The Second International Academic Conference on Kwangchowan's History and Culture is held in Zhanjiang from Dec 7 to 8. [Photo by Chen Wenjing/lingnan.edu.cn]

The Second International Academic Conference on Kwangchowan's History and Culture was held at Lingnan Normal University in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province from Dec 7 to 8, gathering more than 80 experts and scholars from universities in France, the United States, Vietnam, and China to discuss the history and culture of the Kwangchowan.

Kwangchowan was a former treaty port in Guangdong province that was leased by the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) to France in 1889. It was occupied by Japan in 1943 and returned to China two years later, in which it was renamed Zhanjiang.

During the two-day event, Chinese and foreign experts and scholars shared the historical research results and important viewpoints of Kwangchowan, holding 34 academic reports on the historical issues of Kwangchowan, as well as exploring seven issues including the history, culture, education, foreign literature, urban development, international status, and cultural heritage of Kwangchowan.

After the conference, participating experts and scholars also conducted in-depth investigations of historical sites to find the cultural connotations of Kwangchowan.

Wang Sheng, vice president of Lingnan Normal University, said at the conference that the university's researchers have used multidisciplinary research methods in conjunction with domestic and foreign experts and scholars to achiev preliminary results in related fields. The university has become an important academic town for exploring Kwangchowan at home and abroad.

Peng Quanqun, deputy Party secretary of Guangdong Ocean University, said that the exploration of the history of Kwangchowan can promote mutual learning of culture and heritage protection.