Forum closes

A Taoist declaration stressing harmony and sustainable development brought the three-day International Taoist Forum to a close on Tuesday at Hengshan Mountain, Hunan province.

Zhang Jiyu, vice-president of the Chinese Taoist Association, read the Nanyue Declaration at the closing ceremony, expressing the vision of a contemporary Taoist community promoting a balanced lifestyle and harmonious co-existence between humans and nature, to help reduce poverty, social inequality and conflicts, and environmental degradation.

Wang Zuoan, director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, said the forum achieved its aim of discovering Taoism's significance in contemporary society and its vision for future development.