A culture salon titled "Cultural partnership, digital heritage academic salon of China and Greece" was held in Beijing on Wednesday, May 24, offering attendees new possibilities for cultural exchange.

Government officials, museum heads, and scholars from both China and Greece attended the event and expanded on a cultural heritage digitization project, an online exhibition entitled "Parallel Space: Meet the Terracotta Warriors in Greece."

The exhibition, which was launched in 2021 on the websites of Greece's National Archaeological Museum and China's Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum, created a virtual scene of the sculpture of a young Greek soldier named Kroisos Kouros displayed alongside a Chinese terracotta warrior figure. The virtual display has created a mutual space for the two to meet.

Luo Wenli, director of the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration noted the exhibition has proved to be a successful attempt at exploring new channels for cultural exchange.

He said the exhibition can better empower and facilitate cultural exchange through various digital methods, and vividly showcase the cultural value and significance of ancient relics.

The digital presentation has spared the precious Terracotta Warriors and Horses from the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) from long-distance transportation, while reaching more audiences in Greece.

Anna Vasiliki Karapanagiotou, director of the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, Greece, recalled memories of working closely with the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum and the Chinese colleagues, saying that the collaboration is a breakthrough attempt for both sides.

The salon ended with a positive note on future collaborations on both sides in utilizing new digital technology for cultural exchange and the digitization of ancient relics.