A bronze replica of Michelangelo's David was presented by the
city of Florence to Ningbo in east China's Zhejiang Province on Saturday.
The 5.17 meters-tall statue is on display in Ningbo Theater
Square, the first time a replica of the 502-year-old statue has
been presented to another city.
The David statue is a symbol of Florence, said Gori Silvano,
mayor of the Italian city, who hoped it could help establish a
bridge for artists and businessmen from China and Italy to exchange
ideas.
"Florence and Ningbo are both major production bases of men's
clothing and we established links in March," said Cheng Yuechong,
vice-mayor of Ningbo, who added that Ningbo would learn from
Florence's experience in the protection of cultural relics and the
development of its clothing industry.
The arrival of the statue also marks the opening of the Italian
Film Week and the Italian Food Festival in Ningbo. In return, the
Ningbo city government has sent Florence a pair of stone carved
lions, traditionally viewed as symbols of good luck and fortune in
China.
(Xinhua News Agency October 23, 2006)