The 2025 Beijing Culture Forum kicked off its activities for the year on Thursday with an inaugural event held at the Temple of Heaven's Divine Music Administration, underscoring Beijing’s ongoing commitment to fostering cultural exchange.

Sun Junmin, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, delivered a speech at the event. He said that Beijing is advancing cultural development and exchange with top-tier standards, emphasizing the forum’s theme of "inheritance, innovation, and mutual learning." Sun described the forum's regular events as "an innovative measure" designed to coordinate high-quality cultural projects and resources.

This year's program, according to Sun, will feature professional cultural exchange events centered on heritage protection, technological innovation and the integration of culture with commerce, tourism and sports.

During the ceremony, officials unveiled 17 venues selected to host upcoming forum events, including the Imperial Ancestral Temple, Temple of Heaven and Qingcheng Palace at the Xiannong Temple.

Former UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova also addressed the attendees. Participants discussed the global importance of cultural heritage preservation and how technology can support these efforts, sharing insights on protecting and preserving cultural heritage for future generations.