A Long Look Homeward from Belgium
Brussels, 27 July 2005 (Office of Tibet, Paris)– The Tibet exhibition entitled A Long Look Homeward was inaugurated on 25 July at Knokke-Heist, northern premier coastal town by Count Leopold Lippens, mayor of the city and the representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for Western Europe, Tashi Phuntsok.
Held in Casino, said to have the largest crystal chandelier in the world and also housing collection of paintings of Rene Magritte a well-known Belgian surrealist painter, the town is said to have 120,000 tourists visiting each day. Not only atop the Casino in all traffic circles the Mayor has hoisted Tibetan Flags in large number.
The Mayor made an emphatic presentation for hosting the exhibition for one month. He said that amongst various religious leaders only the Pope and His Holiness the Dalai Lama are only truly well known around the world. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, a Nobel Laureate and a promoter of peace and religious harmony in the world, is one of the respected religious leaders whose messages need to be reminded to the people, he said. Also it is necessary for the citizens of Knokke-Heist and tourist to be made aware of the Tibetan situation through this exhibition.
Mr. Phuntsok thanked the Mayor and the town for hosting the exhibition. He also said that the exhibition was being mounted encapsulate the Tibetan history of last fifty years. He hoped that the exhibition would go a long way in creating awareness in Knokke-Heist and Belgium.
The cultural section of the town and Ms. Tenzin Wangmo Dunchu, Secretary brought together this exhibition.