Sculptures of well-known deities from ancient Greece and Rome have been on display at the Shanxi Museum in Taiyuan City, north China's Shanxi Province, offering visitors an immersive and timeless artistic experience that transcends boundaries.
The "Classical and Glory" Ancient Greek and Roman Sculpture Arts Exhibition opened at the Shanxi Museum on Wednesday, the New Year's Day, with 134 exhibits transported from the National Museums Liverpool on display.
Running until May 5 in Shanxi, the exhibition features full body statues, bust, marble relief sculptures and art works, representing well-known mythical figures such as Zeus, Athena and Apollo.
"Ancient Greece and Rome are well-known in Europe. Many Chinese people are also familiar with their mythological figures like Zeus and Athena, the goddess of wisdom. In curating this exhibition, we started with Greek and Roman mythology to provide an accessible and relatable entry point," said Zhang Huiguo, deputy director of the Shanxi Museum. Visitors were thrilled by the beauty of the human body as depicted by the sculptures and statues on display.
"Their sculptures are stunning in their depiction of the human body, including the golden ratio of the human body, the shaping of the body, and some muscle structures that are particularly beautiful," said Liu Yikai, one of the visitors.
The collaboration between the Shanxi Museum and National Museums Liverpool has allowed the precious artworks to cross the oceans and come to China.
"We are continuously working to develop relations with foreign museums to bring more exhibitions to China. This Ancient Greek and Roman Sculpture Arts Exhibition is one such attempt. Through exhibitions like this, we aim to showcase the achievements of Western civilization to our audience and highlight how cultural exchanges enrich and diversify human culture," said Zhang Huiguo, deputy curator of the Shanxi Museum.
Shanxi marks the first stop of the exhibition's China tour, which will continue in southwest China's Sichuan Province and the metropolis of Shanghai.
Ancient Greek-Roman sculpture exhibition immerses visitors in artistic feast
China has pledged additional emergency humanitarian aid to Myanmar following the devastating earthquake, aimed at supporting ongoing relief efforts with a focus on urgent needs such as medical supplies and reconstruction, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian announced on Thursday.
During a press briefing in Beijing, Lin outlined the details of the aid and summarized China's immediate involvement in the search and rescue operations following the March 28 earthquake.
"Since the outbreak of the earthquake, Chinese rescue forces have rallied around and saved lives against time. China was the first country that announced emergency assistance to Myanmar, sent rescue forces to the country, and set up settlement centers in the affected areas. The Chinese rescue team found the first trapped survivor. More than 30 rescue teams of over 600 members rushed to Myanmar for rescue work and we offered several batches of supplies, which demonstrates China's speed, contribution and kindness. This is warmly welcomed and appreciated by the people in Myanmar," said Lin.
Lin also emphasized the significance of the "pauk-phaw" friendship -- a Myanmar term for siblings - in the context of China's ongoing support.
"Myanmar's disaster response work has moved to epidemic prevention and control, as well as recovery and reconstruction. As a friendly neighbor and 'pauk-phaw' brother, China has decided to send another batch of emergency humanitarian supplies, which include the most needed refined oil, prefabricated houses, operating rooms, medicines, and vaccines. China will also dispatch medical and epidemic prevention experts for treatment and disinfection, as well as experts to examine, assess, reinforce, and repair affected buildings and cultural relics. A merciless disaster brings the best out of humanity. China will continue to promote the China-Myanmar 'pauk-phaw' friendship and, upholding the spirit of the China-Myanmar community with a shared future, help the people in Myanmar overcome difficulties and rebuild their homes," Lin added.
The earthquake, which struck Mandalay on March 28, has claimed 3,649 lives, injured 5,018 people, and left 145 missing, according to the Information Team of Myanmar's State Administration Council on Wednesday.
China to provide additional emergency aid to Myanmar following earthquake: spokesman
