Dr. Evgenios Kalpyris speaks at the opening ceremony. [Photo provided by Xinhua]

The ambassador of Greece to China, Evgenios Kalpyris, emphasized the importance of conducting in-depth and multilayered studies on the interaction between Greek and Chinese civilizations during his speech at the opening ceremony of the Greek Antiquities Exhibition at the Beijing Capital Museum on Wednesday.

"Our cultural ties go back to antiquity and, of course, today is not the first meeting, but the most recent in a cultural interaction that has made world culture richer," Kalpyris said.

The exhibition, themed "The Greeks: Agamemnon to Alexander the Great", was organized by the Greek Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the Hunan Museum, the Nanjing Museum and the Beijing Capital Museum. Following successful runs in Hunan and Nanjing, it continues its national tour, offering a comprehensive view of ancient Greek history.

The exhibition will be open to the public from November 21 to May 18, providing them a rare opportunity to explore the evolution of one of the world's most influential civilizations. As a key part of the Beijing Capital Museum's Exchanges and Mutual Learning among World Civilizations series, the exhibition features 270 artifacts from 14 museums and cultural institutions across Greece.

The opening ceremony featured speeches from distinguished guests, including Zhang Lixin, director of the Beijing Cultural Heritage Bureau, and Eleni Papadopoulou, director of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Chania, Crete. They celebrated the shared cultural heritage of Greece and China, emphasizing the significance of such exhibitions in fostering international cultural exchange and mutual understanding. Present at the ceremony were other ambassadors, diplomats, scholars specializing in classical studies and media representatives.

In his greeting, Kalpyris said: "This exhibition will offer visitors the opportunity to gain a better understanding of why the Greek civilization is not only the cradle of the Western civilization, but also a civilization with a century-old presence and a strong footprint in Asia."

Papadopoulou emphasized the exhibition's theme in her opening address: "The exhibition invites visitors on a journey through time, showcasing the rich history and timeless values of Greek civilization, spanning from around 6000 BC to the 2nd century BC — from prehistoric times to the Hellenistic period."