A forum revolving around the preservation of ancient buildings and traditional culture opens in Fuzhou, capital city of East China's Fujian province on July 28. [Photo/Xinhua]

A forum revolving around the preservation of ancient buildings and traditional culture opened in Fuzhou, capital city of East China's Fujian province, on July 28.

More than 500 officials, scholars and experts from countries including Japan and Israel attended the event.

Wang Ning, mayor of Fuzhou, addressed the opening ceremony, pledging that the city will make efforts to preserve local cultural relics and achieve a balance between protection and commercialization.

Representatives of 33 cities across the country, including Fuzhou, Beijing and Guangzhou, reached a series of agreements regarding the protection of traditional culture and issued the Fuzhou Declaration, which calls for the protection and utilization of historical and cultural heritage while bringing about sustainable economic and social development.

The declaration noted that equal importance should be attached to economic development and the protection of traditional culture and the environment, and disruption of ancient buildings, historical blocks, and traditional villages in the name of development should be strictly forbidden.

An exhibition showcasing the experiences and practices of Fuzhou, Beijing, Guangzhou and other participating cities in the preservation of ancient cultural heritages was also held on the sidelines of the forum.