Your Excellencies, Mr Lu, Ladies and Gentlemen,

On the occasion of the centennial of the National Museum of China, on behalf of colleagues from international museums, I'd like to extend my warm congratulations!

The history of a museum reveals a great deal about the tradition and the development of a country, a nation and its society. A hundred years may not seem significant to a civilisation known as one of the oldest and richest in terms of culture in the world. What this museum reflects is one hundred years of upheavals in society and rapid changes and their consequences, both positive and negative. It's not only the objects in a museum's collection that act as evidence of the past, but also the museum as an object in itself. Museums are like mirrors of the society, reflecting their history. They reveal considerably about identity, historical awareness, a population's participation, future strategies, power and tolerance.

I have the privilege of having enjoyed a close bond with the NMC for more than ten years. I have been following the development and reconstruction plans from their earliest stage. The determination to build not only the largest museum in the world, but also a functional museum has been implemented consistently throughout. The fact that the international opening exhibition was dedicated to the subject of 'Enlightenment' shows that China regards the museum as an offspring of this period and philosophy. A great museum requires great plans. I'm sure I can say, on behalf of all my colleagues that the NMC has been professionally received and welcomed into the network of the world's major museums. Collaborations with Italy, Greece, Poland, Germany, UK, Japan, Peru and Austria already exist. A 5-year cooperation with Italy is imminent. 100 is a great age for a national museum, not too old, but still rather experienced. In these magnificent spaces, it will be possible to establish a permanent, cosmopolitan forum for debates about the past, the future and the present of China and other civilisations.

Myself and my colleagues will always be prepared to continue the close, intellectual dialogue that we have previously established.

I would like to congratulate all my colleagues at the NMC, especially the Director, Lu Zhengsen, for this impressive jubilee.

尊敬的各位来宾，

吕章申馆长，

女士们，先生们，

一座博物馆的历史很大程度上能够反映一个国家、民族、社会的传统与发展历程。对于世界上历史最悠久、文化最丰富的文明之一而言，一百年并不算漫长，而这座博物馆是一百年当中社会波动起伏和巨变的缩影——不论正面还是负面。除了博物馆藏品外，博物馆本身也是一件见证历史的文物，就像一面照射社会与历史的镜子。博物馆是民族身份、历史自觉、国民参与、未来战略、国家实力与宽容程度的反映。

令我深感荣幸的是，我在过去十年中与中国国家博物馆保持了紧密的联系。我从很早就在跟进国博改扩建设计方案，目睹了建造一座集多种功能于一身的世界最大博物馆的实施过程。而国博重新开放后的首个国际展选择了“启蒙”的主题，恰恰表明中国将博物馆视为启蒙时代和启蒙思想的产物。大馆有大计。我可以代表我的同事断言，中国国家博物馆已经成功加入了世界主要博物馆的队伍。国博目前与意大利、希腊、波兰、德国、英国、日本、秘鲁、奥地利已经开展过合作，值得一提的是与意大利的五年期合作。对于一座国家级博物馆来说，一百年算不上悠久，但意味着沧桑与积淀。这里的宏大空间为讨论中国以及其他文明的过去、现在与未来提供了永久的世界性辩论场。

我和我的同事将会继续已有的紧密对话。

在国博百年华诞之际，祝贺国博的所有同事，尤其要祝贺吕章申馆长！