The 3rd “Assembly by Great Wall” event opens in Laiyuan County of Hebei

The 3rd “Assembly by Great Wall” Global Promotion Activities and Dialogue on World Cultural Heritage opened on November 15 in Laiyuan County, Baoding City, Hebei Province.

This event is hosted by the Hebei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the CPC Baoding Municipal People’ Government, and the China Great Wall Tourism Market Promotion Alliance, and organized by the Hebei Branch of China News Service, the Beijing Branch of China News Service, the Publicity Department of CPC Baoding Municipal Committee, the Baoding Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism, and the Laiyuan County People’s Government. Since its inception, the “Assembly by Great Wall” series of events has taken place in Qinhuangdao, Chengde, Baoding, and other regions, serving as an international exchange platform around the theme of “Mutual Learning Among Civilizations, Global Dialogue.”Through years of exploration, it has now emerged as a flagship event with fruitful outcomes.

“Meet the World at the Great Wall”

　As one of the first World Cultural Heritage sites in China, the Great Wall embodies the national spirit of perseverance and self-improvement and the patriotic spirit of unity andresiliency. It is a symbol of the Chinese nation and Chinese civilization, and has witnessed exchanges and mutual learning between China and the rest of the world. Hebei Province is proud to be home to various sections of the Great Wall built in different historical periods, from the Warring States period (475–221 BCE) to the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). Boasting some of the most complete and representative parts of the Great Wall, Hebei is a key region for spreading the spirit of the Great Wall and showcasing the Great Wall culture. In particular, Laiyuan County of Hebei has abundant Ming Great Wall relics and tops many other counties with a long section of the Great Wall.

The 3rd “Assembly by Great Wall” event held in Laiyuan County of Hebei

In his address, Chang Bin, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Hebei Provincial Committee and Director of the Publicity Department, said that the “Assembly by Great Wall” event not only pays a tribute to the ancient civilization but also adds a new chapter tothe annals of the history, as it integrates preservation and innovation with a strong sense of responsibility and mission to help the ancient Great Wall regain its glory and glamor. He called for prioritizing protection to safeguard this millennia-old heritage, passing on the culture through preservation, and tapping into its contemporary value through development. He also stressed the importance of promoting the Great Wall culture and telling its stories well so that the Great Wall, a symbol of unity and Chinese culture, can continue to nourish the people and go out into the world.

The 3rd “Assembly by Great Wall” Global Promotion Activities and Dialogue on World Cultural Heritage opens in Laiyuan County,Baoding City, Hebei Province, November 15. (Photo by Zhai Yujia)

Chen Lujun, Party Secretary and President of China News Service, noted the unique role of the Great Wall in fostering cultural exchanges between China and the world, calling it a bond linking Chinese people at home and abroad and an important bridge promoting exchanges and mutual learning between Eastern and Western civilizations. As the international communication landscape is undergoing profound changes, it is essential to delve into the vision of peace and a human community of shared future embodied in the Great Wall culture, and tell stories featuring the Great Wall to facilitate exchanges among countries on world cultural heritage.

Zhao Bing, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Hebei Provincial Committee and also Party Secretary and Director-General of the Hebei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, stressed that the Great Wall is a representative symbol of the Chinese nation and Chinese civilization, and is a historical and cultural brand Hebei is proud of. Hebei ranks second in China for itsGreat Wallresources. In recent years, Hebei has stepped up efforts to build the Great Wall National Cultural Park, diving deep into the Great Wall culture and making the Great Wall cultural heritage shine even more splendidly in the new era.

Actor Zhang Xiaolong (second from right), portraying ancient explorer Xu Xiake, interacts with Great Wall protectors and promoters, November 15. (Photo by Zhai Yujia)

Yan Jihong, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Baoding Municipal Committee and Mayor of Baoding, said that in recent years, Baoding City has seized the strategic opportunities brought by the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the development of the Xiong’an New Area, focused on both cultural preservation and urban renewal, taken solid steps to protect the Great Wall, systematically advanced the protection and renewal of the old city, and actively explored new paths to integrating culture and tourism. He called on people from all walks of life to tell the stories of the Great Wall, spread the voice of Baoding, and contribute wisdom and strength to the protection and utilization of important cultural relics under state-levelprotection.

During the themed promotion session, actor Zhang Xiaolong, who portrayed ancient explorer Xu Xiake, interacted with Great Wall protectors and promoters. They presented Great Wall protection efforts in Hebei and introduced the province’s cultural and tourism resources. Then, several guests delivered keynote speeches, including Dang Anrong, Professor at the School of Architecture, Tsinghua University and Director of the KeyScientificResearch Baseof the National Cultural HeritageAdministration, and Justyna Szpakowska, a Polish media planner. Their speeches covered a variety of topics such as the construction of the Great Wall National Cultural Park, the protection of World Cultural Heritage, cultural preservation and tourism development, as well as the visual expression and international communication of the Great Wall.

Guests engage in a panel discussion, November 15. (Photo by Zhai Yujia)

The panel discussion was moderated by Dong Yaohui, Chief Editor ofChronicles of the Great Wall of China. The panelists consisted of experts, scholars, and frontline workers, including Tian Lin, Director of the Institute of Architecture and Public Arts, the Chinese National Academy of Arts; Chao Luomeng, Director of the Great Wall Protection and Research Department, Inner MongoliaInstitute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology; Cheng Ruifang, Vice President of Hebei University of Economics and Business; Shi Zhilin, Associate Professor at the Institute of Dunhuang Studies of Lanzhou University; and Li Yong, a Great Wall protector. They discussed a range of topics, including new narratives about the Great Wall, innovative approaches to widening the reach of World Cultural Heritage, and strategies for attracting global tourists—especially Gen Z travelers.Their discussions provided new ideas for the protection, development, and cross-cultural communication of the Great Wall.

Justyna Szpakowska, a media planner from Poland, delivers a keynote speech, November 15. (Photo by Han Bing)

Prior to the meeting, the attendees visited the “Assembly by Great Wall” 2025 International Photography Exhibition on World Cultural Heritage. The exhibition received about 2,200 entries with a total of 3,500 photos. Four treasured works and 102 shortlists were featured in the exhibition, aiming to present the Great Wall in different periods and the achievements in protecting the Great Wall and other linear cultural heritage sites.

A sharing session themed “Assembly by Great Wall” was also held during the event. A number of experts, scholars, and frontline workers shared their insights on the topic “Great Wall and Community for the Chinese Nation: From Historical Bond to Cultural Home.”

The “Assembly by Great Wall”InternationalPhotographyTour on World Cultural Heritage was also launched on the day. Well-known photographers from China, Britain, Yemen, the United States, Greece, and other countries took trips to various tourist attractions in Hebei like Baishishan National Geopark, Zhili Provincial Governor’s Office, the Ancient Lotus Pond Garden, as well as Great Wall Motors Company Limited and China Lucky Group Corporation. Using their camera lens, they captured and showcased the stunning natural scenery, rich cultural heritage, and modern industrial achievements along the Great Wall. (Reporters: Zhao Danmei and Lyu Zihao)

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