COLOGNE, Germany, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Protestants visiting the exhibition of China's Bible ministry held in West Germany on the German Protestant Church Day, were deeply impressed by the presence of church in China and the related exhibits.

    "This is my first time to see such an exhibition," said Janie Lagdn.

    "What an exciting exhibition," said a professor from Amsterdam, giving his name as Martiece.

    "It's good to see how the words come all over the world, crossing borders of language and things like this," writes one visitor at the message book, adding with it a few Chinese characters of numbers.

    "It touches me that there are Christian believers in China. I want to pray for them," says one with the name of "Christian Lord".

    "It's a great exhibition to learn something about the Bible and faith in China," said Kayda Lena.

    "We're surprised to see that there is a growing group of Christians in China -- Wonderful news that there is more freedom in the country," said R. Hdmes.

    Warner Conring, a 72-year-old pastor who visited Amity Foundation and its Bible-printing factory in Nanjing in 2005, was much surprised to see the number of Bibles printed in China now.

    "Fifty years ago when I got involved in Bible printing with China through the Bible Society of Germany, there were many copies being smuggled into China," he recalled.

    According to Dr. Cao Shengjie, president of China Christian Council, over 43 million copies of the Bible were published from 1980 to 2005 in China, including those in ethnic-minority languages, Braille, and picture books for children.

    Knowing that some of the copies printed in China were even found in countries like the United States, Conring said, "China has the technology to produce copies of the Bible. It's enormous work achieved."

    Many visitors posed for pictures in front of the Chinese exhibition hall, buying Christian souvenirs and holding long talks with Chinese pastors present at the exhibition.

    Paul Oppenheim, regional secretary for Ecumenical relations and ministries abroad at the Evangelical Church in Germany, said it's the first ever official presentation from China at the German Protestant Church Day, and in Europe.

    "There is huge interest in the Church in China among German Protestants and Europeans, but there is also ignorance and misinterpretations. So this is a good way to let the Church in China present itself in its own way and engage in dialogue with the European public," he noted, adding that unlike the plainness at other stands, the Chinese presence in the exhibition is very "colorful" and "extravagant", which could be attractive to Europeans.

    The exhibition, sponsored by the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China and the China Christian Council, aims to show the development of Christianity in China through various versions of the Bible in different stages of Chinese history, as well as pictures, art works and historical documents.

    After the exhibition ends on Saturday in Cologne, it will go further to Bavaria for a month-long display at the invitation of the Mission One World of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bavaria.