Twenty-nine years ago today, on August 4, 1996 (June 20, 1996 lunar calendar), the 30th International Geological Congress was held in Beijing. On August 4, 1996, about 7,000 geoscientists from more than 120 countries and regions around the world attended the opening ceremony of the 30th International Geological Congress in the Great Hall of the People. On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Li Peng congratulated the convening of the Congress and extended a warm welcome to the geologists from various countries and regions who came to the conference. He said that we all live on the same blue planet. The earth is the only planet discovered so far that is suitable for human survival and is our lovely home. We would like to thank generations of geologists, especially geologists, for their hard work in the past hundred years, which has made a leap in the depth and breadth of human understanding of the earth. Some important revolutionary theories in the field of geology in this century have continuously provided us with a vivid picture of the overall evolution of the crust that is most closely related to human life, and have had a significant impact on the formation and deepening of human outlook on nature. At the historical moment of the turn of the century, geologists from all over the world stand at the forefront of geoscience research, display the highest achievements of geological science in the 20th century, and explore the development direction of geoscience in the 21st century. Undoubtedly, this conference will become an important milestone in the history of geological science. The International Geological Congress is an academic organization with a long history, huge scale, wide range of disciplines and a very prestigious reputation in international scientific conferences. The first International Geological Congress was held in Paris in 1878, and it has been held every three to four years since then. The theme of the 30th International Geological Congress is continental geology, especially the geological structures related to continental geology, energy and minerals, mineral resources, environmental protection, geological disaster reduction and their relationship with human survival and sustainable development. The conference received 8,092 papers at home and abroad, and identified 71 symposiums, 152 disciplinary seminars and 4 large-scale theme reports. At the same time, 79 field geological route inspections will be organized and arranged. The 30th International Geological Congress Science Exhibition opened in Beijing on the morning of August 4, and Vice Premier Zou Jiawei opened the exhibition. Wen Jiabao, Song Jian, Zhu Guangya and others attended the opening ceremony and visited the exhibition. More than 170 units from 24 countries and regions participated in the exhibition, with a total exhibition area of more than 7,500 square meters. To commemorate the 30th International Geological Congress held in Beijing, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications issued a set of commemorative stamps.