The 2021 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival and the 7th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations opened in Qufu, Shandong, on September 27th. Over 500 scholars and guests attended the opening ceremony on site and via video link. 

　　The theme of this year’s International Confucius Cultural Festival is "To Commemorate the 2572nd Anniversary of the Birth of Confucius", and the theme of the 7th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations is “Dialogue among Civilizations and Global Cooperation". Keynote speeches, high-level dialogues, high-level interviews, interviews with diplomatic envoys in China, panel discussions, youth forum, and youth interviews, adding up to 30 activities have been held. The Forum on TCM was held for the first time, and the awarding ceremony of UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy and Confucius Cultural Week for Young Chinese and Foreign Students were also held.

　　Hao Mingjin, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of National People’s Congress, delivered a speech and declared the event open. Liu Yandong, Former Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Former Vice Premier of the State Council and President of International Confucian Association delivered a speech. Xu Jialu, Honorary Chairman of the Organizing Committee of Nishan Forum on World Civilizations and Former Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of National People’s Congress extended congratulatory messages. There were also speeches from Liu Jiayi, Secretary of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee, Jiang Jianguo, Vice Minister of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, and Pan Yue, Vice Minister of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council. Li Ganjie Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee and Governor of the People’s Government of Shandong Province, Ye Xiaowen, Deputy Head of the Committee on Culture, Historical Data and Studies of the CPPCC National Committee, among others, attended the event. 

　　Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand, Yasuo Fukuda, Honorary Chairman of the Organizing Committee of Nishan Forum on World Civilizations and Former Prime Minister of Japan and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Former President of the Philippines delivered video messages. Ban Ki-moon, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations delivered congratulatory messages. 

　　There were written speeches from Tian Xuejun, Vice Minister of Education of the People’s Republic of China, Zhang Xu, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, Gao Peiyong, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Li Xikui, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and Huang Luqi, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Vice Minister of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 

　　Bai Yugang, Member of the Standing Committee and Head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee chaired the opening ceremony. 172 experts and scholars from 16 countries and regions attended on site or via video link. 38 diplomatic envoys from 20 countries and head of UNESCO office in China and others attended the opening ceremony. 

　　The 2021 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival and the 7th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations were jointly sponsored by Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, International Confucian Federation, and Shandong Provincial People's Government, and jointly organized by the Publicity Department of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee, Office of Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee, Shandong Provincial Department of Education, Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Shandong Provincial Health Commission (Shandong Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Shandong Provincial Government, Shandong Academy of Social Sciences, Nishan World Center for Confucian Studies, Shandong University and Jining Municipal People's Government.