The 22nd International Congress of Historical Science (ICHS) will host their reputable "Olympics of Historical Sciences" event will take place from Aug 23-29; this year marks the first time that this grand international event is held in Asia. The event will take place in Jinnan, Shandong province, which is widely considered to be the hometown of Confucius and Mencius.

Held every five years, the International Congress of Historical Science started in 1900 and has since been held 21 times from the original congress. The 2015 Congress, hosted by the International Committee of Historical Science, is co-organized by the Association of Chinese Historians and Shandong University, the latter of which enjoys more than 114 years of history and is especially famous in the fields of literature and history.

The Congress will include 4 major themes, which are entitled: "China from Global Perspectives", "Historicizing Emotions", "Revolutions in World History: Comparisons and Connections" and ”Digital Turn in History". There will also be a series of academic activities such as specialized theme discussions, joint sessions, round tables, evening discussions, and poster session for post- graduate and PHD students. More than 20,000 scholars from all over the world are invited to take part in the event and have in-depth discussions on historical science issues of common concern, according to Marjatta Hietala, President of the International Committee of Historical Science.

In order to fully showcase the characteristics of Jinan city and Shandong province, there will be special discussions on Shandong's cultural history and the cultural experience of world cultural heritages in Shandong, including Mount Taishan in Tai'an city, the Grand Canal in Shandong and the Confucius Museum in Qufu city, the hometown of Confucius. Participants will also focus on the origin and development of Cuju, a ball game suggested by FIFA as the earliest form of football.

After successfully hosting the Olympics in Beijing, the 22nd ICHS comes as another opportunity to showcase China's long history and profound culture to the world, said Zhang Rong, President of Shandong University.

During the term of the Congress, participants will also have the chance to fully enjoy the hospitality of friendly Shandong – a prominant cultural province in China - and its fascinating history and culture, said Robert Frank, Secretary of the International Committee of Historical Science.

Source: China Daily