In order to thoroughly implement the spirit of the Party's 19th Congress, the Forum aimed to strengthen the protection and utilization of cultural relics and to preserve traditional Chinese culture. Traditional ancient drama stages in the Ninghai region are the direct carriers of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the Chinese nation and the protection and suitable use of such "double legacies" is an important starting point for "implementing the strategy for the rejuvenation of rural areas".

To the Forum participated the Vice-Mayor of Ningbo, Ms. Xu Ya Nan, Mr. Li Xiaojie, the Chairman of the China Cultural Heritage Conservation Foundation, experts of Cultural Heritage Conservation and representatives of Media and Tourism departments. Simone Ricca, Vice-Director of WHITRAP Shanghai, was invited to assist to the forum. In his speech, Dr. Ricca underlined that the preservation of these extraordinary vestiges of Chinese cultural heritage requires a comprehensive strategy aiming to transmit their significance and value to contemporary generations, integrating creative cultural strategies, and that the long-term survival of the ancient opera stages in Ninghai and in Ningbo should integrate design strategies linking conservation with creativity, ecology, and their larger rural framework.

Qing’an Guild Hall ancient stage, Ningbo