Yang Shenwei, secretary of the Party Committee of Chengdu Municipal Sports Bureau (left), Ambassador of Greece to China Evgenios Kalpyris (center), and Li Ming, deputy director-general of Chengdu FAO inaugurate the exhibition The Olympic Spirit: From Ancient to Modern Olympic Games in Chengdu, Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, on October 26, 2025. Photo: Courtesy of the Embassy of the Hellenic Republic in China
The Embassy of the Hellenic Republic in China showcased athletic heritage and spirit in the 2025 Chengdu Marathon in Chengdu, Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, on October 26. Ambassador of Greece to China Evgenios Kalpyris inaugurated the Greek exhibition titled The Olympic Spirit: From Ancient to Modern Olympic Games at the Chengdu Sports City Exhibition Center, reaffirming the embassy’s support for athletic and cultural exchanges between Greece and China.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Kalpyris stressed that the exhibition’s significance as “a powerful reminder of the common Olympic traditions that unite Greece and China,” adding that “the cultivation of the athletic spirit in ancient Greece was not just a product of Greek civilization, such as a magnificent statue by Praxiteles, but stemmed from the very foundational values of Greek culture.”
The exhibition traces more than 2,800 years of Olympic heritage, from the origins of the Olympic Games in 776 BC to their revival in 1896, and up to the Paris 2024 Olympics, featuring 15 banners with rare historical photographs and archaeological artifacts, and other audiovisual material.
Li Ming, deputy director-general of the Foreign Affairs Office (FAO) of the Chengdu Municipal People’s Government, stressed that “this exhibition narrates the origin and millennia-long inheritance of the Olympic Spirit, recreating many important moments in Olympic history. This Olympic connection also links Chengdu closely with its friend city, Athens, Greece.”
The opening ceremony was attended by representatives of the Chengdu Municipal People’s Government and other Chinese delegates, as well as runners from Chengdu who will take part in the Athens Authentic Marathon in November.
At the Marathon’s starting line of the 2025 Chengdu Marathon in Chengdu, Ambassador Kalpyris, alongside Chinese dignitaries and organizers, officially launched the running race, joining in the festive spirit of thousands of participants.
During his meeting with Vice Mayor of Chengdu Xu Xingguo, Ambassador Kalpyris stressed the importance of city-to-city exchanges and emphasized cooperation in the fields of sports, culture, and education.
Chengdu has inked international friendly cooperation relations with three regions in Greece: Trikala, Patra, and the city of Athens.
The 2025 Chengdu Marathon kicked off on October 26, with 35,000 runners from all over the world.
Direct flight route between Chengdu and Athens was launched in late June. The 13.5-hour flights open up opportunities for increased tourism and business travel, aligning with the strategic goals of both countries to deepen their engagement.
The exhibition will last till December 26.
