Taking Root in Athens: Another Milestone for the Chinese Institute of Classical Studies
Yang Xue, Special Correspondent for Chinese Social Sciences Today in Athens
Early in the morning, sunlight spills across the lawn in the southern suburbs of Athens, where classical white and lush greenery intertwine into a serene and solemn vista. A delicate key, carved from Phoebe zhennan wood [1], rests quietly before a flower-adorned podium—waiting to open a door across civilizations today.
With the arrival of Chinese and Greek guests, the handover ceremony for the new site of the Chinese Academy of Classical Civilizations (CACC) officially began. Former President of Greece Prokopis Pavlopoulos, Minister-Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Greece Lai Bo, and Mayor of Elliniko Ioannis Konstantatos delivered speeches in succession, as Chinese and Greek voices echoed alternately over the courtyard. The climax of the ceremony centered on the moment the key was slowly unveiled—Pavlopoulos and Baima Chilin, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress and President of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, jointly unveiled the plaque for the new office premises before the gathered guests. A three-story building thus acquired a new identity: a permanent Chinese stronghold for classical studies has quietly taken root in Athens.
Since November 2024, when President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the inaugural World Conference on Classics, marking the official establishment of the CACC, this high-level academic institution based in Athens and dedicated to the study of classical civilizations has remained a focal point for domestic and international academia and media. Following the inaugural ceremony on November 28, 2024, the CACC has finally secured its permanent site. This represents not only the completion of a physical space but a solid step forward in China's establishment of a permanent platform for classical civilization research in Greece. From this point on, the dissemination of Chinese civilization in Greece and the West possesses a more stable and long-term position.
As Yao Zhizhong, Director of the Bureau of International Cooperation at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), pointed out, this research institute "carries the important mission of promoting the inheritance and development of civilizations and advancing exchange and mutual learning between civilizations." Sowing academic seeds in the birthplace of Ancient Greek civilization is a vivid portrayal of the Chinese academic community stepping onto the world stage with a more open and confident posture.
Inter-civilizational Exchange Endows an Old Residence with New Life
Walking into this white three-story building, an understated yet enduring sense of history arises spontaneously. The building long belonged to the Athanasiadis family—a family closely associated with modern Greek journalism, whose successive generations founded and operated influential media outlets such as Naftemporiki and Vradyni, leaving a distinct mark on the 20th-century Greek politico-economic context.
The story of this family begins nearly a century ago. Panos Athanasiadis, a young man who moved from Asia Minor to Piraeus, founded a modest port commercial gazette in Piraeus in 1924—the very publication that would evolve two decades later into the backbone of the Greek financial world, Naftemporiki. In the mid-1930s, his brother George Athanasiadis began participating in the editorial work, expanding coverage to broader economic fields and jointly driving the gazette's post-war development into a nationally distributed financial daily. George was not only a newsman but also a significant figure in political and business circles—founding the national football betting agency and serving a long tenure as President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee.
Today, this property, which witnessed family history and the transitions of the era, has embraced a new identity—the permanent site of the CACC in Greece. Moving from family journalistic ideals to scholarly civilizational dialogue, the building has undergone more than a change in ownership; it has experienced a transformation of symbolic meaning. It was once a field of public opinion; it is now a field of thought. From "communicating daily information" to "connecting ancient wisdom," the theme has changed, but the vigilance toward public reason and the spirit of the times remains constant.
"This building has a solemn appearance and a steady temperament, and the interior arrangement is rich in cultural atmosphere, which fits the positioning of the Academy perfectly," stated Li Xinwei, Director of the CACC, in an interview with this reporter. He explained that the interior space is ample, meeting multiple functions such as academic seminars, exhibitions, and book reading. The spacious courtyard provides a good foundation for the future construction of office areas and supporting facilities like archaeological laboratories. "This area is located in the future cultural center of Athens, with planned cultural facilities like international exhibition centers nearby; the local government has provided enthusiastic support and active cooperation. These were all important reasons for our final selection of this site."
An even more pleasant surprise was that the original owner left behind a private library before departing, seemingly implanting a cultural soul into the building. Among the collection of over 1,800 volumes are rare ancient books covering history, literature, medicine, and other fields, with texts in Greek, French, German, and Italian. The European intellectual traditions carried by these yellowed pages will now be re-read and re-interpreted by Chinese scholars, becoming a unique starting point for cross-cultural dialogue.
The significance of a building never lies solely in its brick-and-mortar structure. When its function changes with the times, the spiritual world it helps construct is also quietly generated. Within this building saturated with historical weight, the dialogue between China and Greece—two ancient civilizations—is slowly unfolding a new page.
Steadily Advancing Academic Networks and Archaeological Layouts
"The selection of the permanent office premises is another major development in the construction of the CACC," Li Xinwei said with a firm tone regarding the three-story building whose handover was just completed. He stated that only with a stable space is it possible to carry out planning with a more long-term perspective and truly build this place into a bridge for exchange between Chinese and foreign civilizations.
In fact, since the official unveiling of the CACC, various tasks have already commenced in full. Li Xinwei described this stage as "taking the initiative." On one hand, the CACC has actively contacted and interacted with Greek universities, from the University of Athens and the University of Patras to the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the University of Thessaly, conducting frequent visits and coordinating mechanisms. On the other hand, the CACC has also intensively visited major classical research institutions established in Athens by the United States, France, Britain, and Germany, paving the way for future transnational cooperation.
At the same time, preparations for archaeological projects are proceeding in an orderly manner. From the lake districts of northern Macedonia to the ancient temple ruins at the foot of Mount Olympus, to field surveys in Piraeus and East Attica, the CACC has preliminarily mastered information on several sites with scientific research potential. Next, the CACC will strive to finalize the location of the first excavation project as soon as possible and, following relevant Greek procedures, submit an application this year with plans to officially launch next year.
"We hope to launch an excavation project led by a Chinese institution as soon as possible," Li Xinwei admitted frankly. "This is not only an attempt in the academic sense but also a breakthrough in the mode of civilizational dialogue."
Underwater archaeology has not been neglected either. The CACC has initiated communication with the Greek Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities and the University of Thessaly, and plans to select young Chinese scholars for practical training. "We have also contacted Chinese deep-sea research institutions," he added. "We hope to bring China's technology in deep-sea exploration to the Aegean Sea."
George Koutsouflakis, Associate Professor of Underwater Archaeology at the University of Thessaly, has a clear understanding of the current status and challenges of Greek underwater archaeology and holds high expectations for the establishment of the CACC in Athens. He stated that although Greece has made significant progress in this field over the past 25 years, the waters remain vast, and there may be hundreds or even thousands of undiscovered shipwrecks. "The current distribution map of shipwrecks reflects our survey tracks more than it does the true picture of ancient navigation," Koutsouflakis emphasized. Systematically recording and protecting underwater cultural heritage, especially in those areas where trade and shipping were frequent in history but have not yet been deeply explored, remains a top priority for Greek underwater archaeology. "Considering the limited professional workforce, international cooperation is particularly important," he said.
Using Exhibitions to Open the "Door to Mutual Learning Between Civilizations"
Classical studies remain the core of the CACC. Just as the site handover concluded, the CACC quickly launched a themed exhibition and special seminar entitled "Opening the Door to Mutual Learning Between Eastern and Western Civilizations," attempting to evoke contemporary expressions of classical thought within the new space.
At the exhibition site, the scent of books and ideas intertwine, as classical wisdom spanning time and space radiates new light. A long scroll of comparison, unfolding along a timeline, juxtaposes the developmental trajectories of Chinese and Ancient Greek civilizations: from the origins of Chinese civilization over 5,000 years ago to the prosperity of the Great Tang; from the maritime dawn of the Cycladic culture to the brilliant twilight of the Byzantine Empire. Through the interaction of text-and-image panels and 3D-printed artifacts, viewers can appreciate that both civilizations possess unique characteristics and "each has its own beauty" [2], while also deeply feeling the eternal proposition that "civilizations become more colorful through exchange."
In front of the "Tomb of Fu Hao and Mycenae" display area, many guests lingered for a long time, staring at the uniquely shaped bronze zun [3] in the form of an owl, then turning to compare it with images of Greek temple reliefs, as if capturing the distant echoes of two great civilizations. The final part of the exhibition focused on new archaeological discoveries at the Sanxingdui site [4]. This regional civilization, full of tension, not only reflects the diversity and innovation of Chinese civilization but also provides a new perspective for considering possible exchange paths between early Eastern and Western cultures.
In a corner of the lawn, several scholars were talking in low voices, pointing at the Neolithic time nodes marked on the display boards, discussing whether a certain cultural echo might exist between Sanxingdui and the Aegean. Beyond the exhibition, at the seminar site, Chinese and foreign scholars engaged in in-depth exchanges regarding the future of classical studies and the possibilities of civilizational dialogue. This was not only a vivid interpretation of the concept of "World Classics" but also a contemporary convergence of thought and spirit.
Dionissios Mantzavinos, Vice Rector for Strategic Internationalization and External Affairs at the University of Patras, expressed warm congratulations on the activation of the permanent site of the CACC in his speech. He pointed out that civilizational interactions between Greece and China have a long history, as both sides possess profound philosophical traditions, and this spiritual affinity provides a genuine possibility for today's academic cooperation. He emphasized that comparative studies of Chinese and Greek civilizations not only help in deeply understanding their respective traditions but also inject diverse methodologies and cross-cultural insights into the future of global classical studies.
A New Starting Point to Continue the New Chapter of Civilization
Today is worth remembering, for this key carries heavy historical memories as well as infinite future possibilities. It has witnessed the historical transition from information dissemination to civilizational inheritance, and it has opened a new chapter of mutual learning between Eastern and Western civilizations. As the mission of the CACC proclaims, China and the West joining hands is not only about inheriting the wisdom of classical studies but also about jointly writing a new story of global civilizational exchange.
In the future, this white building standing in the heart of Athens and facing the sea will serve as a serene and steadfast academic lighthouse, emitting the light of reason and thought. It will become a stronghold where Chinese and foreign scholars jointly build civilizational dialogue, allowing Chinese civilization and ancient world civilizations to reflect one another amid the sea breeze and sunlight, together illuminating the future of human civilization.
Source: Chinese Social Sciences Net - Guangming Daily, June 27, 2025 Web Editor: Tongxin