An online forum themed on the symbiotic relationship between theatre culture and city development will be held today in Taicang city, East China's Jiangsu province.

The event is initiated by the Silk Road International League of Theaters, and this is the first time the organization is holding an international forum in the Yangtze River Delta since its launch in 2016.

Theater is a vital part of a city's public cultural infrastructure, its relationship with the city reflects the links between culture and society in general. For citizens, theater is spiritual place as well as a carrier of public cultural services, which also instills a trace of warmth to the concrete and steel of a city.

Apart from the government officials of Taicang city, important members of the Silk Road International League of Theaters from Asia, Europe and the Mediterranean region will also join the forum, together they will pitch in their thoughts on the interactive relations between theater and city, and how the two can achieve mutual development.

Taicang is not only a city that boasts a long history and a rich traditional culture, it was the departure port for the central government's grain supply in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), as well as a logistics hub for overseas trade. Taicang Port was where Zheng He (1371-1435), the great Chinese navigator and explorer, started his voyages to the Indian Ocean during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Today, over 80 shipping routes along the Yangtze River are connected to Taicang Port, making it a transit hub for domestic trade. The port also possesses 25 near-sea shipping routes that connect to countries and regions along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

Initiated by the China Arts and Entertainment Group, the Silk Road International League of Theaters serves as a large multinational platform for performing arts, which aims to promote culture exchanges and improve artistic levels. By November last year, the organization had 130 members from 45 countries and regions across the world.