Kabul, 15 Dec (Xinhua) -- The National Museum of Afghanistan recently reopened. This two-storey gray building has a simple appearance, but it has witnessed the centuries-old changes in Afghanistan, and its own fate has also fluctuated.
In this century-old museum, the director told the story of the museum to Xinhua News Agency, and also expressed his gratitude to China's "confidants" and expectations for future cooperation. Look at the report sent back from Kabul by the reporter -
Cultural relics are safe
Looking forward to seeing visitors come back
The National Museum of Afghanistan was founded in 1919 and now sits in the southwest of the capital, Kabul, at the foot of the Hindu Kush Mountains.
After the Taliban entered Kabul in August this year, the National Museum of Afghanistan was closed for a time due to the uncertainty of the situation, and recently reopened.
The main building of the National Museum of Afghanistan. Photo by Shi Xiantao, Xinhua News Agency
In front of the museum compound, four Taliban officers checked the journalists' documents and the interview permit issued by the Afghan Ministry of Culture.
After the security check, a person led the reporter into the courtyard until he reached the ticket office. Tickets are cheap. The fare for domestic visitors is 20 ani (about 1.3 yuan), and the foreign visitor ticket price is 100 ani (about 6.5 yuan). If you need to take a photo, the ticket price is doubled.
Xinhua News Agency reporter interviewed at the National Museum of Afghanistan. Video screenshots
Mohammed Fahim Rahimi, director of the National Museum of Afghanistan, told reporters that in the previous stage of the situation change, all the cultural relics in the museum were well preserved, and none of the cultural relics were lost or destroyed, which made him feel very pleased. Moreover, the Taliban have assigned personnel to be responsible for the security of the museum.
During the reporter's visit to the museum, there were only a few staff members in the exhibition hall, and no visitors were seen. After all, Rahimi said that the museum has just reopened, there are not many local visitors, many foreigners have left Afghanistan a while ago, so there will be no foreign visitors, and he believes that the museum will welcome more visitors when the situation is clearer.
Door Word-of-Mouth Text:
"Culture prospers and the country exists"
Throughout the interview, the reporter deeply felt the pride and cherishment of the Afghan people for their national culture.
The inscription in front of the main building of the National Museum of Afghanistan reads "Culture prospers and the country exists". Photo by Shi Xiantao, Xinhua News Agency
The stone tablet at the entrance to the main building is inscribed with the English words "A nation stays alive when its culture stays alive", which means "culture thrives and the country exists". This sentence is particularly emotional because the situation in Afghanistan has gone through several ups and downs this year.
It is under the support of this belief that the National Museum of Afghanistan has endured hardships and has always strived to continue the cultural blood of Afghanistan.
Some exhibits at the National Museum of Afghanistan. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Shi Xiantao and reporter Aria
Today, the main impression of Afghanistan is probably years of war and poor security, but little is known about the history and culture of Afghanistan. Afghanistan is located at the intersection of Eastern and Western civilizations, in the long river of history, a variety of civilizations collided and merged, precipitating the precious crystallization of civilization.
At one point, the collection of the National Museum of Afghanistan amounted to 100,000 pieces. However, the museum was devastated by years of war. Especially in the 1990s, the main building was hit by rockets many times, which was seriously damaged, and a large number of cultural relics were stolen, robbed and destroyed, and the collection was reduced by 70% at the most.
Fortunately, there are always Afghans who love cultural undertakings who are willing to risk their lives to protect it, and the museum can be restored as an important carrier of Afghan cultural heritage, and even nirvana is reborn. At present, the number of museum collections reaches about 50,000 pieces.
Rahimi, director of the National Museum of Afghanistan, explained to Xinhua News Agency the important exhibits of the National Museum of Afghanistan. Video screenshots
When detailing the museum's "treasure of the town hall" to reporters, Rahimi's pride overflowed into words.
One is a statue of the King of the Kushan Empire, Kathy sega. Rahimi went out of his way to point out that the king's clothing had a distinctly Afghan style.
The other is a 5,000-year-old fragment of a silver bowl. Rahimi stressed that the value of the collection is that it contains a multicultural element, highlighting afghanistan's former place where civilizations met.
Thank you to China Confidant
Looking forward to future cultural cooperation
Historically, cultural exchanges between Afghanistan and China have a long history. Nowadays, the National Museum of Afghanistan also has many Chinese confidants, and the current situation of the museum has always touched the hearts of many Chinese cultural enthusiasts.
According to the Palace Museum, the "Bactrian Treasure" cultural relics exhibition of the National Museum of Afghanistan has been exhibited in nine Chinese cultural institutions in eight places, including the Palace Museum, dunhuang Research Institute, Chengdu Museum, and Hong Kong History Museum, and has been widely concerned and warmly welcomed by Chinese audiences.
In this regard, Rahimi said that Afghanistan sent cultural relics to China for a touring exhibition to display Afghanistan's rich cultural heritage, hoping to express goodwill and friendship to the Chinese government and people and enhance cultural exchanges between the two countries.
On November 23 this year, Wang Xudong, president of the Palace Museum, invited well-known scholars at home and abroad to jointly issue a public initiative calling for greater efforts to protect Afghanistan's cultural heritage.
Rahimi told Xinhua that he thanked his Chinese counterparts for their efforts and looked forward to more cooperation with the Chinese side in the future, including holding more traveling exhibitions in China, and also looking forward to the opportunity for Chinese counterparts to come to the National Museum of Afghanistan to participate in the protection of Afghanistan's cultural heritage.
According to reports, the cultural relics currently on display at the National Museum of Afghanistan account for only 5% of the total collection, and have been exhibited for many years. Compared with the rich collection, the museum exhibition hall is slightly cramped and the facilities are relatively old.
Rahimi has visited China more than a dozen times, and he is amazed at the state-of-the-art museums in each Of the Chinese cities he visits. He said the museum plans to replace the exhibits and build a new building in the future, hoping to one day welcome visitors with the high standards of a Chinese museum. (Reporter: Aria;)
Produced by the International Department of Xinhua News Agency
Produced by Xinhua News Agency's International Communication Integration Platform
Source: Xinhua News Agency