Greeces Vice-Minister of Culture (front row, center), an official from Greeces National Art Gallery (front row, left), and Qiang Wei (front row, right) attended the opening ceremony.

25 May 2004

As learned from the Beijing Cultural Relics Bureau, Emperors City---Beijing Cultural Relics Exhibition was officially launched at 8 P.M. local time on May 24 in Greeces National Art Gallery.

Qiang Wei, deputy secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, attended the opening ceremony along with the vice culture minister of Greece, the deputy mayor of Athens, the curator of Greeces National Art Gallery, and the director of the Beijing Cultural Relics Bureau.

We are so proud that we can host such a significant exhibition of Chinese cultural relics as a prelude to the coming Athens 2004 Olympic Games, the vice culture minister of Greece said. He commented that the exhibition would be a significant cultural event and would serve as a bridge to promote understanding and co-operation between China and Greece. He also expressed his hope that China would successfully host the Beijing 2008 Games.

On behalf of the Beijing Municipal Government, Beijing Cultural Relics Bureau Director Mei Ninghua said, the exhibition will be a comprehensive display of Chinese and Greek culture--two nations regarded as the birthplace of eastern and western culture respectively. In four years, Beijing will host the Olympic Games. I sincerely hope that the exhibition can offer Greek people, athletes, officials and tourists all over the world an unique perspective to understand Beijing.

The grand opening ceremony lasted two and a half hours. Over a thousand Greek people took part in the ceremony with many guests wearing traditional Chinese costumes.

The Greek National Art Gallery also displayed Chinese cultural relics collected from other Greek museums on this exhibition, which will conclude on October 11, 2004.

Silver and Gold Face Plating from the Liao Dynasty (916-1125)

Tapestry from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)

Relic from the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368)

Bronze-ware from the Warring States Period (770-221B.C)