Piraeus port has warmly welcomed Chinese in recent years, becoming a strong symbol of Sino-Greek friendship and cooperation. As such, the port is hosting a photo exhibition "Greek Photographers focusing on Beijing" from April 24 to May 4 to bring Greeks closer to China's capital.

Hosted at Piraeus Municipal Art Gallery, the photo exhibition was organized for the year of cultural exchanges and cooperation of creative industries between Greece and China.

It features some 100 photographs of Beijing by Greek photographers George Doupas and Ioannis Marinoglou.

Invited by the information office of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, the two Greek photographers spent a week in Beijing last November taking pictures of the autumnal landscapes, architecture, and the intangible cultural heritage -- the daily life of Beijingers and the unique intersection of tradition and modernity.

Doupas and Marinoglou joined over 100 photographers from dozens of countries which have participated in the program that aimed to showcase Beijing to the world since it was launched in 1999.

Addressing the opening ceremony at Piraeus on Tuesday evening, Xu Hejian, director of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality information office, explained that the foreign photographers offer a fresh look at the city and help people across the globe better understand Beijing and its residents.

Although Greece and China are far away from each other, their mutual respect for each other's ancient civilizations is a guarantee for the further enhancement of bilateral ties, deputy mayor of Piraeus Irene Daifas noted.

Wang Chao, an official with the Chinese Embassy in Athens, stressed the significance of such projects.

"I think it is a good way to make the friendship between the peoples...I hope this cooperation and exchange can continue," he told Xinhua.

The photographs of the two Greek artists were first displayed in Beijing from March 29 to April 5.