HANGZHOU, China, May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On April 29, 2026, the photography exhibition Cycling the Silk Road: From Morocco to China opened at the Fashion Gallery of the China National Silk Museum. The exhibition serves as a prelude to the 2026 Silk Road Week, for which Morocco is the Guest Country of Honor. His Excellency Abdelkader El Ansari, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to China, and photographer Karim Mosta attended the opening ceremony.
Centered on the transcontinental cycling journey of Moroccan endurance athlete and traveler Karim Mosta, the exhibition presents 50 documentary photographs capturing his journey from Casablanca to Beijing in 2024. Over the course of seven months, he cycled approximately 15,000 kilometers across 15 countries, traversing Africa, Europe, and Asia. Through his lens, vast landscapes, border towns, local communities, and everyday encounters are brought together into a contemporary “Silk Road” shaped by movement, exchange, and human connection.
The exhibition also draws on a deeper historical resonance. In the 14th century, the renowned Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta journeyed across Eurasia and reached China, leaving behind one of history’s most celebrated travel accounts. More than seven centuries later, Karim Mosta revisits this route by bicycle, reinterpreting an ancient network of exchange through a contemporary lens. His journey reflects not only physical endurance, but also curiosity, openness, and a spirit of exploration that continues to connect societies today.
As the Guest Country of Honor of the 2026 Silk Road Week, Morocco will participate in a series of collaborative programs jointly organized by the China National Silk Museum and Moroccan cultural institutions. These initiatives will include traditional costume exhibitions, academic exchanges, fashion design collaborations, and runway presentations inspired by Silk Road histories and material cultures. The exhibition serves as an introduction to these programs, contributing to ongoing cultural dialogue between China and Morocco.
Visitors are invited to engage with cultures and landscapes through the photographs, while reflecting on the Silk Road’s enduring values of exchange, mutual understanding, and shared humanity. The exhibition will remain on view through July 31, 2026.
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