EU Ambassador to China Jorge Toledo delivers a speech at the opening ceremony in Beijing on April 9, 2026. Photo: Dong Feng/GT

The Delegation of the European Union in China hosted the opening ceremony of a photo exhibition Past Forward: European Heritage, Global Connections, in Beijing on Thursday.

The exhibition was organized within the framework of EUPOP China and in cooperation with the European Heritage Label Bureau.

At the ceremony, EU Ambassador to China Jorge Toledo said culture has always been a powerful bridge between different peoples. "Through these photographs, we hope to offer Chinese audiences a window into Europe's rich and diverse heritage. We also hope to encourage dialogue, curiosity, and mutual understanding," said Toledo.

In today's world, where we are facing shared global challenges, such connections are more important than ever, he added. The connections remind us that despite our different histories and traditions, we share common aspirations, peace, development and a better life for the next generations. 

"Let these exhibits inspire you, inspire us, inspire everybody, provoke reflection and perhaps even spark new conversations," Toledo said. 

The ambassador also encouraged delegates to continue building bridges to seek common ground. "That's what we diplomats do to culture and to dialogue," he said.

The exhibition features the 67 European Heritage Label sites, illustrating cultural heritage sites that have played a vital role in shaping European integration and shared history. Through visual storytelling, the exhibition offers Chinese audiences an accessible introduction to Europe's historical and cultural identity and highlights culture as a bridge for dialogue between Europe and China.

The exhibition features Heritage Label sites including Archaeological Site of Nemea, 6th century AD in Greece, a complex of well-preserved and exhibited archaeological remains, emblematic due to Nemean Sports Games; Fort Cadine (in Trento, Italy), a complex of fortifications built in the late 19th century; Seminaarinmaki Campus, 19th and 20th century in Finland, a unique complex built over 140 years and the only Finnish historic campus area that has remained fully integrated; the Three Brothers in Latvia, a complex of three houses in Riga built between the 15th and 17th centuries; Romanian Athenaeum, a concert hall in the center of Bucharest, Romania, and a landmark of the Romanian capital city; and Archives of the Crown of Aragon (in Barcelona, Spain), a public institution integrated into the Spanish State Archives Network through the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Government of Spain. Each place has been selected because it represents a segment of European history.