Luxembourg returns China's favor with exhibit in Henan

An exhibition — Small But Beautiful: Treasures of Cultural Heritage from Luxembourg — opened to the public at the Henan Museum in Zhengzhou, Henan province, on Wednesday.

About 210 exhibits from Luxembourg's National Museum of Archaeology, History and Art include stone tools, bronze artifacts, ironware, ceramics, oil paintings and decorative arts. They arrived by way of the so-called Air Silk Road connecting Zhengzhou and Luxembourg — an intercontinental route for air freight.

Ma Xiaolin, director of the museum, said that because the aerial route serves as a bridge, the allure of foreign cultures deeply attracts people across the Eurasian continent and in China.

The transport operators — Henan Civil Aviation Development and Investment Group and Luxembourg-based Cargolux Airlines International — established a dual hub strategy in 2014 based on a European logistics hub at Luxembourg's airport and a Chinese logistics hub at Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport.

The current exhibition is expected to offer the people of Henan a glimpse into the multifaceted heritage of Luxembourg, from its Roman settlements and medieval castles to its modern-day achievements.

Visitors will explore the narrative of a nation marked by resilience, innovation and cultural diversity, said Michel Polfer, director of the National Museum for Archaeology, History and Art of Luxembourg.

He emphasized that through shared experiences and mutual appreciation of each other's cultures, bonds of friendship are nurtured, laying the foundation for enduring partnerships and collaborations.

Furthermore, such cultural exchanges contribute to the enrichment of both societies as they stimulate curiosity, spark creativity and inspire cross-cultural dialogue, he said.

The exhibition in Henan is a response to an exhibition from China — The Origins of Chinese Civilization: Archaeological Treasures from Henan — which opened in Luxembourg in 2018, marking a new chapter in the collaboration between the two museums.

Qi Xin in Zhengzhou contributed to this story.