MANAMA: An exhibition celebrating the legendary Silk Road opened on Thursday evening at the Arts Centre as part of the Chinese Cultural Week.
Culture Minister Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa and Chinese Ambassador to Bahrain Li Chen inaugurated the event, in the presence of Arab and foreign Ambassadors.
The Ministry of Culture and the Chinese Embassy in Manama are organising the event, scheduled to run until April 19. The exhibition is being held under the theme ” Road of Silk Exhibition: Tradition and Fashion of Chinese Textiles”.
Shaikha Mai addressed the opening ceremony, welcoming the attendees and thanking The Chinese Ministry of Culture and Embassy for their efforts. She stressed the crucial importance of building bridges through art and culture, adding that the exhibition is being held as Manama is being feted as Capital of Asian Tourism 2014.
The iconic exhibition also coincides with the silver jubilee (25 years) of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bahrain and China. Chinese Ambassador Li Chen also welcomed Minister of Culture Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa commending the ministry for its efforts to ensure the success of the Chinese Cultural Week.
He stressed deep-rooted historic relations bonding the Kingdom of Bahrain and China, underscoring the importance of the event in building cultural and civilizational bridges. He hailed the participation of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the Shanghai Expo, commending the Chinese cultural and artistic events lined up in Bahrain.
China is synonymous with silk, that valuable commodity discovered by the ancient Chinese which remained a closely guarded secret for many centuries. The Road of Silk exhibition is a beautiful showcase of garments and equipment which highlights the role silk played in spreading Chinese culture and inter-cultural communication, as well the evolution of this industry from ancient times to present day.