The 10-day exhibition is jointly held by the Iranian Embassy in China and the College of International Relations at Yunnan University. Many items of Persian style are on show, including pictures, paintings, sculptures, tapestries, calligraphy and folk garments.

The college's predecessor was an institute on Southwest Asia research. It started to study the Middle East, including Iran, over 30 years ago. Sources from the college said that the exhibition will help promote mutual understanding between the two countries.

Iranian Ambassador to China Fereydoun Verdinajad said at the opening ceremony that Iran and China were among the oldest countries in the world with the renowned Silk Road as a sign of their friendship, and in the future the two countries should make more exchanges.

(Xinhua News Agency June 17, 2002)