Chinese ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming delivers a speech at the opening ceremony. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Britain's Old Royal Naval College on Sunday unveiled the country's first major exhibition on the life of Yan Fu, a renowned Chinese thinker, educator and translator who served as a cultural bridge between China and Britain more than 100 years ago.

Yan Fu, born in 1854, was one of the first ever Chinese students to study in Britain. In 1877, he was sent to the then Royal Naval College in Greenwich in London to study naval expertise and went on to become one of the most influential intellectuals in modern China.

The exhibition, named "Yan Fu and Chinese Imperial Students at the Royal Naval College," showcased a myriad of historical documents, books, artifacts and photographs, seeking to portray the life and times of this extraordinary thinker and his fellow Chinese schoolmates.

After finishing his studies in 1879, Yan Fu returned to China and became an accomplished "enlightenment" thinker, translating and introducing to China the Evolution and Ethics, The Wealth of Nations and The Spirit of the Laws among many other works.

The two years he spent in London helped shape his ideas and deepen his understanding of Western culture and society that contributed to his future career.