In celebration of the 2025 Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, the photo exhibition “Civilization Dialogue: Eternal Olympic Flame - From Ancient to Modern Olympic Games” opened at the Beijing Olympic Museum on 13 June. Present at the opening ceremony were the Ambassador of Greece to China Evgenios Kalpyris and his wife Lydia Xu; Fu Xiaohui, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the Beijing Olympic City Development Association (BODA); and Hou Ming, Director of the Beijing Olympic Museum.

(A group photo at the opening ceremony)

The Chinese side and the Greek side held talks before the opening ceremony. Fu Xiaohui extended a warm welcome to the ambassador and other Greek guests, and hoped that more extensive exchanges and cooperation would be conducted in promoting the dual Olympic culture. Evgenios Kalpyris expressed his gratitude to BODA and the Beijing Olympic Museum for their strong support for the staging of this exhibition. He looked forward to expanding cooperation in the future. The two sides communicated on the prospects of cooperation in promoting the Olympic spirit and China-Greece cultural exchanges. They also exchanged gifts.

(Talks between the two sides)

(Fu Xiaohui presents a gift to Evgenios Kalpyris)

(Evgenios Kalpyris presents a gift to Fu Xiaohui)

The ambassador left a message for the Beijing Olympic Museum in the guestbook, reading “I wish today’s exhibition to be the beginning of an even stronger cooperation”.

(Evgenios Kalpyris leaves a message in the guestbook)

Evgenios Kalpyris delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. He interpreted the sporting spirit of ancient Greece and reviewed the history from ancient to modern Olympic Games. He recalled that in 2001, as a young diplomat of the Embassy of Greece in China, he was among the crowd in Tiananmen Square that witnessed Beijing’s winning of the bid to host the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in 2008. He was delighted to see that Beijing hosted the Olympic Winter Games in 2022, becoming the world’s first “dual Olympic city” and carrying on the flame of the Olympic spirit. The exhibition at the Beijing Olympic Museum is the first of its kind in Asia. It is hoped that the exhibition can give more Chinese people a deeper understanding of the Olympic movement, enable them to experience firsthand the Greek culture and serve as a great bridge enhancing people-to-people bond.

(Evgenios Kalpyris delivers a speech)

Hou Ming said in his speech that this exhibition marks another milestone in the history of cultural exchanges between the two countries, injecting new vitality into the longlasting friendship. It stands out as a testament to how the Olympic spirit has once again connected us and also as a new starting point for us to move towards the future together. Beijing and Athens, both members of the World Union of Olympic Cities, shoulder the common responsibility of carrying on the Olympic spirit and promoting city development. The Beijing Olympic Museum and the Athens Olympic Museum are both members of the Olympic Museums Network, entrusted with the mission to record history and inspire the future. It is hoped that this exhibition can strengthen exchanges and cooperation among Olympic museums in such areas as exhibition and display, research and education to jointly advance the Olympic movement.

(Hou Ming delivers a speech)

A video clip of the Greek ambassador reciting the Olympic Anthem in Chinese was played back at the opening ceremony.

(Audiences watch the video clip)

Dr. Alexander J.D. Westra, a postdoctoral researcher at the Key Research Institute of Yellow River Civilization and Sustainable Development at Henan University, gave a keynote speech titled From Olympia to the World: The Legacy of the Olympic movement. He talked about the origin of the ancient Olympic Games and the significance of the Olympic flame lighting ceremony in ancient Greece. He also explained the relationship between the modern Olympic Games and the ancient Olympic Games and the core values of the Olympic movement.

(Dr. Alexander J.D. Westra gives a speech)

At the end of the opening ceremony, Evgenios Karpelis and Hou Ming together cut the ribbon marking the opening of the exhibition.

(Ribbon-cutting ceremony)

After the opening ceremony, the guests visited the photo exhibition “Civilization Dialogue: Eternal Olympic Flame - From Ancient to Modern Olympic Games” and the permanent exhibition at the Beijing Olympic Museum.

(A group photo of guests at the exhibition)

Ambassador Karpelis remarked in a media interview that he was happy to come to the Beijing Olympic Museum today. The opening ceremony signifies the gathering of the Chinese people and the Greek people to jointly celebrate the Olympic movement. The ambassador said that he really likes the Beijing Olympic Museum, praising the hospitality and efficiency of its staff, the modern building, the convenient transportation and adjacence to the National Stadium. “I’m sure that the museum here can be an inspiration for museum goers to think and become also a part of the Olympic movement, and one of my wishes is to enhance the cooperation between the Beijing Olympic Museum and the Olympic Museum in Greece,” he said.

(Ambassador Karpelis speaks to the media)

The photo exhibition is co-hosted by the Embassy of Greece in China and BODA and organised by the Beijing Olympic Museum. Curated by the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the exhibition has been successfully held in Greece and beyond, where they were met with enthusiastic responses. This is the first time that this exhibition has made its debut in Asia. During the curatorial process, the Embassy of Greece in China provided exhibition materials in Chinese language, and the Athens Olympic Museum offered video materials. The exhibition will be staged in the Tribute to the Champions area on the basement floor of the Beijing Olympic Museum from 13 June to 13 July.

Featuring a legion of precious photos and authoritative texts, this exhibition traces the origin of the ancient Olympic Games, showcases the related relics, cultural relics, cultural traditions and knowledge about competitions and digs into the humanism underlying the Olympic spirit that has continued to this day. The exhibition also reviews the origin of the modern Olympic Games and the staging of the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 and the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, and presents the origin and historic moments of the modern marathon and the Olympic flame lighting ceremony.

It is learned that to synthesise with the exhibition, the Beijing Olympic Museum will launch Olympic education activities in celebration of the Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, the Olympic Day and the anniversary of Beijing’s successful bid for the Olympic Games. Focusing on tracing the origin of the Olympic movement, these activities will guide the youths to learn and think during the exhibition, write down notes, discuss and share views with one another, participate in sports and experience intangible cultural heritage handicrafts. These will give them a better understanding of the Olympic movement and Greek culture. After the end of the exhibition, the museum will work with partner schools to bring the premium exhibition to campus, so it can reach and benefit more students.

Also present at the opening ceremony were Vaiani Gaidatzi, First Counsellor of the Embassy of Greece in China, Ioanna Kakalidi, head of the Public Diplomacy Office, and Sevastianos Efstathios Kontovounissios, head of the Consular Office; Gao Yunchao and Wang Kun, deputy secretaries-general of BODA; and Vassilis Trigkas, Visiting Assistant Professor at Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University. They were joined by other officials of the Embassy of Greece in China, relevant staff members of BODA and the Beijing Olympic Museum, as well as teacher and student representatives of Beijing Sport University.