On the afternoon of April 1st, the grand exhibition "The Art of the Enlightenment" was opened to the public in the west hall of the newly renovated National Museum.

On the afternoon of April 1st, the grand exhibition "The Art of the Enlightenment" was opened to the public in the west hall of the newly renovated National Museum. The exhibition drew equal attention and combined support from both Chinese president, Hu Jintao, and German president, Christian Wulff. Chinese State Councilor, Liu Yandong, as well as German Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister, Westerwelle, attended the opening ceremony. They both made a speech to commemorate the occasion.

The welcoming concert was a highlight in the night's events. It was directed by the preeminent conductor Mr. lorin Maazel, with a wonderful performance by three world famous symphony orchestras, namely, the Dresden State Orchestra (Dresden Staatskapelle), the Bavarian State Opera (Bayerische Staatsoper) and the Berlin National Symphony orchestra.

The renovated decor made the music hall of the National Museum the ideal place to hold such a concert. The curtain was gracefully raised and a series of events named 'The Music of Enlightenment' commence as the beautiful melody of Beethoven's masterpiece Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op.55, filled the room. The German Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister, Westweller, the Ambassador Shi Minxian, from German Embassy, and the Prime Minister of Saxony, Stanislaw Tillich, the Bavarian Minister of Scientific Research and the Arts, Dr. Wolfgang Heubisch, along with several senators from the federal government all participated in this joyous event. More than 800 celebrities and representatives from the international media were also present. This engagement also marked the end of the Volkswagen Phaeton - Dresden Staatskapelle China tour, 2011.

The Art of the Enlightenment is an exhibition held by the National Museum of China in conjunction with the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden and the Bayerische Staatsgemaldesammlungen Munich. Five hundred and seventy-nine artworks will be exhibited to the public; they embody the great ideas of enlightenment which has long been considered the most important heritage of mankind. In terms of scale, this exhibition in Beijing is the biggest overseas German exhibition ever recorded. It is also the first time that the three biggest German museums have cooperated outside of Europe. Additionally, it is the first important international exchange for National Museum of China since its renovation. The exhibition will last for 12 months.