As US and Israeli bombardments rained down on Iran, damaging some cherished cultural sites, scores of Persian artifacts were safe and sound, 5,000 kilometers away in northern China, under the watchful eye of Dong Bibing.

The museum curator is managing an exhibition of more than 150 Iranian antiques, from floral-patterned glassware to vivid, intricately designed carpets.

Since war broke out in late February, the show in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia province, had grown increasingly popular, as interest surges among Chinese people in a nearby nation and culture that rivals their own in its depth and ancientness.

Originally scheduled to end in March, it was extended into April and just wrapped up on Monday. The exhibits will soon go on display in another city, yet to be decided C a fifth stop on a nationwide tour.

Dong said he felt very heartbroken when he read about Iranian historical landmarks, including Tehrans Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, being damaged by war .

But now, right before my eyes, there is a collection of truly outstanding Iranian artifacts.

Many visitors shared their experience of admiring those artifacts, encouraging others to visit as soon as possible.

Dong told CNN: The war has led me to feel this urge C this protective instinct C to safeguard them and preserve them as best as I can.

While both are currently ruled by revolutionary governments established within living memory, Iran and China both have roots going back millennia. Each traces its modern-day lineage back to an ancient civilization C something their people and governments are fiercely proud of.

The ancient city of Persepolis encapsulates advances in architecture, urban planning, construction and art under the Achaemenid Empire (550C330 BC) that preceded modern Iran, according to UNESCO, and ranks among the archaeological sites which have no equivalent and which bear unique witness to a most ancient civilization.

More than 130 Iranian landmarks have been destroyed or damaged during the six-week bombing campaign by the US and Iran, according to the cultural heritage ministry. UNESCO has voiced its concern about damage to cultural sites in Iran and Lebanon.

The US and Israel both say they do not deliberately target cultural or historical sites. President Donald Trump has previously threatened to destroy Irans whole civilization if it does not cave to his demands.

While the Chinese government has played a delicate diplomatic hand over the conflict between its biggest global rival and its closest friend in the Middle East, its people have displayed a wave of curiosity and admiration toward Iran.

Leading booksellers in Beijing confirmed the surging interest.

Books on Iran used to get no buyers, but demand has picked up recently, said a worker at Page One bookstore in Beijing, who asked not to be named.

Across Chinese university campuses, students are also checking out books on Iran to learn why the US wanted to go to war with a country that to them seems distant and mysterious.

More students have come to check out books on Iran since last month, even comics book like Persepolis are being checked out by more readers every day, a librarian at a prestigious Beijing university, surnamed Zhang, told CNN. She declined to give her full name as she is not authorized to speak to foreign media.

Penned by Iranian-French artist Marjane Satrapi, the early-2000s graphic novel Persepolis portrayed a young girls coming of age in Iran under its transition from the Shahs regime to the Islamic Republic in 1979. It was turned into the 2007 film of the same name.

The book has resurfaced as a popular title in China since the war started, with booksellers reporting only a few copies left in the stock.

Watching documentaries on ancient Iran has recently become a favorite pastime of Karen Yan, a 30-year-old finance worker in Beijing, after a tough day at work staring at market data telling the story of the wars global ripple effects.

The timeless beauty of Iranian architecture C ornate, with geometric precision C has been soothing, she said. Admitting not knowing much about Iran, Yan said her curiosity has only grown stronger since the war broke out.

Having seen in the news that those ancient sites in Iran turned to debris has led me want to learn what they once were, and I find those truly beautiful, Yan told CNN.

Another recent Iranophile is Echo Zhao, who works in the consulting industry in Suzhou, a city just west of Shanghai, who recently bought two books on the country, to better understand or empathize with the current situation or circumstances of ordinary people.

Noting the two countries shared civilizational foundation, as well as a shared history of oppression and invasion, the 34-year-old said Chinese interest in Iran is probably due to the current international climate and the reality of US-China tensions.

So weve always viewed the US as an enemy C just like Iran C and in all aspects of our propaganda, weve adopted an anti-American stance, treating the US as our primary enemy, Zhao added.

And as the war C currently paused by a shaky ceasefire C continues to play havoc with global supply chains and put pressure on fuel reserves especially in East Asia, many in China are also seeking to understand how it will come to affect them.

Gao Shan, an academic publisher in Beijing, told CNN that he has recently dug out books on Iran from some forgotten corners in his office, to understand more what is going on.

The 45-year-old noted that Iran shares a bond with China as ancient Iran has always been a critical link in Chinas ancient trade route silk road.

But now I want to read to comprehend how the US started a war with this country may affect our energy supplies, he added.

The Hohhot exhibitions head curator, Yin Quanbin C a Chinese national living in Iran C said he hoped his compatriots could see that Iranians are people just like us, right?

They have their own joys and sorrows, their own perspectives on the world, he said.

I believe this elevates the image of Iranian civilization and the country itself, and that truly brings me great satisfaction.

Additional reporting by Joyce Jiang

当美国和以色列的轰炸如雨点般落在伊朗，损及一些珍贵文化遗址时，数千公里外的中国北方，大批波斯文物却在董必斌的悉心守护下安然无恙。

博物馆馆长正在筹备一场包含150余件伊朗古董的展览，展品从花卉纹饰玻璃器皿到色彩鲜艳、设计繁复的地毯应有尽有。

自2月下旬战争爆发以来，内蒙古自治区呼和浩特市的演出日益受到欢迎，因为中国民众对邻近国家及其文化的兴趣激增，该文化的深厚与古老程度可与中国媲美。

原定于三月结束的展览被延期至四月，并于本周一刚刚落幕。展品将很快在另一座城市展出，具体地点尚未确定——这将是全国巡展的第五站。

董表示，当他读到包括德黑兰古勒斯坦宫（联合国教科文组织世界遗产）在内的伊朗历史地标在战争中遭到破坏时，感到“非常痛心”。

但此刻，就在我眼前，陈列着一批真正杰出的伊朗文物。

许多参观者分享了他们欣赏这些艺术品的体验，并鼓励他人尽快前来参观。

董（Dong）向美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）表示："这场战争让我产生了一种强烈的冲动——一种保护本能——驱使我尽最大努力去守护他们、保全他们。"

尽管伊朗和中国目前都由近代建立的革命政府执政，但两国都有着数千年的历史渊源。它们都将现代国家的血脉追溯至古代文明——这是两国人民和政府深感自豪的根源。

联合国教科文组织指出，波斯波利斯古城凝聚了阿契美尼德帝国（公元前550至330年，即现代伊朗的前身）在建筑、城市规划、工程与艺术领域的成就，并称其“属于无可比拟的考古遗址之列，为最古老的文明提供了独特见证”。

伊朗文化遗产部称，在为期六周的美伊轰炸行动中，已有130多处伊朗地标性建筑遭到毁坏或损毁。联合国教科文组织对伊朗和黎巴嫩文化遗址遭受的破坏表示关切。

美国和以色列均表示不会蓄意攻击文化或历史遗址。美国总统唐纳德·特朗普曾威胁称，若伊朗不屈服于其要求，将摧毁该国的"整个文明"。

尽管中国政府在中东最亲密盟友与全球最大竞争对手的冲突中采取了精妙的外交手段，但中国民众却对伊朗表现出浓厚的好奇与钦佩之情。

北京主要书商证实了民众急剧增长的购书兴趣。

北京Page One书店一位不愿透露姓名的员工表示："以往关于伊朗的书籍无人问津，但最近需求有所上升。"

在中国各高校的校园里，学生们纷纷借阅有关伊朗的书籍，试图了解美国为何要与这个在他们眼中既遥远又神秘的国度开战。

北京某知名高校的张姓图书馆员向CNN表示，自去年以来，越来越多的学生前来借阅关于伊朗的书籍，甚至连《我在伊朗长大》这样的漫画书也日渐受到读者青睐。由于未获授权接受外媒采访，她拒绝透露全名。

由伊朗裔法国艺术家玛嘉·莎塔碧创作于21世纪初的漫画《我在伊朗长大》，描绘了一个女孩在1979年伊朗从巴列维王朝向伊斯兰共和国过渡期间的成长历程。该作品于2007年被改编为同名电影。

自战争爆发以来，这本书在中国再度成为畅销读物，书商表示库存仅剩寥寥数本。

近日，30岁的北京金融从业者严凯伦（Karen Yan）在工作之余迷上了观看关于古代伊朗的纪录片。经过一整天紧盯市场数据、分析战争全球连锁反应的紧张工作后，这成了她最喜爱的消遣方式。

她说，伊朗建筑那永恒的美——装饰华丽且几何精确——令人感到宁静。严（音译）坦言自己对伊朗了解不多，但自战争爆发以来，她的好奇心愈发强烈了。

严（音译）告诉美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）：“从新闻中看到伊朗那些古迹化为废墟后，我很想了解它们昔日的模样，它们确实美得令人惊叹。”

另一位新近的伊朗文化爱好者是赵艾可（Echo Zhao），她在上海西边的苏州从事咨询行业，最近购买了两本关于伊朗的书籍，旨在“更好地理解或共情普通民众的现状与处境”。

这位34岁的学者指出，两国拥有‘共同的文明根基，以及相似的被压迫与侵略历史’，并认为中国对伊朗的关注‘或许源于当前国际形势及中美关系紧张的现状’。

赵补充道："因此我们始终将美国视为敌人——就像伊朗一样——在我们的所有宣传中，我们都采取了反美立场，将美国当作我们的主要敌人。"

尽管这场战争因脆弱的停火协议而暂缓，但其仍在扰乱全球供应链，并对东亚等地区的燃料储备造成压力。许多中国人也开始关注这场冲突将如何影响自身。

北京学术出版商高山向CNN表示，他最近从办公室的角落翻出了一些关于伊朗的书籍，以期更深入地了解当前局势。

这位45岁的（人士）指出，伊朗与中国有着深厚渊源，因为“古伊朗始终是中国古代贸易路线丝绸之路上的关键纽带”。

但现在我想通过阅读来理解，美国与这个国家开战可能会如何影响我们的能源供应。

呼和浩特展览的总策展人殷全斌（旅居伊朗的中国籍人士）表示，他希望同胞们能"明白伊朗人和我们一样都是普通人，对吧？"

“他们有自己的喜怒哀乐，有自己对世界的看法。”他说道。

我相信这提升了伊朗文明及国家自身的形象，这确实让我深感欣慰。

补充报道：江乔伊斯（Joyce Jiang）