It is common to see the famous Four Books of Confucianism printed in Chinese, but it is rare to see them printed in Greek. That is the reason why Du Qiwen, the Chinese ambassador to Greece, was surprised when he was presented with a Greek translation of the Four Books in Lefkada — an Ionian island in Greece — as part of the activities organized for “Chinese Day” on the 7th and 8th of December.
Sotiris Chalikias, the translator of the Four Books is a Greek writer from Lefkada. Costas Aravanis, mayor of Lefkada said: “I hope the translation will help young people study the Chinese culture and promote the understanding between the two great civilizations.”
The book giving ceremony occurred in the beginning of Du’s one-hour presentation entitled “China & Sino-Greek Friendship and Cooperation.” Du presented China’s history and economy, along with the historic relationship between the two civilizations saying that he sees potential for further development.
“The presentation is well beyond my expectations,” said Katerina Sklaveniti, who works for a NGO and the local media. The guests also visited the town of Nydri, one of the island’s biggest resorts, in order to explore different ways of bringing more tourists from China to Lefkada. Commenting on the events, Du said “culture is the strongest and most powerful thing in the world,” adding that he thought Lefkada could play an important role in promoting relations between the two countries. He continued: “Lefkada is a legendary island. Apart from its natural beauty, the residents have world-wide cultural view. This has been proven by the well-known International Folklore Festival held every summer.”
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