HANGZHOU -- The first Liangzhu Forum was held on Sunday in Hangzhou, the capital of East China's Zhejiang province.

Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, read out a congratulatory letter from President Xi Jinping and delivered a keynote speech at the event.

The forum is of great significance to appreciating China's ancient civilization, preserving historical and cultural heritage, and promoting cultural inheritance, development, exchanges and cooperation, attendees said.

They expressed the hope that the Liangzhu Forum platform would be leveraged fully, and that people from different circles would use it to deepen mutual understanding through discussion and turn the Global Civilization Initiative into actions.

Themed "Implementing the Global Civilization Initiative, Promoting Exchanges and Mutual Learning Between Civilizations," the forum was held by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the provincial government of Zhejiang. Over 300 guests from home and abroad attended the event.