大英博物馆上百件中国文物，其中包括几个1300年历史的面饼，15世纪的石质香炉和明代关羽图案的瓦当等，将于1月24日开始在布里斯托、考文垂、桑德兰，约克和曼彻斯特等城市巡展。展览名为《中国：东方之旅》，展现了中国3000年的精彩文化和历史。许多展品都是首次与观众见面，巡展到各地时，各地也会将自己的中国藏品一并展示。

此次展览也是大英博物馆历史上规模最大的一次出借行为，因为巡展将延续至2011年，这上百件文物也将在英国各地告诉世人，中国文化的精髓。大英博物馆的主任Neil MacGregor表示：“中国历史是大家需要了解的，现在比以往更重要。”

因为中国在世界舞台上愈发重要，越来越多的人对中国文化表示出兴趣。去年大英博物馆的秦始皇兵马俑展览，吸引了85万观众。这也是大英博物馆再次举行中国主题展览的原因。

CHINESE EXHIBITION WILL FEATURE WORLD'S OLDEST JAM TARTS

The 1,300-year-old jam pastries and tartlets will be included in the British Museum exhibition of more than 100 objects, called China: Journey to the East. The exhibition of 3,000 years of Chinese history and culture will feature objects which have never been shown outside the museum before.

Other highlights include a Ming dynasty roof tile in the form of the great general Guan Yu riding his horse; a series of shadow puppets made from donkey hide in the form of a sedan chair; and a 15th century AD stoneware incense burner bearing the forms of a dragon and a phoenix.

The exhibition, which opens in Bristol's City Museum and Art Gallery on 24 January, is the largest loan of Chinese artefacts held by the British Museum in its history. After Bristol it will visit Coventry, Basingstoke, Sunderland and York before ending in Manchester in 2011.

Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum, said of the exhibition: "China's history is one the world needs to know, now more than ever.

More and more people have become interested in Chinese art and culture recently thanks to the country's emergence on to the world stage. Last year, the British Museum's The First Emperor exhibition, which featured a number of terracotta warriors lent by Beijing, closed having attracted 850,000 people.

（资料来源：英国使馆文化教育处）