"I hope to live another 60 years to see what China will be," Oded Ofek, a 34-year-old Tel Aviv resident, told Xinhua enthusiastically on Tuesday afternoon.

The words came as Ofek, a website consultant, watched the China-themed picture exhibition entitled "A Close Look at China," which is held at a venerable museum in the Old Yafo area in Israel's TelAviv-Yafo metropolis and will conclude at the end of this month.

On display are hundreds of pictures offering a panorama of China's unprecedented strides from an impoverished and backward country toward a prosperous and modern one, with their contents relating to agriculture, industry, education, medical care and many other sectors.

The exhibition "will introduce to the Israeli people the tremendous changes that have taken place in China since the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949 and will showcase the significant achievements the Chinese people have made in the past 60 years," Wang Chen, minister of China's State Council Information Office, said Monday in his speech at the opening ceremony of the exhibition.

The selection of pictures are "meant to offer a new window for the Israeli people to know about the social and economic progress" China has made in the past six decades, especially since its opening-up 30 years ago, added Wang.

The exhibition is part of a grand series of China-themed cultural events currently underway in Israel, named "Experience China in Israel." As one of the biggest cultural events ever held in the host nation, the event, cosponsored by China's State Council Information Office and Israeli Foreign Ministry, is dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PRC and the 17th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

"The changes (over the past 60 years) have been so fast and so great, it must be interesting to see what will be in the future of this land," said Ofek, who was deeply impressed by the pictures.

"I have decided China is one of the places that I must visit," he said affirmatively.

Similar to Ofek, Naama Meirovitz, an archaeologist working in the museum, expressed her interest in the East Asian country.

"After seeing these pictures, one will be given an impulse to visit China," said the middle-aged woman who has not yet been to China, adding that "China is very intriguing and it is very interesting to see what the future holds for China."

Citing China's conspicuous achievement over the past six decades, Meirovitz said in a mild voice that "It must be very proud to be a Chinese."

As an example to demonstrate China's amazing accomplishment, she told Xinhua a story.

"I want to buy a gift for a Chinese girl who is now working voluntarily in the museum for the exhibition, but it turns out that in the gift shop, I can hardly find one which is not made in China," she said.

Reuven, a viewer with a notebook in his hand and seeming to be taking notes of pictures he enjoyed, echoed that "I am really impressed by the growth of China and find it amazing that the pictures showcase the great advancement of China."

"I am especially awed by the folk art of paper-cutting and Chinese calligraphy," added the artist.

Gili Tor, a third-year student at Reidmon College in Tel Aviv, told Xinhua that though he has never been to China, "I am fascinated by the Chinese culture and has always been interested in the country and its people."

"From the pictures, I can tell the Chinese people are happy and live a peaceful life," said the young man with a smile on his face, adding that the picture exhibition did give him a close look at China.