Changsha summit mobilizes youth to innovate cultural protection

Young representatives from 45 countries gather in Changsha, China's Media Art Capital, for the 2025 International Youth Forum of Creativity and Heritage Along the Belt and Road. They will explore new approaches to cultural heritage protection and inheritance through a variety of engaging events, igniting youthful creativity amid the integration of Silk Road civilizations.

Scene of youth sharing session at 2025 International Youth Forum of Creativity and Heritage Along the Belt and Road in Changsha. [Photo/China Daily]

The forum takes Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship - Youth for Heritage Protection and Inheritance as its theme and features a rich array of core events. It includes youth sharing sessions, group discussions, a parallel forum for representatives from member cities of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), as well as a Sino-foreign youth get-together and a closing ceremony, all designed to build an open communication platform for young people across the globe.

A series of distinctive activities are also scheduled, such as the Changsha Tour as part of the “Experience Dynamic China in Changsha” campaign and immersive experiences in intangible cultural heritage.

Youth sharing sessions stand as the forum's highlight. Participants from all over the world will express their thoughts on creative practices and engage in in-depth discussions on how digital technologies can empower heritage protection. Wisdom from different civilizations will integrate and coexist as their ideas converge.

After the sessions, the young representatives are expected to visit the Hunan Museum, Huogongdian, among other landmarks. They are set to gain firsthand experience in Hunan embroidery, Changsha opera and other ICH crafts, and feel the vivid charm of technology and tradition blending together.

Young representatives take photos in front of Huogongdian, a renowned cultural landmark in Changsha. [Photo/China Daily]

Carlos Andres Oliveira Caballero, a young Bolivian, visits Changsha for the second time and is amazed by the city's development and transformation.

"Changsha is beautiful, vibrant and highly technological," he says. "I've made lifelong friends here, and we will join hands to protect and pass on cultural heritage together." This Silk Road gathering forges cross-border friendships among young people. It also cements a shared commitment to cultural heritage protection in Changsha's dynamic and creative atmosphere.