Greek Ambassador to China Evgenios Kalpyris delivers a speech at the opening ceremony for the exhibition A Journey to Ancient Greece at Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, on July 7, 2025. Photos: Courtesy of the Embassy of the Hellenic Republic in China

Supported by the Embassy of Greece in China, the A Journey to Ancient Greece exhibition was inaugurated at Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, on Monday.

As part of cultural exchanges between Greece and China, featuring archaeological explorations, the exhibition spans from the prehistoric era to the Classical period and the era of Alexander the Great, through 172 artifacts of high historical and aesthetic value - some of which are being displayed outside Greece for the first time.

In his opening remarks, Greek Ambassador to China Evgenios Kalpyris said that A Journey to Ancient Greece is the fourth Greek archeological exhibition being held simultaneously in China, together with the Greeks. The countless aspects of Beauty and Daedalus. Hundreds of thousands have visited these exhibitions in Shanghai, Changsha, Nanjing and Beijing, with more cities to follow and more exhibitions to come.

"This is clearly an achievement that reveals the depth of the cultural relations between our two nations and the mutual interest to explore together the origins of what we call today modern civilization," the ambassador said. 

Describing the Sanxingdui Museum "a wonderful museum full of wonders," he emphasized the artistic and philosophical dimension of the exhibition, stating that "it reflects the vigor and maturity of the long-standing cultural partnership between Greece and China, highlighting the common respect and deep appreciation for the rich history and ancient traditions of our two peoples."

In her speech during the opening ceremony, Nikoletta Saraga, deputy head of the Directorate of Archaeological Museums, Exhibitions and Educational Programs, said that in recent years, the cultural relations between Greece and China have been constantly evolving and developing, allowing the ever-deeper connection of two great ancient civilizations, the Greek and the Chinese, "Our cultures differ in many ways, but they also have many things in common: the basic characteristics of Greek culture from ancient times were its human dimension, free spirit, self-knowledge, moderation and harmony. Chinese culture, with its thousands of years of continuous history, also focused on harmony, but also on order and progress. Both, from the depths of the ages, were guided by morality and virtue," said Saraga. 

It is therefore a great pleasure for us to introduce aspects of Greek culture to the public of Sichuan, where the ancient Shu Kingdom was developed during the time of the Shang Dynasty (1600BC-1046BC), she said. 

"Greece, the cradle of Western civilization, has made significant contributions to the history of humanity through its profound philosophical ideas, outstanding artistic achievements, and glorious city-state civilization," remarked Gao Zhongwei, executive deputy director of the Publicity Department of the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China.

The exhibition will run till December 21.