Pedro Sobral, a graduate of the history department at the University of Coimbra in Portugal, shares his ideas at the online exchange on June 16. [Photo/silkroadweek.com.cn]

The Confucius Institute at University of Coimbra in Portugal hosted an online cultural exchange about the Silk Road on June 16, gathering more than 30 experts and scholars from China, Portugal, Brazil and Spain.

The exchange was a warm-up activity for the Silk Road Week that is to be held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province from June 19 to 24.

Joaquim Carvalho, a historian and former professor at the university, said Portugal was a witness of the Age of Discovery centuries ago and has today taken over the role of revitalizing the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and acting as a hub for academic exchange and professional training.

"Exploring the spirit of the Silk Road helps build closer ties between Chinese and Portuguese cultures and also provides possibilities for future cooperation," Carvalho said.

The participants of the exchange also shared ideas about cooperating on current Silk Road projects, developing and promoting more related projects and exploring the possibilities of greater cooperation between Portuguese-speaking Confucius Institutes.