With the Paris Olympics in full swing, a collection of cultural relics related to the ancient Greek Olympics is being showcased at the Nanjing Museum in east China's Jiangsu Province.
The ancient Greeks considered the organization of athletic contests a sacred rite honoring the gods of Mount Olympus. The first ancient Olympic Games can be traced back to the Greek town of Olympia in 776 BC.
In the exhibition titled "The Glory of the Aegean Sea: The Exhibition of Ancient Greek Civilization", various artifacts that serve as testaments to the Olympic tales from nearly three thousand years ago are being showcased. Among these exhibits are two bronze discuses.
"When I saw those discuses, I immediately thought about the ongoing Olympic Games. Discus throwing traces back to ancient Greece and has been a traditional sport. These cultural relics serve as a testament to the civilization of that period," said a visitor.
"The culture of ancient Greece was distinct from that of our country. Upon stepping into the exhibition, I was captivated by those items which have unique sculptural forms and patterns. They are totally different. I can appreciate the cultural treasures of another country without leaving China," said another visitor.
The exhibition will continue until October 20. About 270 pieces of exhibits are on display to showcase the historical evolution of ancient Greek civilization spanning over a thousand years.
Exhibition in Nanjing showcases cultural relics of ancient Greek Olympics
A record-breaking heatwave has driven Tunisia's electricity demand to new highs, resulting in a series of power cuts that are starting to cause widespread disruption and leaving business owners sweating about the economic impact.
It comes as extreme temperatures grip much of the country, with local media reporting highs of nearly 50 degrees Celsius which are breaking historical records in multiple regions.
The intense summer heat has pushed Tunisia's power grid to its absolute limit. To prevent a total system collapse, authorities have enforced rolling blackouts during the hottest hours of the day.
These targeted outages are causing havoc for households and crippling businesses across multiple regions.
"The state is not doing its job well for the citizens. As you can see, the heat is unbearable, yet they cut the electricity at midday," said Mohamed Mkaouer, a local resident.
The economic fallout is hitting small businesses hard. In local markets, erratic supply surges are damaging commercial appliances and spoiling temperature-sensitive inventory, with many store owners lamenting the loss of produce.
"When the electricity is cut, what are we supposed to do with the food in the fridge -- throw everything away? Shop owners don't have the means to replace what they lose. Food, chocolate and other products spoil. People cannot live like this: electricity comes and goes suddenly, damaging the motors I depend on for my business," said Lazhar Hitana, a shop owner.
Energy analysts warn that the electricity deficit is a structural problem which shows that the grid is not prepared to handle such climate-induced demand surges.
"Nearly 50 percent of the electricity consumed in Tunisia during the summer is used for air conditioning. The country's electricity infrastructure was simply not designed to cope with such high demand," said Hamdi Hached, an environmental engineer.
Tunisia hit by power cuts as energy demand surges during record-breaking heatwave
Tunisia hit by power cuts as energy demand surges during record-breaking heatwave
