China-Pak art exhibition inaugurated in Beijing

ISLAMABAD: A three-month-long China-Pak art exhibition was inaugurated at the Palace Museum in Beijing.

The exhibition titled as “Gandhara Heritage along the Silk Road” is being jointly organized by the Palace Museum and Department of Archaeology and Museums of Pakistan, supported by the Pakistan Embassy, Beijing.

The event is showcasing more than 170 Gandhara artifacts from different museums of Pakistan. It is a series of the events being held to celebrate 2023 as the year of China-Pakistan tourism exchanges.

Hu Heping, China’s Minister for Culture and Tourism, was the chief guest.

The opening ceremony had wide participation from senior Chinese government officials, including Assistant Foreign Minister Nong Rong, former Chinese ambassador to Pakistan Dr Wang Xudong, the director of Palace Museum, members of the diplomatic corps, academia, tourist and cultural organizations, media and Pakistani community.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque, commended the efforts of all the institutions involved in successfully planning, organizing and executing the exhibition.

“I am privileged to be a part of the initiative of bringing more than 170 Gandhara artifacts from Pakistan to showcase our rich heritage and promote tourism potential,” he remarked.

Highlighting the significance of Pakistan as the seat of Gandhara for many centuries, he acknowledged the role of Gandhara civilization in the establishment of early linkages between China and Pakistan.

“This exhibition is a joint effort of the two countries to celebrate our shared heritage, promote heritage tourism and to take inspiration from the past to build a glorious future,” he added.

Secretary of National Heritage and Culture Division, Fareena Mazhar, who led the Pakistani delegation to the event, spoke at length about the strong ties of China and Pakistan, which are deep-rooted in history.

Underlining the centrality of this exhibition as a landmark event in cultural cooperation between the two countries, she expressed the hope that the event would prove to be beneficial not only for general visitors but also for Chinese professionals and scholars to understand Pakistan.