The British Museum celebrated the launch of the Shanghai Week Thursday with the opening of "Treasures from Shanghai," a spectacular collection of 60 ancient Chinese jade and bronze masterpieces on show for the first time in Europe.

"The Shanghai Museum houses one of the world's greatest collections of Chinese art," said Jessica Rawson, guest curator of the exhibition.

"This exhibition brings to London pieces of superlative quality rarely seen outside China itself. The Neolithic jades on display are astonishing, particularly those that feature fine designs of strange human-like figures, birds and monsters with large teeth," said Rawson.

Chen Kelun, deputy director general of the Shanghai Museum, said this exhibition "will gain insights into the time-honored urban civilization and etiquette of China, and identify themselves with the theme of the World Expo 2010."

The "Treasures from Shanghai," which was scheduled to last one month, serves another example of the museum's collaboration with China after the exhibition "First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army" in 2007.

The Shanghai Week, designed to commemorate the increasingly close relationship between Britain and China, will showcase the heritage and culture of Shanghai as it prepares for the World Expo 2010.

Other highlights of the week include a seminar at the Victoria and Albert Museum entitled "From London to Shanghai: Inheritance and innovation --Wisdom in urban development" and a photographic exhibition at City Hall -- "Shanghai and Shanghai Exposition."

In addition, British singer Sarah Brightman who sung at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, Thursday officially became the Shanghai 2010 World Expo Promotion Ambassador in Britain.

(Xinhua News Agency January 30, 2009)