Exhibition A Journey to Ancient Greece is inaugurated at the Liangzhu Museum in Zhejiang province, on Jan 30. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The exhibition A Journey to Ancient Greece was inaugurated at the Liangzhu Museum in Zhejiang province, on Jan 30, after being successfully presented at the Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan, Sichuan province, for several months.

Evgenios Kalpyris, ambassador of Greece to China, attended the opening ceremony along with officials from both China and Greece.

The exhibition spans from the prehistoric era to the Classical period and the era of Alexander the Great, featuring 170 artifacts of high historical and aesthetic value— some of which are being presented outside Greece for the first time.

The Chinese public will "travel" through the Geometric and the Archaic periods and experience the Golden Age of Athens, the birth of democracy, and the evolution of ancient Greek drama and philosophy.

The exhibition also highlights the ancient Greek myths and religion, the Olympic Games, and the concept of "beauty" in art and daily life.

Exhibition A Journey to Ancient Greece is inaugurated at the Liangzhu Museum in Zhejiang province, on Jan 30. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Kalpyris said: "It is worth noting that this year is equally important for our bilateral relations, as it marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Greece and China in 2006. The archaeological exhibition A Journey to Ancient Greece confirms the depth of the roots and the sincerity of our relationship.

"Hundreds of thousands have visited the Greek antiquities exhibitions in Shanghai, Changsha, Nanjing, Beijing and Sanxingdui. The Chinese public will have the opportunity to enjoy more Greek exhibitions in the future. 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."

Jin Chengtao, vice-mayor of Hangzhou, expressed the hope that ''this exhibition will serve as an opportunity to open a 'window' for mutual cultural understanding'' and noted, ''We sincerely seek to strengthen mutual trust through continuous and substantive dialogue, and to further promote even closer ties and a deeper friendship between China and Greece."

The exhibition is organized by the Greek Ministry of Culture and the Liangzhu Museum, with the support of the embassy of Greece in China, and will run until July 31.