Across continents and generations, museums preserve the traces of human civilization – carrying memory, culture, and the stories that continue to shape how we see the world. Though rooted in different histories and traditions, they remain spaces where people encounter one another across time and place. Through collections, artistic expression, and public engagement, museums continue to foster dialogue and shared understanding across cultures and generations.
On Monday, May 18, in celebration of International Museum Day (IMD) 2026, China’s English language network CGTN brings together museums, galleries, and cultural spaces from around the globe for a cross-cultural dialogue through artistic collaborations and in-depth conversations. The program titled “Bridging the World Through Museums ” features a diverse range of museums and cultural spaces from China, Iran, Slovenia, Tunisia, Argentina, Brazil and beyond, and also has the Acropolis Museum among them.
Beneath the Acropolis, musicians perform in the program against the backdrop of one of the world’s most iconic cultural landmarks, chanting the civilization by the Aegean Sea.
At the Old Summer Palace (also known as Yuanmingyuan) in China, light paintings emerge before the remains of the Western Mansions (Xiyang Lou), where Chinese and European aesthetics once came together in a shared architectural vision. Today, Yuanmingyuan stands not only as a historic site, but also as an open-air space of remembrance, reflection, and cultural memory.
