Culture, seemingly delicate, proves to be greatly perseverant. In history, when much ostentatious stuff disappears, only excellent cultures still survive. As the origin and starting point of a nation’s confident strive for future, culture is the identity of a nation’s spirits. In this new century, culture has almost become a hot issue all over the world, and cultural industry has become a top choice for investment and a new economic growth engine. Certainly this phenomenon is reasonable with its objective reality, however, as far as its essence is concerned, the merit of culture lies in spiritual sphere rather than economic one, lies in the comfort and nutrition for a nation’s heart and lies in the cultivation and enhancement of a nation’s overall quality. Like water, culture avails itself in all aspects of life to give nourishment in a silent way. The excellent Chinese traditional culture, as crystallization of our ancestor’s wisdom in creation, is the outcome of all the Chinese people’s inheritance and contribution. With innovation within tradition and development along with innovation, Chinese culture is the common spiritual homeland for all Chinese both at home and abroad. Today, it has become the common ambition and responsibility to inherit and promote excellent traditional culture, preserve its exuberant vitality and realize the revival of the Chinese nation. 

In the current global circumstance of significant development, transformation and adjustment, the multi-polarity and economic globalization has achieved a profound evolution. With the increasing changes of science and technology and intensive communications among varied culture and ideologies, it becomes necessary to promote mutual understanding and trust between different civilizations and safeguard prosperity and progress of human civilization. Therefore, the promotion of Chinese culture is a natural choice. Chinese culture is jointly created by all its ethnic groups, and with the same origin and tradition people from mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. It have made their respective contribution to the inheritance and development of Chinese culture. Despite some differences, the strengthened cultural exchange among the four locations with mutual learning and reciprocal cooperation will bring about a better future. With this, the related organizations and circles have made efforts to make this forum possible. This forum aims to provide a platform of academic exchange for artists, theorists and critics from the four locations, to enhance and increase cultural exchanges, actively explore the development principle and strategy of Chinese culture in the new period and circumstance, to promote Chinese culture and strengthen its competitiveness and influence in the global cultural layout. 

This forum, previously held in three sessions respectively in Hainan, Taiwan and Macao,now the forum comes to Hong Kong under the theme of “Cultural Integration and Art Development”, discussing about the prosperity and development of Chinese culture and arts under the multi-element cultural circumstance on the basis of current situation of the four locations. Thanks to its unique geographic location, Hong Kong has rapidly evolved into the most important center of finance, service and shipment as well as an international metropolis with the fame of Oriental Pearl. Its in-depth historic deposit of culture, open platform of cultural exchange between China and the West, and shining cultural celebrities both at home and abroad have constituted the unique cultural vision of Hong Kong. After this opening ceremony, I will pay a visit to Master Jao Tsung-I in Hong Kong University, who, as a lord of Chinese culture studies, is equivalent to Master Ji Xianlin in North China. On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of Hong Kong’s returning to China, this forum marks an exceptional significance with a special part of "on Hong Kong" in roundtable style. It is my firm belief that this forum, through sufficient exchange and discussion of all the participants, will bring new ideas and discoveries to Hong Kong’s cultural development. 

At present, the across-the-strait relationship has come into a new period of extensive exchanges, cooperation and development. The communication frequency of personnel, the depth of exchange projects and extension of cooperation fields have been unprecedentedly developed. A heart-to-heart communication is the very basis and prerequisite of exchange, cooperation and development, and nothing would be better than culture in fulfilling such communication. I sincerely hope that all the experts will pour out your views and insight concerning the current situation of cultural exchange among four locations, art promotion and education in the multi-element cultural circumstance, youth art talents training, art education and courtesy, common and local character of Chinese culture, cultural self-awareness and art innovation, new-rising media and contemporary culture and art publicity. Your participation will definitely better exchange, promote friendship and contribute to the prosperity and development of Chinese culture and arts in the current world.