A person visits an exhibition of "Paradise on Earth: An Exhibition of Han Dynasty Pictorial Art from Sichuan" at the Chinese Cultural Center in Berlin, Germany on July 15, 2026. (Xinhua/Du Zheyu)

​At 83, Berlin resident Zoila Alarcon Mendoza has seen much of the world. Yet on Wednesday evening, a black-and-white rubbing at an exhibition in Berlin transported her back some 2,000 years, offering a glimpse of an ancient salt-making scene from the ancient Bashu region of southwest China.

"It is beautiful. I am overwhelmed," Mendoza told Xinhua, describing the exhibition as a "journey through history."

Mendoza was among more than 150 guests attending the opening of "Paradise on Earth: An Exhibition of Han Dynasty Pictorial Art from Sichuan." The art on display features scenes of farming and weaving, salt production, land and water transport, and local customs in the ancient Bashu region around 2,000 years ago.

The works are reproductions of rubbings taken from Han Dynasty pictorial bricks and stone carvings found in southwest China's Sichuan Province. Jointly organized by the Chinese Cultural Center in Berlin and the Sichuan Museum, the exhibition runs until Sept. 20.

He Wenbo, deputy director of the Chinese Cultural Center in Berlin, said the exhibition offers overseas audiences a unique window into ancient Chinese civilization.

Meanwhile, Xiang Hepin, vice chairman of the Chinese Museums Association, said: "Through Han Dynasty stone carvings, the exhibition shows how people lived in ancient Bashu and highlights the region's open and inclusive culture."

He expressed hope that cultural heritage would serve as a bridge for further exchanges and bring fresh momentum to the friendship between China and Germany.

The exhibition opening was accompanied by a range of cultural activities. Music from the guqin, a seven-stringed Chinese zither, and the pipa, a pear-shaped lute, floated through the hall. Visitors also tried on traditional Chinese Hanfu robes, while a Sichuan food-tasting area remained crowded throughout the evening.

Drawing on recent archaeological discoveries in Sichuan, Jin Guolin, a researcher at the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute, delivered a lecture explaining what the carvings reveal about farming, everyday life and early religious beliefs during the Han Dynasty.

Mendoza said she had long been fascinated by Chinese culture, and what struck her most at the exhibition was how much the scenes reminded her of other cultures. "You can always find something familiar," she said. "That's why culture brings people together."

The exhibition also made China feel a little closer, Mendoza added. She began studying Chinese this year, taking two 90-minute classes a week, and plans to visit China next spring to experience its culture and everyday life firsthand.

"I love China, and I am curious about everything there," she said. "I have to see it for myself."

People visit an exhibition of "Paradise on Earth: An Exhibition of Han Dynasty Pictorial Art from Sichuan" at the Chinese Cultural Center in Berlin, Germany on July 15, 2026. (Xinhua/Du Zheyu)