The symposium was held in the Thousand-Island Lake, Hangzhou, China from the 23 to the 26 of September 2005.

About Thousand- Island Lake

It is studded with a total of 1,078 islands of varying sizes, therefore famous for the name: “thousand-island lake”. The rate of vegetation cover on the shore has reached upwards of 90 percent and for this reason the place is nicknamed " Green Lake of a Thousand Islands".

The water is crystal clear, the mountains that skirt the lake are richly wooded and the islands are clustered together to form a labyrinth of canals. It is one of the earliest and also the biggest national park in China. There are above 60 star hotels, two 5-star resorts, and lots of leisure and recreational facilities.

The ecotourism, natural tourism, leisure tourism and conference tourism are popular here and are attracting over 4 million tourists every year. The Thousand Island Lake National Forest Park covers an area of 448 square kilometers and the dense forest has purified the air of the surrounding areas. As "national first-class water," the lake is so pure that it can be drunk from directly.

Surrounded by a ring of continuous green hills, the Thousand Island Lake is mostly visited during the summer time each year for the pleasant weather. Connected with the Qiantang-Fuchun river region, the Thousand Island Lake has forged its own particular attraction for visitors. After passing through the misty woodland alongside the shores of the lake, the paths lead to the massive body of emerald water.

The cool water makes travelers forget the oppressive heat of the cities. The whole lake area is divided into five parts, the northeast, the southeast, the northwest, the southwest and the central area. After large-scale reconstruction in recent years, the lake has six sections containing 14 scenic spots, including the Screen Peak, the Plum Peak, the Dragon Hill, the Animal-Series and the Stone Forest.

The landforms of the islands include limestone and granite. Various plant species, such as mulberries and bamboo, are scattered among the islands. The lake is also famous for its fruit and nuts, harvested in the four seasons - persimmon, sweet-spun golden jujubes, mountain walnuts and dried wild brake.