Belgian Scholars Hail China's Tibetan Culture

China's Tibet is a magical place and the western world has become increasingly interested in its culture, Claire Kirschen, President of the Institute for Higher Chinese Studies in Belgium, said on Thursday.

"Tibet is a magical place. It is magic based on exceptional living conditions, on an intense spirituality and on an original culture," she said in her welcoming address at Belgium's Royal Museums for Art and History.

A delegation of four Tibetologists and Living Buddhas, part of the Chinese delegation here to launch China's Tibetan Culture Weekon Monday, visited the museum at the invitation of the institute and enlightened the audience about Tibet's cultural relics, such as Thangkas (Tibetan scroll paintings) and religious statues.

The museum houses a collection of some 100 cultural relics fromTibet, most contributed by Leon Verbert who lived in China between1907 and 1935.

Kirschen described their explanations as "a brief sentimental journal to Tibet", saying that the Chinese guests had brought the museum to life in an exceptional way.

The four Chinese scholars and Living Buddhas detailed the history, techniques and religious stories of Tibet's cultural relics, and all the Belgian audience expressed satisfaction for the explanations.

The ongoing China's Tibetan Culture Week, ending on Sunday, is the first of its kind ever held on the European continent. The Chinese delegation also met with Belgian officials and members of the European Parliament during their stay.

-People's Daily