On July 23, the Tianjin Sports Museum unveiled a permanent exhibition to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Eric Liddell (known in Chinese as Li Airui) winning a gold medal at the 1924 Paris Summer Olympic Games.
The theme of this memorial exhibition is “Eric Liddell, the Olympic Champion, Dedicated Himself to Tianjin.” A century ago, Liddell, the “Flying Scotsman,” born in Tianjin in 1902, secured the men's 400-meter gold medal, breaking the world record and becoming the first Olympic champion born in China.
In June, the Tianjin Sports Museum hosted a temporary exhibition to mark the centennial of Eric Liddell's championship at the Paris Olympics, said the Tianjin Municipal Bureau of Sports.
Now this permanent exhibition sits at the heart of the museum, and the number of exhibits has nearly quadrupled. It also includes the “Chariots of Fire Beach Race” medal, recently donated by a teenager from the Confucius Institute for Scotland's Schools, along with commemorative albums contributed by other teachers and students.
Before the ceremony, a memorial video of the event was shown. Liddell's daughter, Patricia Liddell Russell, was unable to attend the event in Tianjin due to health reasons, but she sent written remarks for the unveiling ceremony.
“My father cherished Tianjin deeply. He spent more time in Tianjin than in Scotland. He did what he thought was right. His example of self-sacrifice and compassion continues to inspire and benefit many people to this day,” she wrote.
Catriona Radcliffe, head of the Scottish Government Office in China, visited Tianjin to witness the unveiling of the permanent exhibition. Radcliffe remarked, “His compassion, integrity, and passion are the values that we can hold dear today and close to us, whether in China or Scotland... It helps us remember that the connection between the people in China and the people in Scotland is so important. The China-Scotland connection and those values ring true wherever you are in China, in Scotland, or wherever in the world.”
7月23日，永久展揭幕仪式在天津市体育博物馆举行，旨在纪念李爱锐（英文名为埃里克·利迪尔）1924年巴黎奥运会夺冠100周年。
永久展的主题为“守望·情洒津沽的奥运冠军李爱锐”。100年前，李爱锐在巴黎夏季奥运会上以打破世界纪录的成绩夺得男子400米冠军，这位1902年出生在天津的“苏格兰飞人”成为了首位在中国出生的奥运冠军。
据天津市体育局，事实上，天津体育博物馆在6月份曾举办了李爱锐巴黎夺冠100周年临时展。
这次永久展位于整个博物馆最核心的位置，与此同时，展品也增加了近4倍。“其中还包括苏格兰中小学孔子学院16岁少年麦卡利斯特新近捐赠的“烈火战车沙滩跑”奖牌，以及其他师生共同捐献的纪念画册。”
仪式开始前，大屏幕上播放了李爱锐纪念活动宣传片。李爱锐的女儿帕特里夏因身体原因未能来津参加活动，但她通过书面形式为揭幕仪式发来了致辞：
“我的爸爸很爱天津，他在天津度过的时光远比在苏格兰要多得多，他做了他认为正确的事情，他的自我牺牲和热情，帮助了很多人，甚至到现在还有极其深远的影响。”
当天，苏格兰政府驻华代表柯春娜女士也亲临天津见证了永久展区的揭幕。她表示: “李爱锐的故事是连接苏格兰和中国人民的纽带，李爱锐的同情心、正直和饱含激情的价值观仍然激励着所有人。”
天津市体育博物馆设立李爱锐永久展区
On July 23, the Tianjin Sports Museum unveiled a permanent exhibition to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Eric Liddell (known in Chinese as Li Airui) winning a gold medal at the 1924 Paris Summer Olympic Games.
The theme of this memorial exhibition is “Eric Liddell, the Olympic Champion, Dedicated Himself to Tianjin.” A century ago, Liddell, the “Flying Scotsman,” born in Tianjin in 1902, secured the men's 400-meter gold medal, breaking the world record and becoming the first Olympic champion born in China.
In June, the Tianjin Sports Museum hosted a temporary exhibition to mark the centennial of Eric Liddell's championship at the Paris Olympics, said the Tianjin Municipal Bureau of Sports.
Now this permanent exhibition sits at the heart of the museum, and the number of exhibits has nearly quadrupled. It also includes the “Chariots of Fire Beach Race” medal, recently donated by a teenager from the Confucius Institute for Scotland's Schools, along with commemorative albums contributed by other teachers and students.
Before the ceremony, a memorial video of the event was shown. Liddell's daughter, Patricia Liddell Russell, was unable to attend the event in Tianjin due to health reasons, but she sent written remarks for the unveiling ceremony.
“My father cherished Tianjin deeply. He spent more time in Tianjin than in Scotland. He did what he thought was right. His example of self-sacrifice and compassion continues to inspire and benefit many people to this day,” she wrote.
Catriona Radcliffe, head of the Scottish Government Office in China, visited Tianjin to witness the unveiling of the permanent exhibition. Radcliffe remarked, “His compassion, integrity, and passion are the values that we can hold dear today and close to us, whether in China or Scotland... It helps us remember that the connection between the people in China and the people in Scotland is so important. The China-Scotland connection and those values ring true wherever you are in China, in Scotland, or wherever in the world.”
Olympic Hero Eric Liddell’s Permanent Exhibition Set in His Birthplace, Tianjin
