Pan Zhenzhou
Curator of the National Museum of China

The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games is the world¡¯s biggest sporting gala. It is also a big occasion for the exchange between the east and west cultures. By then friends and guests from different countries and regions will gather in Beijing to feel and learn the ancient and splendid Chinese culture with great interest.

the National Museum of China always deems it her own responsibility to display and spread human civilizations. By means of various exhibitions of colorful and profound contents, the Museum reveals the 5000-year-long Chinese history and her achievements for human civilizations, which nurture the large audience, especially youngsters, in our national culture. This Museum also serves as a convenient platform for the east-west culture exchange. Many foreign friends are always lingering on and on in front of the fine Chinese relics on exhibition. As the Beijing Olympic Games is approaching, our museum is set to make its own contribution.

Currently, the National Museum of China is undergoing reconstruction and renovation, after which the Museum will maintain her previous architectural style and boast of modern style as well. There will be 30 exhibition halls, providing not only basic exhibitions and theme exhibitions of her holdings systematically and multifariously but also keeping several special foreign exhibitions for exotic civilizations. The Museum shall open to the public before the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The ancient east and west civilizations will enhance each other¡¯s amazement and enchantment and visitors at home and abroad will get much more perception of what the ¡°People¡¯s Olympics¡± really means. Looking at this point, the National Museum may become a spotlight of the ¡°People¡¯s Olympics¡±.

There exists difference between the east and west civilizations, which is caused by different economical, social and historical backgrounds during each nation¡¯s development. The Chinese civilization, the ancient Indian Civilization, the ancient Egyptian Civilization, the ancient Greek Civilization and the ancient Roman Civilization show their respective unique radiance and brilliance. It is this difference that composes the multi-quality of the world culture. However, there appears to be no obstacles to the exchange among the civilizations of different countries and different nationalities, because they are common progress of the mankind and they enjoy inherent uniformity. Just like listening to the music, people may not understand the Italian language, but it will not affect their enjoyment of Italian operas. The relic exchange is an ideal carrier for the communication between different countries and nationalities.

Against the background of current economic globalization drive, the public of many western countries show a great interest in the Chinese civilization while the Chinese public is also eager to widen the knowledge of the outside world. Since the establishment of the National Museum, we have made greater efforts to cooperate with the museums of many countries such as Britain, the United States, France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and South Korea and we have also undersigned agreements with some of them on the regular exchanges of exhibitions and the training of staff members, which is helping to promote the Chinese civilization outside China and let the peoples of other countries know more about China.

 I wish the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games success, expect the Chinese athletes to make extraordinary results, and, what is more important, hope that the Beijing Olympic Games will leave thick and heavy strokes of colors in the history of the east-west culture exchange and the enhancement in mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese people and the peoples of other countries.