The Inaugural Ceremony of the Exhibition of Bible Ministry of the Churches in China was held Thursday in Hong Kong, the first of its kind staged by the churches in Chinese mainland.

The exhibition, scheduled from Aug. 6 to 10, displays in great details the publication, printing and distribution of the Bibles by the Chinese churches, including Braille Bible and the Bibles for the Chinese minorities, as well as the art pieces of national archival value including minicarving, Chinese paintings and a magnificent woodcarving depicting the life of Jesus Christ.

Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Ding Guangxun, who is also the honorary president of China Christian Council, said at the opening ceremony that the exhibition testifies that the religious freedom the Chinese people enjoy is not something unreal.

President of the China Christian Council Cao Shengjie expressed the confidence that the exhibition would facilitate and contribute to the further exchanges between the churches in China's mainland and in Hong Kong.

Organized by the National Committee of Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China and the China Christian Council, the exhibition is co-organized by the Hong Kong Bible Society and a number of Christian organizations.

Of the exhibits, the Imperial Edition Bible presented to Empress Cixi 110 years ago in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) will be auctioned after the exhibition, and the money gained will be donated to the Chinese University of Hong Kong to fund the research against epidemic diseases.

Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Tung Chee Hwa and Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR Gao Siren were among those officiating at the opening ceremony.

Source: Xinhua