Luo Jinlin (left) and Marco Mueller are awarded at the 9th Huilin Prize at Beijing Normal University. Photo: Embassy of Greece in Beijing

The award ceremony of the 9th Huilin Prize to award the artists and writers who contributed to the cultural exchanges between China and Greece was held at Beijing Normal University on Sunday.

Diplomats from the Greek Embassy in China and other officials attended the ceremony.

Luo Jinlin, professor at the Central Academy of Drama, and Marco Mueller, renowned Italian film producer, won the prize. 

More than a professor in academy, the prize-winner, Luo has been famous for his expertise in ancient Greek drama studies. He is also a well-known director in China, having produced Chinese versions of popular classic Greek plays such as Oedipus the King and Medea, and mounting them in Chinese theaters.

Mueller, the other prize-winner, is not only a film producer, but also a film scholar and film curator, who once studied at Liaoning University in China, and is very interested in Chinese culture.

China and Greece have grown closer culturally in recent years and many dramas and cultural events have become part of the two countries' zeitgeists. 

The Huilin Prize was launched in 2015. 

Its name "Huilin" is in memory of Beijing Normal University senior professor Huang Huilin. 

It is awarded annually to commend the Chinese and foreign individuals who make outstanding contributions to international exchanges between Chinese culture and other cultures.