"The year of Greek Culture in China" featuring an ambitious
array of events was launched in Beijing to showcase both ancient
Hellenic culture and modern Greece.
Opening the event on Wednesday, Greek Culture Minister Michalis
Liapis said the aim of the event was to attract global interest "by
constantly presenting a flavour of Greek culture in the country
which is organizing the 2008 Olympic Games".
The Minister noted that they aimed to "present the modern
character and the development over history of Greek civilization to
the Chinese people". He added that the Year of Greek Culture would
further enhance ties between the two countries.
The event will officially begin on October 19 with a concert
featuring Greek composer Stamatis Spanoudakis' new work
Alexander: Paths You Haven't Travelled at the Beijing Poly
Theater.
An exhibition, named "Classical Memories in Contemporary Greek
Art", runs from October 16 to November 16 in the Beijing-based
Capital Museum.
Others events include theatrical and dance performances, cinema
tributes, archaeological and modern art exhibitions, opera, folk
concerts, modern and popular music, conferences and book
exhibitions.
The theatrical performances include classical dramas with a
history of over 2000 years, like Aristophanes' comedy The
Birds and Sophocles' tragedy Aias.
Dance performance Medea, whose director is also the
artistic director of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2004
Athens Olympic Games, will be performed in May and June 2008.
As part of one-year long program, the Hellenic Cultural Center
has been set up adjacent to Beijing's Forbidden City, and
activities including exhibitions, seminars and lectures will be
held there.
?
(Xinhua News Agency October 19, 2007)