An exhibition of Chinese characters and photographs was launched in the UK, with opening events held at Lancaster University and Kingsford Community School in London from Sept 23 to 25.

Organized by the National Language Promotion Base of the Ministry of Education (Tongji University), the exhibition, named Light and Shadow Creating Characters: Civilization Coexisting, is set to tour for one month, with students from more than 150 UK schools offering Chinese language courses scheduled to visit.

The exhibition reinterprets the aesthetic power of Chinese characters through creative design. It traces the evolution of the characters' form and meaning over thousands of years, from ancient oracle bone scripts to modern digital art.

Each piece represents a cross-disciplinary dialogue between text, design, and culture, highlighting the infinite vitality and potential of Chinese characters as a vessel of civilization. The event serves as a window for the British public to understand the significance of Chinese culture, history, and language, according to the organizer.

At Lancaster University, Sun Yixue, dean of the International School of Tongji University, introduced the exhibition to visiting faculty and students. "The aim is to tell China's cultural stories to the world through its characters and to foster mutual understanding between different cultures," Sun said.

Dame Joan Deslandes OBE, president of Kingsford Community School, at the opening ceremony, emphasized the importance of the event. "Learning Chinese equips young people in the UK with greater international awareness, communication skills, and employability, making them more competitive in the global talent market and nurturing them into compassionate global citizens with cross-cultural understanding."

The opening event in London was attended by officials from the Chinese embassy and Tongji University. Over 1,200 students studying Chinese at Kingsford visited the exhibition.