On July 16, the opening ceremony of the 18th "Path of Zhu Xi" Study Camp for Young Scholars and the 2025 Sinology Camp for Young Scholars were held in Nanping, East China's Fujian province.

Zhu Xi was a distinguished thinker, philosopher, and educator, and a master of Neo-Confucianism in ancient China. While his name is Zhu Xi (Pinyin: Zhū Xī), the honorific Zhuzi offered used when discussing his philosophy, especially in Western academic contexts.

The event was co-hosted by the International Confucian Association (ICA), the Nanping municipal government, the Chinese Zhuzi Academy, and the Leading Group for the Inheritance and Development of Fine Traditional Chinese Culture of Nanping. It brings together young scholars from both camps embarking on a joint study tour.

Lin Qiu, vice-mayor of Nanping; Li Wenliang, ICA vice-president; and Zhu Jieren, chief advisor of the "Path of Zhu Xi" Study Camp, a lifetime professor at East China Normal University, executive vice-chairman of the Chinese Zhuzi Academy and principal of the Kaoting Academy, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches.

Lin noted that the event aims to promote the creative transformation and innovative development of Zhu Xi's culture. During the camp, participants will visit historical sites related to Zhu Xi, such as the Kaoting Academy, Hanquan Academy, and Jian'an Academy, and to engage in intellectual dialogue across time.

Lin added that through the visit, the program seeks to build bridges between tradition and modernity, provide a platform for mutual learning between Chinese and Western civilizations, and offer opportunities for young scholars worldwide to engage in intercultural exchanges and dialogues with ancient sages.

Li noted that hosting the study camp in ‌Nanping, where Zhu Xi lectured for decades‌, offers a platform for cross-civilizational dialogue for young scholars. As a flagship program of the ICA to promote ‌mutual learning among civilizations through studying ancient classics and intellectual exchanges, the study camp has been successfully held four times in ‌Beijing, Qufu of Shandong province, Nanping, Shaoxing and Quzhou of Zhejiang province, as well as Guiyang of Guizhou province‌.

He called on young scholars from around the world to‌ grasp the essence of Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucianism‌, explore the wisdom of ‌"harmony and coexistence"‌ in Chinese civilization, and inject fresh vitality into ‌sinology studies‌.

Zhu highlighted that the study camp offers opportunities for global young scholars to commemorate Zhu Xi, explore the core values of his Neo-Confucianism, and engage in cross-civilizational exchanges. He expressed hope that participants would appreciate the historical significance of each cultural relic, contemplate the contemporary relevance of Zhu Xi's thought, broaden their horizons, and enhance understanding through exchanges.

During the opening ceremony, Lin and Li jointly presented the flag of this year's study camp to four participant representatives from the United States, Vietnam, Pakistan, and the Republic of the Congo.

Nguyen Thi Ly, a Vietnamese doctoral student at Beijing Language and Culture University‌, expressed her deep admiration for China’s blend of ancient heritage and modern dynamism since her arrival in the country in 2023. Emphasizing her dedication to‌ international Chinese language education‌, she views the study camp as both a cultural journey and a crucial way to understand Chinese culture. She described the camp as a cross-cultural and cross-regional gathering to provide participants with valuable experience in cultural exchange and understanding.

Liu Wenxin, a doctoral student at Yuelu Academy of Hunan University, highlighted the study camp as a journey of cultural inheritance and self-improvement. Through visits to historical sites, participants can gain a deeper appreciation of Zhu Xi's commitment to education and the profound essence of his thought. She encouraged fellow participants to embrace diverse perspectives and cultivate wisdom through dialogue, Liu said.

This year's event, themed ‌"The Inheritance and Innovation of Zhu Xi's Philosophy", ‌brings together young scholars from China and abroad participating in a series of activities focusing on the study of Zhu Xi' s culture.

Lasting from July 15 to 21, the event hosts nearly 100 international students majoring in sinology-related fields in China and Chinese graduate students from top universities. Foreign participants come from 23 countries, including the United States, Panama, South Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Tajikistan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Cameroon, Egypt, the Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Sudan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Indonesia, Mali, Myanmar, Cape Verde, Uganda, Ghana, and Peru.

Through an immersive cultural journey featuring field visits to cultural and creative industry parks and historical sites, participants can gain an in-depth understanding of Zhu Xi's culture, Chinese civilization and Chinese modernization, so as to deepen international cultural exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations.