A beam of light passes through a shadow puppet painting suspended in mid air, projecting images of phoenixes, feathered men, white tigers, and other figures from the Chinese "Classic of Mountains and Seas" onto the floor of an ancient Roman bathhouse dating back over 1700 years. The floor depicts a naval battle scene from ancient Greek mythology. The scene of the intersection of Eastern and Western civilizations in front of us is the work "Nine Heavens" by Chinese artist Wu Jian'an in the special exhibition "Metamorphoses" currently on display at the Diocletian Bathhouse of the National Museum of Rome. German tourist Helen, who is currently traveling in Italy, told reporters that her visit to the Diocletian Baths was originally to learn about ancient Roman ruins, but she didn't expect to see exhibits from China, feeling like she had personally experienced a fusion and collision of Eastern and Western history and culture. The Diocletian Baths are located adjacent to the central train station in the center of Rome, attracting a continuous stream of tourists from all over the world. Walking out of the station gate, you can see the towering yellow brown bathhouse ruins. Recently, the museum has hung large Chinese posters about this special exhibition. Federica Rinaldi, the director of the National Museum of Rome, said in an interview with reporters that she welcomes more exchanges between Chinese artists and Italian museums. When Rinaldi became the director of the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum in 2020, it coincided with the celebration of the Cultural and Tourism Year in Italy. The Archaeological Park of the Colosseum added Chinese introduction words to all exhibition boards of its museum. Rinaldi recalled that the introduction was highly praised by Chinese tourists and reflected the great potential for cooperation between Italian and Chinese museums, not only in exhibition cooperation, but also in tourism promotion, cultural and creative design, and academic research. The theme of International Museum Day in 2026 is "Museums: Bridges Connecting the World." Rinaldi believes that this call is timely: "We need to pay more attention to the role of museums as' bridges, 'because museums can connect different people, and more importantly, different worlds and art." Rinaldi's words reminded reporters of a recently concluded special exhibition, "Harmony of Heaven and Man: The Summer Palace at Este Manor. In the Est Manor in the Italian Renaissance, a nearly two meter high restoration sculpture of the "Western Dragon" shape juxtaposed with the photos from the Chinese classical garden Summer Palace containing the "Chinese Loong" element. The "dragons" from the East and the West "whispered to each other", attracting visitors to stop and enjoy. Elizabeth Skenjio, the head of Este Manor, told reporters that the special exhibition received a good response, "allowing Italian people to experience 'traveling abroad' at their doorstep and enhancing their understanding of Chinese history and culture". The journey of civilization with museums as bridges is a two-way street. At the end of April this year, the National Art Museum of China held the "Tribute to Masters: From Leonardo da Vinci to Caravaggio - Exhibition of Italian Renaissance Masterpieces" to Chinese audiences. The masterpieces of Renaissance masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael attracted a large number of tourists to appreciate and check-in. This exhibition is jointly organized by the National Art Museum of China and the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, and has become one of the top exhibitions in China for a time. Whether it is the special exhibition of Chinese artists at the National Museum of Rome, or the collaborative exhibition between Este Manor, Uffizi Gallery, and Chinese cultural and museum institutions, after multiple interviews, the reporter deeply feels the mutual appreciation and respect between Chinese and Italian civilizations. This mutual cherishing and respect is the cornerstone of cooperation between the two museums. Taking the museum as a bridge, the mutual learning and integration of civilizations is quietly happening as every audience gazes. (Looking into the New Era)