JINAN, Northeast China, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Cuju, the ancient form of modern soccer game, is to be displayed in Hamburg, Germany during the 2006 World Cup, sources with local government said on Friday.

    The show, listed among several important activities during the World Cup soccer tournament, is tagged with the theme of "exhibition on charming soccer", which focuses on world soccer cultures.

    China will display, during the exhibition, the copies of ancient Cuju ball, the Cuju gate and stone carvings and potteries on Cuju games from the end of April till the end of November, according to Ma Guoqing, curator of Linzi Cuju Museum, who provides all the exhibition items.

    Along with Cuju, exhibits from FIFA and other countries and regions famed for modern soccer game will also be on display.

    Cuju, the true origin of modern soccer game, was a very populargame in China's Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC - 476 BC) in Linzi, the capital of the Qi State (479 AD-502 AD), with a history of more than 2,300 years.

    Linzi was crowned as the birthplace of modern soccer game by FIFA in 2004.   Enditem