The fourth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations, which aims to promote dialogue and sustainability, opened in Qufu, Shandong province on Wednesday.

Scheduled to conclude on Thursday, the forum is being held under the theme "Traditional Culture and Ecological Progress — Marching toward a Green and Simple Life".

Gao Shuqun, deputy secretary-general of the Nishan forum organizing committee, said environmental protection would be top of the agenda at the event.

More than 250 participants are attending the forum from dozens of countries and regions around the world, including the United States and Russia, said Gao.

A major part of the event this year is the first World Women's Forum, which also opened on Wednesday with a focus on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Elsewhere in Nishan on Wednesday, the Nishan Mother's Love Academy was launched. It will work as a platform to promote women's causes worldwide, said Zhang Yinjun, the academy's head.

The forum, named after Ninshan Mountain, where Confucius is believed to have been born, was initiated by Xu Jialu, a former vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.