On September 27, the 4th “Assembly by Great Wall” Global Promotion Activities and Dialogue on World Cultural Heritage kicked off in Qian’an, Tangshan, Hebei Province. Renowned experts, scholars, and photographers from home and abroad delivered keynote speeches and engaged in dialogue on topics including Great Wall cultural heritage protection and mutual learning among civilizations.
September 27 — The 4th “Assembly by Great Wall” Global Promotion Activities and Dialogue on World Cultural Heritage kicks off in Qian’an, Tangshan, Hebei Province. (Photo by Zhai Yujia)
The event was hosted by the Hebei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the Tangshan Municipal People’s Government, and the China Great Wall Tourism Market Promotion Alliance, and organized by the China News Service Hebei Branch, TopNewsExpress of China News Service, the Publicity Department of CPC Tangshan Municipal Committee, the Tangshan Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism, and the Qian’an Municipal People’s Government. Taking the Great Wall as a bond, the event aims to advance the protection, inheritance, and utilization of world cultural heritage, promote mutual learning among civilizations, encourage more people to approach, understand, and protect the Great Wall, and tell the Great Wall story well to the world.
As one of China’s first World Cultural Heritage sites, the majestic Great Wall is a witness to history, a symbol of the national spirit, and a bridge for cultural exchange between East and West. Hebei ranks second in the country in terms of the number of Great Wall resources, and its section of the Great Wall is the best-preserved and most representative in China. Since its inception, the “Assembly by Great Wall” series has embraced the philosophy of “mutual learning among civilizations and global dialogue,” successively traveling to Qinhuangdao, Chengde, Baoding, Tangshan, and other areas. It has gradually grown into a brand with steadily rising influence.
September 27 — The 4th “Assembly by Great Wall” Global Promotion Activities and Dialogue on World Cultural Heritage kicks off in Qian’an, Tangshan, Hebei Province. (Photo by Shi Yiyuan)
Chang Bin, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Hebei Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Tangshan Municipal Committee, said in his address that this signature event takes the Great Wall as a bond and dialogue as a bridge, deeply exploring the contemporary value of the Great Wall and jointly exploring pathways for heritage protection, and has built an important platform for exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations. Tangshan is rich in precious and unique Great Wall cultural resources, with 228 kilometers of the Great Wall winding through the city, deeply rooted in the fabric of the hills and rivers of eastern Hebei. Every brick and stone bears witness to the profound history of interaction, exchange, and integration among all ethnic groups; every beacon tower and platform carries the fine gene of the Chinese nation’s unremitting self-improvement.
Chen Lujun, Party Secretary and President of China News Service, said that as the world undergoes accelerated changes unseen in a century, dialogue among civilizations has become all the more precious. The Great Wall is a spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation and a bridge for dialogue between Eastern and Western civilizations. From the shores of Laolongtou (Old Dragon’s Head) to the depths of the Yanshan Mountains, we gather once again at the foot of the Great Wall to continue exploring practical pathways for cultural heritage protection, cultural exchange, and international communication. We must use discourse that bridges China and the world to clearly explain the civilizational value embodied in the Great Wall and the vivid practice of the Chinese path to modernization, so that more overseas friends can start from the Great Wall to understand China and fall in love with China.
September 27 — The 4th “Assembly by Great Wall” Global Promotion Activities and Dialogue on World Cultural Heritage kicks off in Qian’an, Tangshan, Hebei Province. (Photo by Lv Furong)
Wang Rongli, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director-General of the Hebei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, introduced that Hebei is rich in Great Wall resources and is an important province in the construction of the Great Wall National Cultural Park. Through measures such as formulating protection plans, conducting cultural relic surveys, and innovating joint inspections, Hebei has solidly advanced the protection and utilization of the Great Wall. She proposed building bridges for dialogue to interpret the value of the Great Wall, deepen exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and jointly advance the protection and inheritance of the Great Wall, so that this treasure of human civilization continues to shine with the brilliance of the times.
The Great Wall in Qian’an stretches 45.3 kilometers along the Yanshan Mountains, among which the 1.5-kilometer marble Great Wall section at Baiyangyu has drawn attention because its wall base and watchtower foundations are all built out of marble. Cao Xiangdong, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Tangshan Municipal Committee and Secretary of the CPC Qian’an Municipal Committee, said that Qian’an adheres to a development approach of“culture and tourism +various industries.” In recent years, it has created the “Luanhe River No. 1 Highway” all-for-one tourism loop and implemented scenarios such as “Great Wall + Wellness,”“Great Wall + Study Tours,” and “Great Wall + Homestays.” He welcomed visitors from home and abroad to come to Qian’an, savor the charm and beauty of the Great Wall, and witness the newness of the “steel Great Wall.”
In the themed promotion segment, the situational stage drama Echoes of the Great Wall: A Panoramic Scroll of Mountains and Rivers began with the history of Qi Jiguang defending the border and integrated multiple art forms including situational performance and Laoting Dagu (big drum recitative). It looked back on the historical journey of the Great Wall from construction and guarding to bloody resistance and cultural relic restoration. This segment also released premium Great Wall tour routes, making history and culture tangible and visitable. In the keynote speech segment, several experts interpreted the contemporary pathways of Great Wall protection from the dimensions of cultural inheritance and practice.
September 27 — The 4th “Assembly by Great Wall” Global Promotion Activities and Dialogue on World Cultural Heritage kicks off in Qian’an, Tangshan, Hebei Province. (Photo by Zhai Zichun)
At the event, attending leaders and guests also presented certificates to outstanding works of the “Assembly by Great Wall”International Photography Exhibition on World Cultural Heritage 2026. The exhibition received a total of 3,220 entries comprising nearly 5,000 photographs, with nearly 100 works selected for on-site display. The exhibition is divided into three chapters—"Backbone of China: Magnificent Great Wall," "Millennia of Heritage: Craftsmanship and Continuity," and "Echoes of Time: Cities of World Cultural Heritage"—presenting, in bilingual Chinese-English format, a vivid display of the vitality and vigor the Great Wall has shown in the new era. Mohammed Ahmed, a Yemeni photographer who has submitted works for three consecutive years, and Cai Changying, a local photographer from Qian’an, shared their emotional bonds with the Great Wall from the dual perspectives of “one from afar” and “one from here,” showcasing the multifaceted charm of the Great Wall as a World Cultural Heritage site.
During the event, a series of activities will also be held, including “Night Talks on the Great Wall” interviews, the 2026 Qian’an “Assembly by Great Wall” hiking event, an expert dialogue on “What Is the Great Wall For?—Its Historical Culture and Contemporary Value,” and the “Assembly by Great Wall: Imprints of Civilization” media tour, allowing people from home and abroad to experience the natural landscapes and cultural richness along the Great Wall through walking and dialogue.
In recent years, Qian’an has consistently taken cultural tourism as the main direction of its transformation and upgrading. The city is rich in tourism resources, with 163 tourism resources in total, two national 4A-level tourist attractions, and two national key rural tourism villages. Qian’an also boasts numerous cultural heritage assets, with 258 immovable cultural relics and 100 representative items of intangible cultural heritage. (By Wang Xiafei)