The full moon shines over Lushan Mountain, and the maple leaves are in full bloom. The waters of Xiang River gather together to form a new group of Xiang people.

On September 24th, the 2026 Yuelu Conference kicked off grandly in Changsha. From the grand opening ceremony in the morning, to the intellectual exchange at the second New Xiang Youth and College Students Innovation and Entrepreneurship Theme Forum in the afternoon, and to the warm gathering at the "New Xiang Night" exclusive dinner in the evening - throughout the entire day, the AI wave and the youthful power merged in a deep collision, with multiple parties including policies, industries, capital, and universities joining hands to inject new impetus into the entrepreneurship of New Xiang Youth. Over 160 entrepreneurs and from across the country participated in the New Xiang Conference in person.

Afternoon Discussion: The AI Era, Young People Create the Future

As the core sub-forum of the 2026 Yuelu Conference, the second New Xiang Youth and College Students' Innovation and Entrepreneurship Theme Forum, themed "AI New Era - Youth Creating the Future", was held on the afternoon of the 24th. The forum brought together the forces of government, enterprises, universities and investors, providing comprehensive support for young innovators to embrace the new opportunities brought by AI. This theme forum was fully supported by the New Xiang Association.

Three major significant ceremonies were launched simultaneously, establishing a complete support system for "guidance, capital acquisition, and companionship" for the growth process:

The "Double Thousand Initiative" of Xinxiang Association: Signed agreements with 18 innovation and entrepreneurship colleges in the province, promoting the participation of 1,000 university teachers in enterprises and 1,000 entrepreneur mentors in universities, breaking through the barriers between university and enterprise resources and achieving mutual empowerment in both directions.

The "Starlight Project" of New Xiang Youth Angel Investors: Initiated by young entrepreneurs from the province to give back to their hometown, it focuses on the AI field and university student start-up projects, gathers local venture capital forces, and improves the early-stage project financing and investment ecosystem.

New Xiang Youth Innovation Summit: Initiated by the winners of the "Golden Seed Cup" innovation competition, it establishes a generational mutual assistance system featuring "mentoring by senior members, bridging and paving the way by middle-aged individuals, and growth through the efforts of the younger generation".

Meanwhile, the "New Xiang Youth" digital service mini-program has been officially launched. It integrates project display, mentor matching, capital connection, and event registration, providing a one-stop online service platform for young entrepreneurs.

Essential knowledge + Practical skills. Insider experience is generously shared.

During the keynote speech session, four industry experts - Zhang Kun, the partner of Shanghai Futing Capital Management, Duan Wei, the founder of Huanyou Technology, Nong Rongfei, the CEO of Hunan Morphogenesis, and Hu Wei, the founder of Huanxing AI - dissected the logic of AI entrepreneurship from various perspectives.

Zhang Kun, Partner of Shanghai Futeng Capital Management

Duan Wei Huiyuan Technology Co., Ltd. founder

Nong Rongfei, CEO of Hunan Morphogenesis Company

Hu Weihua is the founder of AI Company

During the roundtable discussion session, six industry practitioners from New Xiang Association engaged in in-depth discussions on "Opportunities and Practices of Youth Entrepreneurship in the AI Era". The session was hosted by Wang Xinghua, the co-founder and director of 51.com and 2345.com. The participants included Chen Weijia, CEO of Changsha Kexizuan Biotechnology, Chen Shuifeng, President of Shanghai Fankuo Culture Media, Tang Xiaobo, Chairman of Shanghai Chuanglan Yunzhi, Zhou Xing, CEO of Changsha Caer Dahong Technology, and Zhang Bin, founder of Hunan Yuanheng Network Technology. They shared their practical experiences to analyze the hotspots, difficulties, and practical paths of AI entrepreneurship, providing the young entrepreneurs present with feasible ideas and references for implementation.

新湘之夜：湘情与致远，初心共相守

当星城入夜，灯火璀璨，属于新湘会人在岳麓大会的专属盛会——“新湘之夜”晚宴，在人屏互动舞蹈《未来已来》中动感启幕。主持人谢佳雨、戴崧楠携手登场，向全场来宾致以中秋前夕的诚挚问候。

"Yesterday, we discussed technology and the future; tonight, we gather to celebrate Xiang culture and Zhiyuan."

The banquet venue was ablaze with starry lights: Not only did well-known entrepreneurs and investors such as Ni Zhengdong from Qingke Group, Wu Taibing from Wanxing Technology, Li Ruilin from Xinghongyuan Group, and Liu Yan from Xinyan Investment attend as entrepreneurship mentors, but also 160 young entrepreneurs of the New Xiangxi Association, representatives of university innovation and entrepreneurship colleges, and young college students who are entrepreneurs gathered together to celebrate the entrepreneurial journey and share the sentiments of Xiangxi.

Passing on the legacy: Mentors lead the way, young people strive ahead

Mr. Chen Zheng, the founder and president of Xinxiang Association, took the stage to deliver a welcome speech and presented a themed sharing titled "New Xin Young People Creating a Bright Future". He not only looked back on the perseverance and enterprising spirit of Xinxiang Association throughout its journey, but also outlined the future development direction. He mentioned that Xinxiang Association adheres to the 16-character mission of "integrating Xiang culture, gathering Xiang talents, working together for development, and benefiting the world". The weighty vision of "benefiting the world" requires concrete implementation step by step. In the past two years, the "New Xin Young" mini-program has been launched and operated, continuously providing platforms and support for college students' innovation and entrepreneurship. This is a vivid practice of the organization taking on responsibilities actively, deeply engaging in social responsibilities, and "benefiting the world".

Chen Zhengxin, founder and president of Xianghui Association

In the subsequent university entrepreneurship project presentation session, six young entrepreneurs from Central South University, Xiangtan University, Changsha University of Technology, and Jishou University took turns to step onto the stage, showcasing the project's brilliance and youthful vigor, allowing the entire audience to intuitively feel the new vitality of the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Hunan.

In the journey of entrepreneurship, mentors are particularly valuable. At the dinner party, a ceremony for awarding entrepreneurship mentors was held. Mr. Li Ruolin, the founder and chairman of Xinghongyuan Group, was officially appointed as a mentor of the New Xiang Association. Referred to affectionately by his colleagues as "Brother Ruolin", he has always insisted on "having to be with the young people and sharing their experiences", using sincerity and experience to guide and protect young entrepreneurs.

Subsequently, three entrepreneurship mentors, Ni Zhengdong, Liu Yan, and Wu Taibing, took the stage one after another. With their extensive industry experience and practical entrepreneurial knowledge, they imparted wisdom and guidance to the young entrepreneurs present. Mr. Ni Zhengdong said, "The most wonderful thing in life is entrepreneurship. To devote one's entire life to doing just one thing is to be engaged in entrepreneurship." Mr. Liu Yan encouraged the young entrepreneurs in the audience, "Entrepreneurship is not an individual's solitary endeavor, but a collective resonance; finding the right partners is more important than finding the right trend." Mr. Wu Taibing shared the entrepreneurial philosophy: True persistence is to remain resolute in your pursuit despite having doubts; on the entrepreneurial journey, rhythm is more important than direction. The youth's vigor and creativity are always the most vital driving force for innovation. The mentors' words were profound and full of meaning, inspiring and motivating the entrepreneurs present, and instilling them with the strength to forge ahead with determination.。

Warm and touching: Charity as a bridge, surprises always by your side

The relaxed and joyful lucky draw segment added a lot of festive atmosphere to the banquet, making it even more vibrant than the luck itself. What was even more profound than luck was the responsibility and commitment that the New Xiang Association members shared with each other. At the banquet venue, the New Xiang Association's public welfare assistance fund was officially established. Mr. Chen Zheng, Mr. Chen Fangming, and Mr. Tang Xiaobo jointly witnessed this milestone moment, making "working together in unity" no longer just a slogan, but turning into concrete support actions, providing a safety net of warmth and the driving force for progress to the partners on their entrepreneurial journey.

Raise your cup and invite the moon: Capture the reunion moment, and meet again next year.

When all the brothers and sisters of the New Xiang Association gathered on the stage for a group photo, the atmosphere of the banquet reached its peak. As the camera shutter clicked, the smiles, enthusiasm and expectations of this night were all frozen into a shared memory of all the members of the New Xiang Association.

This new "Xiang Night Gala" event received strong support from brands such as Jin Ziran Liquor, Sweet Tiger Chili Sauce, Fan Kou Media Culture, Zhi Dan Future, Fang Quan Gu, Zhong Yuan Xiehe, and Aba Pure Zhen Yak Food. We also express our gratitude to all the staff members of the organizing team for their dedicated efforts.

On this Mid-Autumn Festival, all the guests raised their glasses together -

To this evening's gathering, to our future companionship, and to the entrepreneurial dreams of the new Xiang youth. Let's toast!

We gather for a while, but the charm of Xiang (Hunan) endures forever.

From the intellectual feast during the day to the warm reminiscence at night; from the all-round empowerment of policy capital to the full-dimensional connection of public welfare sentiments - the "New Xiang Night" event in 2026 is not only a reunion dinner, but also a vivid illustration of the principle that "coming together is like a flame, dispersing is like countless stars" of the New Xiang Association.

Let us make tonight's lights our promise. May the moon be full and people be safe, and our original intentions remain unchanged.

See you again at Yuelu next year, and we'll gather in Xiangxi together!

—This article is excerpted from the WeChat service account "New Xiang Youth".