More than 30 scholars, policymakers, business representatives and media professionals from China, South Africa, Thailand and Vietnam gathered at Peking University on May 17 for an academic workshop examining cultural approaches to rural vitalization through the lens of the Global South.

The Village of Tomorrow: A Global South Perspective on Rural Cultural Construction Academic Workshop was jointly organized by the UNESCO Chair on Creativity and Sustainable Development in Rural Areas, the School of Arts at Peking University and the university's Institute for Cultural Industries.

The workshop focused on theoretical exploration and practical strategies for culturally driven rural development, highlighting the role of local knowledge, heritage and community participation in shaping sustainable futures for rural areas across the Global South.

In his opening remarks, Xiang Yong, director of the Institute for Cultural Industries and chairperson of the UNESCO Chair on Creativity and Sustainable Development in Rural Areas, said that the workshop aims to move beyond geographical and cognitive boundaries, distill replicable experiences in rural revitalization, and explore new approaches through equal dialogue and mutual learning.

During a session highlighting recent achievements of the UNESCO Chair, Xiang introduced a series of initiatives launched over the past two years, including a global youth rural creative residency program, an international exploration project on art-led rural revitalization, a Chinese rural painting database, rural creative talent training programs, and a multilingual case-study archive on cultural practices for sustainable rural development.

Chen Ping, chairperson of the UNESCO Chair on World Traditional Handicrafts: Inheritance and Innovation, drew on field experience in traditional craft communities and emphasized the importance of institutional mechanisms encouraging youth participation in safeguarding living heritage.