Dear friends from Chinese and overseas museums,

On behalf of the Chinese National Committee of ICOM, I would like to invite all members of the ICOM family and friends that care about and support the museum undertakings to attend the 22nd General Conference and the 25th General Assembly of ICOM in Shanghai, China, in November 2010.

China is one of the countries in the world which has the longest history and the oldest civilization with abundant cultural and natural heritages. On her vast land of 9,600,000 square kilometers, there are more than 400,000 historic monuments, over 2,500 museums and over 20,000,000 antiquities. The ICOM General Conference in Shanghai in 2010 will provide the museum people all over world with an opportunity to view China’s history and culture as well as a platform of professional dialogue to enhance mutual understanding and cooperation.

Mankind has been confronted with some serious problems, such as environment deterioration and cultural conflicts since the beginning of the 21st century. Museums, however, may and can make some special contributions in dealing with these tough issues. So we expect the discussions on the theme of the conference “Museum for Social Harmony” will produce some constructive results of far-reaching significance.

Welcome again to Shanghai, China! Your participation will surely make the 2010 ICOM General Conference an unforgettable cultural and museums’ gala in the 21st century.

Thank you!