Promotional material for the Thriving for a Collaborative World: "Belt and Road" Cooperation in Cultural heritage and Archaeology exhibition Photo: Courtesy of National Cultural Heritage Administration

Diplomats from 12 countries' embassies and other Chinese and foreign guests gathered in Beijing's Palace Museum on September 28 to attend the launch of the Thriving for a Collaborative World: "Belt and Road" Cooperation in Cultural heritage and Archaeology event and exhibition. 

Wang Xudong, president of the Palace Museum, Saida Shavkatovna Mirziyoyeva, assistant to the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and diplomats from the Embassy of the UAE in China and the Embassy of Kazakhstan in China gave speeches at the opening ceremony.

Mirziyoyeva said that economic and cultural exchanges have taken place between countries on the basis of cooperation and equality, and Uzbekistan's exhibits fully reflect the evolution of aesthetics along the Silk Road.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

In the last 10 years, China and countries along the Belt and Road have continuously deepened exchanges and cooperation in the field of Chinese and foreign cultural relics, and achieved fruitful results: 44 joint archaeological projects have been carried out by 24 countries, including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and the UAE; 11 conservation and restoration projects of historical sites have been carried out in six countries, including Uzbekistan and Cambodia; and more than 500 cultural relic exhibitions have been held around the world. The exhibition will showcase 84 sets of exquisite artifacts from four cultural institutions in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and the UAE, as well as 13 collection units in 10 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China, revealing the long history of the Silk Road.

These precious cultural relics concretize the intangible cultural exchanges along the Silk Road, revealing the historical trajectory of cultural exchanges and mutual learning, and showcasing the achievements of joint archaeological and historical site protection and restoration between China and other countries.

The exhibition will be held in the Palace Museum until January 5, 2024.