Irish and Maltese Ambassadors visited the Cemetery of Matteo Ricci and other foreign missionaries on July 31, 2020. Along with them were British, Swedish and Philippine scholars who held keen interest in the cemetery.

On behalf of BAI, Mr. Zhang Haiping, Director of International Cooperation and Exchange Department, extended hearty welcome to them and briefed on the history of the cemetery and the contribution these missionaries had made for the cultural exchange between China and the West.

They also visited Square-plan Building which was the seat for the Saint Vincent Seminary and the E-plan Building which was built as an annex to Maweigou Church in 1910. In a congenial atmosphere, Mr. Zhang also briefed on the initiative to build a China-West Culture Exchange Center to carry on the international cultural exchange between China and the international community. Faced with a global pandemic of staggering scope, we seek to bridge differences, eradicate misunderstanding, advance peace, drawing on the best of humanity’s rich and diverse past to improve our shared future.

Ambassadors spoke highly of Mr. Zhang’s educational introduction and regarded it as a pleasant and rewarding trip.

Written by Liu Xiaoyun