EU Delegation to China Opens “Past Forward” Photo Exhibition on European Heritage

EU Delegation to China Opens "Past Forward" Photo Exhibition on European Heritage

The EU Delegation to China hosted the opening ceremony of "Past Forward: European Heritage, Global Connections," a travelling photo exhibition presented under the European Heritage Label (EHL) initiative. The event took place at 798 Art Distict in Beijing, and brought together more than 100 guests, including diplomats, cultural professionals, academics, and members of the public.

The exhibition features photographs of 67 cultural sites across 22 EU Member States that carry the European Heritage Label: an EU initiative launched in 2011 to spotlight sites of deep historical and symbolic significance for European integration. Ten sites are presented through dedicated spotlight panels, tracing key milestones in Europe's shared history.

The spotlighted sites include Ventotene Island (Italy), birthplace of the Ventotene Manifesto; the Village of Schengen (Luxembourg), where the Schengen Agreement was signed in 1985; the European District of Strasbourg (France), home to the European Parliament and the Council of Europe; the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands); the site of the Pan-European Picnic on the Austrian-Hungarian border; and the Historic Gdańsk Shipyard (Poland), cradle of the Solidarity trade union movement.

H.E. Jorge Toledo, Ambassador of the European Union to China, opened the proceedings with a speech on the heritage of European integration and the role of culture in EU-China dialogue. He introduced the theme of the exhibition, "Past Forward," as representing the dynamic relationship between history and progress and underscored the significance of the EHL sites as a living source of inspiration for conversation and mutual understanding.

Culture has always been a powerful bridge between our peoples. Through these photographs, we hope to offer Chinese audiences a window into Europe's rich and diverse heritage. We also hope to encourage dialogue, curiosity, and mutual understanding.

H.E. Jorge Toledo, EU Ambassador to China

Dr. Bastien Varoutsikos, representative of the European Heritage Label Bureau, delivered the second address on the theme "Places, Values, People: How the European Heritage Label Reimagines Cultural Belonging." Drawing on visits to EHL sites across Europe, Dr. Varoutsikos invited the audience to look beyond the photographs and understand what makes these places distinctive: not only their architectural beauty, but also the active educational and cultural programmes that keep their heritage alive.

He traced the intellectual origins of European integration to the Republic of Letters: a pan-European community of scholars and thinkers that preceded any formal institution and explained how the EHL translates that centuries-old tradition into a contemporary programme connecting communities across the continent.

Each photograph represents a real place - a place you can visit, you can experience, a place that tells the story of how peace is built across borders through universal values, shared knowledge, and people's decision to commit to a common goal.

Dr. Bastien Varoutsikos, European Heritage Label Bureau

Following the opening speeches, guests were invited to view the exhibition on the 4th floor and join an informal networking reception.