East met West at Shandong Museum on July 25, as historic treasures and cultural relics from Ancient Rome and Ancient China were put on display.

A marble bust of a Roman nobleman. [Photo by Ju Chuanjiang/chinadaily.com.cn]

It is the first time an exhibition has been held on Ancient Rome at the museum, and it features more than 200 delicate Roman artifacts which were used by an empire that at its peak stretched across Europe and the Middle East.

The remains of Roman mosaic dated from 27 BC–AD 478. [Photo by Ju Chuanjiang/chinadaily.com.cn]

The Life of the Han Dynasty (202 BC-AD 220) in Shandong exhibition will run alongside the Roman show, and depict the other side of the coin. Some 290 relics will be on display, most of which have been unearthed from the ancient tombs of feudal kings and nobility.

A line of Han Dynasty sculptures, unearthed in Shandong province. [Photo by Ju Chuanjiang/chinadaily.com.cn]

Ancient Shandong province and Rome were two crucial destinations along the Silk Road, both of which had created splendid and distinctive cultures. The two exhibitions are aimed to highlight the different features of these two civilizations and their positive influences on the eastern and western world.

Both exhibitions will run until Oct .

Finely crafted bronze ware unearthed in Shandong province, dated back to AD 1. [Photo by Ju Chuanjiang/chinadaily.com.cn]