The forum explored the core values and rich content of Chinese ocean culture by looking back at the history of China's ocean civilization, Zeng Dongsheng, director of the Xiamen bureau of ocean development, said in his opening address at the forum. The bureau organized the forum in collaboration with Xiamen University.

"We will start from telling the maritime culture stories from southern Fujian and Xiamen, and strive to create a platform for facilitating exchanges in the ocean culture sphere and for displaying achievements in the area as well," Zeng noted.

The ocean week also featured an ocean-themed carnival, which presented activities including a sailing race, an ocean science day, a kite festival and performances of Gezai Opera, a popular art form in southern Fujian and Taiwan.

The forum also witnessed the release of the 2022 edition of the Blue Paper on Maritime Culture: Report on the Development of China's Maritime Culture. The blue paper series is prepared by institutions including maritime colleges, research institutes and museums across the country.

As the fourth edition of the series, the 2022 blue paper presents a comprehensive summary of the developments in the ocean culture industry, maritime archaeology and the protection of maritime cultural heritage that have taken place since the start of the year.

To date, the annual World Ocean Week in Xiamen has been held 17 times. The past 16 sessions have altogether welcomed more than 2 million participants, including officials and experts from nearly 130 countries and regions and close to 20 important international organizations.