LJUBLJANA, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- A full-scale replica of the armillary sphere with rotating rings created by Augustin Ferdinand Hallerstein, or Liu Songling by his Chinese name, in the 18th century, will be permanently installed in Ljubljana.
Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar, Chinese Ambassador to Slovenia Wang Shunqing, and Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Jankovic attended the inauguration ceremony on Tuesday in front of the Slovenian Archives building on the bank of Ljubljanica River, which runs through the capital.
Hallerstein, an astronomer, natural scientist and geographer, was born in Ljubljana in 1703. He arrived in China in 1739 after a two-year journey and never returned to Europe.
He spent 35 years in China as the head of the Board of Astronomy and Mathematics of the Qing Dynasty, where he created the astronomical observation instrument now hosted by the Beijing Ancient Observatory.
At the ceremony, Musar said the replica of the armillary sphere means a tribute to science, to the history of Slovenian diplomacy and to the excellent relations that Slovenia and China have established and diligently cultivated.
The Chinese Embassy in Slovenia collaborated with the Beijing Planetarium, employing 3D technology, to craft a full-scale replica of the armillary sphere and presented it to Slovenia.
"This monument is definitely a reminder of what science can do for mankind, and Mr. Hallerstein is also a strong connection between China and Slovenia," Musar told Xinhua.
"Liu Songling not only created a history of friendly exchanges between China and Slovenia but also made outstanding contributions to the exchanges between Eastern and Western civilizations," said Wang. "Inclusiveness, coexistence, exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations are of great significance to the progress of human society," he added.
"I believe that the monument will continue to witness new stories of friendly exchanges between China and Slovenia, China and Europe in the future," he said.
An exhibition on Hallerstein was held last year, which coincided with the 30th anniversary of the China-Slovenia diplomatic ties and the 320th anniversary of his birth.
