A selection of Chinese relics is to make its debut in Africa from the end of March to celebrate the tenth anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and South Africa.

The 'Treasures of China' exhibition will comprise nearly one hundred valuable relics, including "Terracotta Warriors" excavated near Emperor Qin's tomb in Shaanxi province and a delicate jade outfit sewn with gold thread from King Liu Yan's tomb in Hebei province. The exhibition will run for three months.

A large variety of original artifacts of bronze, jade, porcelain, terracotta, silver and gold have been brought in Pretoria by eleven art units from Hebei, Henan, Jiangxi and Shaanxi provinces in China.

Qian Wei, a researcher for Art Exhibitions China, told Xinhua that nearly 40 percent of the artifacts are among China's most treasured relics, perceived as China's cultural and historical patrimony that represent some 4000 years of history and culture, from the Shang dynasty to the Qing dynasty (from around 1300 B.C. to 1911 A.D.).

"Holding such an art exhibition is an initial attempt to export Chinese culture to Africa, which means a lot to both China and Africa," Qian added.

She also told Xinhua the Chinese government has taken out insurance worth more than 300 million yuan (about 42 million US dollars) for the relics to be exhibited, and the South African National Cultural History Museum in Pretoria has undergone renovations in order to step up security for the event.

The exhibition is jointly held by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China and the Ministry of Arts and Culture of South Africa. Liu Bingzhong, a Chinese counselor to South Africa, said a similar exhibition of South African relics will be held in China this year.

(Xinhua News Agency March 27, 2008)