The First Dialogue between Liangzhu Ancient City and the Acropolis of Athens: What to Say, What to Look at, and Why? Civilization | Greece | Ancient City

When the "beautiful land and water" of Liangzhu Ancient City and the "city state on high hills" of Athens Acropolis are brought together on the same "plane", it is a moment of mutual appreciation of Chinese and foreign cultures and exchange of Eastern and Western civilizations that once again touches people's hearts.

The empirical evidence of over 5000 years of Chinese civilization history and the representative of Greek civilization, the source of Western civilization, have conducted exchanges and dialogues for the first time. What are the words of both sides, what are the highlights of meeting civilizations, and why is it worth paying attention to? In the current era where the community with a shared future for mankind is becoming increasingly recognized globally, this unique "dual city" event has brought valuable thinking and inspiration.

Dialogue: Exchange, mutual learning, beauty, and cooperation

July 6th is the fourth anniversary of the successful application for World Heritage Site of Liangzhu Ancient City. On this day, the "Liangzhu Ancient City · Athens Acropolis" China Greece Civilization Dialogue, guided by the China News Agency and the Hangzhou Municipal People's Government, was held in Yuhang, Hangzhou. The Athens Acropolis, like a "new friend," crossed thousands of miles and had its first dialogue with it. But looking deep into history, both of them, who are also World Heritage sites, are more like "old friends" - more than 2000 years ago, the two great civilizations of China and Greece were shining together on both ends of the Eurasian continent, jointly making significant contributions to the evolution of human civilization.

As a concentrated embodiment of the brilliant civilization of China and Greece, what is the current "talk" between Liangzhu Ancient City and the Acropolis of Athens?

One is a consistent set of "values" - from the present to the future, culture needs to exchange and learn from each other, and civilization values beauty and sharing.

"The world is currently undergoing major changes, and inequality still exists. Everything proves that we must defend humanity, which can only be achieved through the protection of civilization." Prokopios Pavlopoulos, former Greek President and professor at the Law School of the University of Athens, said that cultural exchange can bring more profound impacts, with deeper roots that can touch people's hearts and promote interpersonal communication.

As the host, Liu Ying, a member of the Standing Committee of the Hangzhou Municipal Party Committee and Secretary of the Yuhang District Party Committee, stated that both the Liangzhu Ancient City and the Athens Acropolis have made outstanding contributions to the progress of human civilization through their efforts in heritage protection, inheritance, and utilization. We look forward to taking the dialogue between China and Greece as an opportunity to strengthen cultural exchanges, learn from each other, and continuously improve the level of cultural cooperation between China and Greece, as well as Yuhang and Athens.

The second is the path from exchange and mutual learning among different civilizations to "beauty and common ground".

If we use archaeological achievements to make the world perceive Chinese culture, Wang Wei, Chairman of the Chinese Archaeological Society, Chief Expert of the Chinese Civilization Exploration Project, and Director of the History Department of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that we should pay attention to and understand the international communication context, innovate the "interpretation" method of archaeological achievements through forms such as dialogue between China and foreign countries, and let the world understand the long history of Chinese civilization and perceive the vastness and profoundness of Chinese culture.

For example, traditional Chinese opera with a long history and ancient Greek drama are also excellent carriers of exchange and mutual learning. Lydia Koniordou, the Minister of Greek Culture and Sports, and a renowned Greek playwright, as well as Luo Tong, a Greek drama expert and resident expert at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, both talked about the case of Hebei Bangzi's Medea. Its clothing, props, and design are derived from Chinese opera, while the story originates from Greece. This allows Chinese audiences to see Greek classics and Western audiences to see traditional Chinese opera, giving each other new vitality to ancient civilization.

Thirdly, it is to jointly interpret the contemporary value of cultural heritage.

In the view of Xu Tianjin, the director of Liangzhu Museum, civilization tends to converge. In the process of cultural exchange, we should respect differences and diversity, and pay more attention to and understand commonalities. Although different civilizations have different forms of expression, their essence is the same.

Georgios Partheniou, the Greek Consul General in Shanghai, believes that both the ancient city of Liangzhu and the Acropolis of Athens reflect the belief system and model of urban civilization, and can also form the basis for constructive comparative analysis and research on a multidimensional cultural world. This provides unique benefits for both sides to have a deeper understanding, exchange, and share cultural insights between Greek and Chinese civilizations.

Highlights: Building bridges, different paths lead to the same goal

Communication and dialogue build a bridge of communication, and when civilizations meet, what other highlights are worth paying attention to?

On the one hand, the performance of the "Twin Cities" has provided different civilizations with the opportunity to learn from each other's strengths and prosper through experience and reference.

"The civilizations of both China and Greece have deep cultural roots, and we hope to see each other's brilliance from the origins of their respective civilizations," Lydia Koniordou said as she stepped onto the land of the Liangzhu Ancient City ruins.

During this visit to China, several Greek guests visited the Liangzhu Ancient City Site Park, Tiger Mountain Site Park, Liangzhu Museum, and other places to learn about China's practices and achievements in heritage protection.

Konstantinos Bourazelis, an academician of the Athens Academy of Sciences, a professor at the University of Athens, a corresponding member of the German Archaeological Society, and former vice president of the University of Athens, said that from an archaeological perspective, the ancient city of Liangzhu and the Acropolis civilization of Athens both belong to the Neolithic period, but extend completely different cultural characteristics. From the morphology of the site, the remains of the dam, and the cultural relics of the vessels, it can be seen that China values history and its heritage, which has a more positive effect on later generations.

Similarly, Greece's experience is also being disseminated in China. With the support of the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports, the photography exhibition "Carving and Memory - The Contribution of Marble Craftsmanship to the Restoration of the Acropolis in Athens" is being held in Hangzhou, showcasing 102 precious archival photos collected by the Acropolis Heritage Protection Committee and the Acropolis Restoration Committee, showcasing the contribution of Greek marble technicians to the restoration project of the Acropolis in the domestic industry.

On the other hand, the innovation of the dual "city" record has provided an "infinite space for imagination" for the joint development of Eastern and Western civilizations in the future.

Protecting, inheriting, and utilizing cultural heritage and cultural treasures is a common pursuit of the world. In fact, the present is about long-term and enduring efforts, rather than overnight achievements. From the current perspective, the dialogue between the ancient city of Liangzhu and the Acropolis of Athens is an activity arrangement dedicated to promoting exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and Greek civilizations. However, from a future perspective, the bond between the two has been established, and the friendship between the two places has been formed. The dual "city" record is expected to explore a mechanism path that is both long-term, stable, and replicable. In the future, it will continue to expand the practical world of seeking common ground, reserving differences, and being open and inclusive among different civilizations.

As Yang Xiaoping, member of the Party Working Committee and Deputy Director of the Management Committee of the Liangzhu Site Management Area in Hangzhou, said, "Civilization is interconnected. Regardless of race, ethnicity, values, beliefs, etc., we have a common responsibility to protect, inherit, and make good use of the cultural heritage left by our ancestors, so that it can better move towards the future."

To better advance civilization towards the future, on this road, the East and the West share different paths.

Future: Open, Inclusive, and Destiny Dependent

Why is it worth paying attention to the dialogue between Liangzhu Ancient City and the Acropolis of Athens? Apart from the charm and halo of the Chinese and Greek civilizations themselves, what is more important is the expression and consensus of China and an increasing number of countries in respecting the diversity of world civilizations.

The Chinese civilization has a long and rich history, while the ancient Greek civilization has a profound influence. Nowadays, they have developed and prospered together with different civilizations in the world, which is the best proof - civilization can only be distinguished by colors and colors, and there is no distinction between high and low quality.

Benevolence, kindness to neighbors, and harmony with all nations are the consistent ways of Chinese civilization in dealing with the world. While Samuel Huntington's theory of clash of civilizations is still being heard, China proposed the Global Civilization Initiative this year, the first of which is to promote respect for the diversity of world civilizations. On the path of continuously building modern civilization of the Chinese nation, China has repeatedly demonstrated the open mindedness of Chinese culture in embracing world civilization.

Nowadays, the above concepts are an important foundation for promoting cultural prosperity in various parts of China. Taking Hangzhou Yuhang as an example, a local delegation recently visited UNESCO to promote the better globalization of Liangzhu culture and strengthen international cultural cooperation. The local Jingshan Tea Banquet is an important component of the intangible cultural heritage of human beings, including traditional Chinese tea making techniques and related customs. It is also the origin of the evolution of Japanese tea ceremony culture. In recent years, tea culture exchange activities between China and Japan, as well as the fourth Meimei and Gongyun Tea Festival of Jingshan Tea, have been held in the local area, connecting more than 20 countries to use tea as a medium and learn from each other.

Adhering to cultural equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness is also a beautiful wish expressed by Greek guests in the "Treaty of the East".

Prokopios Pavlopoulos, former Greek president and professor at the Law School of the University of Athens, said that world civilization is a great river, which is also nurtured by world civilization and is gradually developing and growing. It is precisely because of the differences between different civilizations that we have created today's world and promoted human development. "I believe it is feasible to promote cultural development through cultural relations and cooperation, as well as academic exchanges, as long as we have enough patience and time to prepare."

The very important cultural commonality between Greece and China lies in our respect for tradition and history, and our pride in historical inheritance. According to Theodora Mantzari, a renowned Greek designer, designer of the emblem of the 2004 Athens Olympics, senior advisor to the International Olympic Committee, and advisor to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, promoting exchanges and mutual learning between Eastern and Western civilizations has enormous potential for the people of Greece and China. By understanding common cultural heritage, values, and historical values, and through cooperation, respect, and sustained cultural exchange, both sides can build a future full of innovation and friendship.

More than 100 years ago, the Olympic movement, which symbolized humanity's longing for unity, friendship, and peace, originated in ancient Greece. Not long ago, the sparks of the Hangzhou Asian Games were collected at the Liangzhu Ancient City site. The clever arrangement of history has added an emotional link to the Chinese and Greek civilizations at this moment. In the era of a community with a shared future for mankind, the two will also shoulder the same mission together, promoting cultural exchange beyond cultural barriers, cultural mutual learning beyond cultural conflicts, cultural inclusiveness beyond cultural superiority, and working together to promote the harmonious coexistence and progress of human civilization.