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The 2024 Global Forum on Hehe Culture kicks off in Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, on November 2, 2024. Photo: Courtesy of China International Communications Group

In the face of the unprecedented turmoil and changes occurring around the globe, today's world is facing greater difficulties and challenges. This highlights the urgency of promoting win-win cooperation. At the 2024 Global Forum on Hehe Culture, which concluded on Sunday in Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, world experts agreed that it is important to foster global cooperation and mutual understanding through Hehe culture, represented primarily by the concept of "harmony" and "convergence."

What is Hehe culture?

Hehe culture is believed to have originated in the Tiantai Mountain in Taizhou. To understand the culture and the values it stands for, we need to travel along the river of history back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Around 1,200 years ago, poet Hanshan, who traveled to Tiantai Mountain to live in seclusion, befriended the monk Shide at Guoqing Temple. Together, the two figures were later known as the "Two Saints of Hehe," becoming a symbol of China's Hehe culture.

Hehe culture is a valued component of traditional Chinese culture. Chinese President Xi Jinping once summarized Hehe culture quite concisely in his work Zhejiang, China: A New Vision for Development: "Our ancestors created an incomparable culture, a quintessential part of which is the Hehe culture. The first 'He' of Hehe indicates harmony, peace, and balance. The second 'He' indicates convergence, unity, and cooperation."

In fact, Chinese culture is no stranger to the idea of "Hehe." According to a press release by the Global Forum on Hehe Culture, the Chinese characters of the two "he" could be found as early as on oracle bone and bronze inscriptions in ancient China.

The connotation of Hehe culture is about diversity, tolerance, and unity, Irina Bokova, former director-general of UNESCO and one of the first Hehe Culture ambassadors honored at the 2023 event, explained in a video message. She noted that what makes Hehe culture remarkable is the blending of the wisdom of Chinese history and civilization with modernity.

The Hehe Culture Exhibition Hall in Tiantai county, East China's Zhejiang Province Photo: Courtesy of organizers of the 2024 Global Forum on Hehe Culture

From Hehe culture to GCI

The Global Forum on Hehe Culture was first created in 2021 in Taizhou. Since then, the county has actively created an international communication product matrix around the Forum, effectively enhancing the global communication and influence of Chinese civilization, according to the organizers.

Under the main theme of this year's forum, "Hehe Culture and New Model for Human Progress," experts and scholars from China and abroad hailed Hehe culture's role in enhancing mutual learning and exchanges among global civilizations.

This year, former prime minister of Egypt Essam Sharaf, former undersecretary-general of the United Nations Erik Solheim, and a director of the Board of Special Olympics Piet Steel were named as the newest Hehe culture ambassadors.

"I believe Hehe culture can play an important role in guiding the efforts aimed at building a community of shared future where everyone can enjoy a prosperous future and be part of a new world order defined by dialogue-driven international relations, and globally governed by rules and genuine multilateralism," said Sharaf in his remarks at the opening ceremony.

In his reception speech, Steel emphasized the significance of "building trust in today's divided world." According to him, the concept of Hehe culture is not only about the absence of conflict, but also about re-balance and coexistence.

No nation has all the answers to challenges like inequality, climate change, and geopolitical tensions that impact everyone, he said. However, we can find sustainable solutions through true respect for each other and learning from each other, Steel added.

Many attendees believe that Hehe culture and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) are linearly connected. Hehe culture and the GCI share similar types of values, such as diversity, equality, gentleness, and harmony, Colin Mackerras, professor emeritus at Griffith University in Australia, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview.

Sharaf told the Global Times that Hehe culture is a very good input to the GCI. "The more I think about Hehe culture, the more I feel like if we apply even 50 percent of the six main principles of this culture, the world will flourish and peace will prevail," he added.

The 2024 Global Forum on Hehe Culture kicks off in Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, on November 2, 2024. Photo: Courtesy of organizers of the 2024 Global Forum on Hehe Culture

Vivid practices

Zhu Yongxin, vice chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and executive vice chairperson of the Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, attended the opening ceremony on Saturday and delivered a speech.

In his remarks, Zhu stressed the need to put the people at the center and promote Chinese culture as well as the modern civilization of the Chinese nation. He said we should strengthen cultural confidence, deepen cultural exchanges, and promote the progress of civilizations.

He also called for adhering to the philosophy of peace and harmony, upholding the spirit that "our shared future depends on Earth," and promoting the building of a global community of shared future.

Apart from nurturing the development of Chinese culture and society, the ideas represented in Hehe culture can already be found on the global stage.

In his remarks, Solheim drew the audience to the lessons Hehe culture provides for the world today, the first of which is the unity and harmony between man and nature. He praised China for now being the global leader in all green practices.

Solheim also mentioned China and India's recent decision to reduce border tensions at their border area as a recent example of Hehe culture in practice. The fact that the two countries seek to resolve the issue through joint consultations is an excellent manifestation of Hehe culture and its harmonious spirit, he commented.

What's going on in the Middle East at the moment is just the exact opposite of Hehe culture, said Mackerras. "The idea of putting aside things we don't agree with and focusing on things we do agree with is actually a very good approach." It's difficult given the current situation in the Middle East, but negotiation and compromise are still possible, the Australian sinologist added.