Experts Gather in Nanjing to Explore the Cultural Heritage of the Yangtze River

NANJING, China, Nov. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Scholars and cultural experts from across the Yangtze River basin gathered in Nanjing on November 10 to explore the river's rich cultural heritage and discuss how it can be preserved and brought to life for new generations. Hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Nanjing Municipal Committee and organized by the Nanjing Yangtze River Culture Institute and other partners, the event, themed "One River, a Shared Heritage: Embracing a New Era," marked the release of the 2026 Blue Book on Yangtze River Culture and a report assessing cultural development in cities along the river. Participants represented the distinctive cultural traditions of regions throughout the basin, from Bashu (Sichuan and Chongqing) and Yunnan–Guizhou to Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi–Anhui and the lower Yangtze region.

Rather than confining the discussions to a conference room, organizers took participants onto the Yangtze itself. Departing from Zhongshan Wharf, the boat passed landmarks including the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, Pukou Wharf and Nanjing Xinjizhou National Wetland Park. Presentations on board, introductions to sites along the route and exchanges among experts brought together different chapters of the river's history, its diverse cultural traditions and the changing cityscape of Nanjing. The journey also offered a way to explore how the city is researching, preserving and sharing the Yangtze's cultural legacy.

In recent years, Nanjing has sought to restore the Yangtze's natural environment while protecting the cultural heritage along its banks. Formerly industrial stretches of waterfront have gradually given way to greener public spaces and cultural landscapes. Yangtze River Ecological Park and Xinjizhou Wetland are now part of a connected ecological corridor, while the population of Yangtze finless porpoises has been steadily recovering. Alongside these conservation efforts, the city is drawing connections between prehistoric sites, the spirit of self-reliance and perseverance embodied by the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, revolutionary history linked to the crossing of the Yangtze, and the remnants of its industrial past. Work is also progressing on the Nanjing section of the Yangtze River National Cultural Park. Through initiatives including the Blue Book and the Nanjing Yangtze Culture Forum, the city is strengthening exchanges across the river basin and bringing government, researchers and the wider public together in heritage conservation. The aim is to allow the Yangtze's natural environment, revitalized riverfront and millennia-old cultural traditions to flourish side by side.