TEL AVIV, July 21 (Xinhua) -- A photo exhibition of ancient city walls in China and Israel kicked off on Thursday at the China Cultural Center in Tel Aviv, Israel.

The exhibition features about 60 photos of eight Chinese cities including Nanjing and Xi'an, as well as Akko, one of the first historical sites in Israel to be recognized as world cultural heritage.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Israel Cai Run said the exhibition helps the audience to better understand the past and present of the two peoples, and serves as a window for more Chinese and Israeli friends to deepen their understanding of the ancient culture and history of the two countries.

The exhibition, which is part of the celebrations to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Israel, is bound to inject new impetus into the development of the bilateral relations, said the Chinese envoy.

Tao Chen, director of the China Cultural Center in Tel Aviv, told Xinhua that after the Nanjing-Akko City Wall photo exhibition was held in Akko last month, the center expanded it into a photo exhibition of the Chinese and Israeli city walls.