History seen through gifts

By By Li Xiang (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-09-17 11:43

　　A pair of porcelain swans given by former US President Richard Nixon to Chairman Mao Zedong in 1972.

Along with his ice-breaking trip to China in 1972, US President Richard Nixon brought a pair of porcelain swans. It was a gift that Nixon personally picked out for Chairman Mao Zedong.

The soft and fluffy texture of the swans' feathers are so expertly crafted that it is hard to believe that they are made of porcelain. More importantly, this pair of swans heralded the historic handshake between Chinese and US leaders, the impact of which has been felt ever since.

Currently shown at Treasures of the World - Exhibition of International Gifts to the People's Republic of China at the Military Museum of Chinese People's Revolution in Beijing, Nixon's swans are among the more than 300 international gifts from over 130 countries presented to the state leaders of China in the past five decades.

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