Interview: Terracotta Warriors exhibition to help Australians understand Chinese culture: museum CEO

PERTH, Australia, June 29 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing exhibition of China's world-famous Terracotta Warriors at the Western Australian (WA) Museum is set to deepen Australians' understanding of Chinese culture, the museum's chief executive officer Alec Coles has said.

The exhibition, titled "Terracotta Warriors: Legacy of the First Emperor," officially opened to the public on Saturday at the WA Museum Boola Bardip.

"I hope this exhibition will help many Australians, particularly Western Australians, gain a better understanding of Chinese history and culture," Coles told Xinhua in a recent interview.

The exhibition, which will run for eight months, features over 100 ancient Chinese artefacts, many of which have never left China until now.

Coles, who has served as the museum's CEO since 2010, first conceived the idea for the exhibition in 2016. The project came to fruition after years of collaboration with its partners in China's Shaanxi Province.

As the largest museum exhibition in WA in recent years, it is expected to attract approximately 180,000 visitors.

Coles noted that multimedia digital technology accompanies the experience to enrich the story of the Terracotta Warriors and reveal their extraordinary scale and artistry.

"It will be a major tourist attraction, which is wonderful for the tourist economy," he said.

Looking ahead, Coles emphasized he hopes this exhibition marks the beginning of a long-term partnership and such cultural exchanges play a vital role in international relations.