Italian president visits Marco Polo exhibition in Beijing

Italian President Sergio Mattarella visited an exhibition in Beijing on Friday morning that commemorates the famous Venetian merchant and explorer Marco Polo's journey on the Silk Road in the 13th century.

Marco Polo remains a household name in China for his contributions to fostering cultural exchanges between East and West.

The exhibition features 135 pieces of treasures from Chinese and Italian museum collections, ranging from manuscripts and oil paintings to sculptures and jewels dating from the 13th to 20th centuries.

Leading the exhibits is The Travels of Marco Polo, a groundbreaking 13th-century narrative that brought the Chinese landscape, society and culture to European readers.

Mattarella concluded his visit by donning VR goggles to have an immersive experience that traced Macro Polo's legendary journey along the Silk Road.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Italy and the 700th anniversary of the adventurer's passing.

Mattarella is on a state visit to China from Nov 7 to 12, at the invitation of President Xi Jinping.

His China trip comes after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's five-day visit to the country in July, when the two sides issued a 2024-2027 action plan to strengthen partnership.

The exhibition is running from July 26 to Nov 24.

The Red Falcon Aerobatic Team of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force completed its first adaptive training Friday morning for the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Zhuhai Airshow.

Eight planes of the Red Falcon will perform stunts at the air show scheduled for Nov 12 to 17 in Zhuhai of south China's Guangdong Province.

The team designed more than 20 aerobatic maneuvers in three sets for different weather conditions at the air show.

"The training went smooth. Our team will present some special highlight moves at the air show. We feel honored and proud to be able to compete with so many prominent aerobatic teams and multiple types of advanced warplanes and present fascinating performances," said Zhang Li, a pilot of the Red Falcon Aerobatic Team.