On November 2, 2026, local time, the “Glory of Bronze Civilization: Sanxingdui-Jinsha Sites Salon” was held at the Chinese School of Classical Studies at Athens in Greece. The event was hosted by the Chinese School of Classical Studies at Athens and the Chengdu Jinsha Site Museum. Experts and scholars, university faculty members and students, and media representatives from China and Greece attended the event.
To introduce the Greek public to the ancient Shu civilization, the event specially set up the “Glory of Bronze Civilization: Sanxingdui-Jinsha Sites Exhibition” in the outdoor and indoor spaces of the Chinese School of Classical Studies at Athens. Opening with illustrated panels on the geographical location, site overview, and representative artifacts of the Sanxingdui-Jinsha Sites, the exhibition led visitors into the ancient Shu civilization in southwestern China. Through the combination of illustrated panels and 3D-printed replicas of representative exhibits, the exhibition vividly presented the unique artifact forms, artistic aesthetics, and spiritual beliefs of the ancient Shu civilization and offered a platform for Greek visitors to gain a closer understanding of the Sanxingdui-Jinsha Sites. It provided a tangible visual reference for the keynote speech by Zhang Qing, Director of the Chengdu Jinsha Site Museum, during the expert salon.
Georgios Steiris, President of the Department of Philosophy of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, mentioned in an interview that he had visited the Sanxingdui Museum and the Jinsha Site Museum in person two years ago. “If you see the real artifacts there with your own eyes, they will deliver the greatest impact.” In his view, what was most impressive was not the objects themselves, but the “spiritual connotations behind the artifacts”—“They are not merely decorations trying to create a sense of beauty, but the ways through which ancient artisans sought to establish a connection with deities and the surrounding nature.”
The afternoon salon was moderated by Li Xinwei, Director of the Chinese School of Classical Studies at Athens. The event opened with the documentary Echoes of Civilization: Dialogue Between Chinese and Greek Civilizations, through which Chinese and Greek guests approached each other’s histories and spiritual worlds. During the salon discussion and Q&A session, Chinese and Greek experts exchanged views on topics such as the similarities and differences between the ancient Shu and ancient Greek civilizations, as well as the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage. They engaged with faculty members and students present. Agamemnon Tselikas believed that such intellectual exchange was “very, very important”, prompting him to consider visiting China again. He also expressed the hope “to enable younger students to come to Greece to discuss, exchange ideas, and learn… This exchange itself embodies the spirit of humanism.”
Company: JINSHA SITE MUSEUM
