates were awarded accordingly.
Written by Fan Xin Rui