Chinese culture sees increased appeal in France amid growing exchanges

Chinese culture is seeing increased appeal among French residents, thanks to deepening exchanges and collaboration between China and France over the years.

Data from the Chinese embassy in France showed that there are more than 20 primary schools and more than 600 middle schools in France that have launched Chinese courses. Meanwhile, the courses have also been offered at many universities, including the Ecole Normale Superieure (ENS Paris) and the Ecole Nationale d'Administration (ENA).

Jacques Vernay, who used to be an engineer, has been studying Chinese at the China Cultural Center in Paris every week for many years. He experienced the charm of Chinese characters and Chinese culture during his trip to southwest China’s Yunnan Province.

"20 years ago, I traveled to Yunnan and was attracted by Chinese characters. Later, when I had the opportunity, I started learning Chinese. I enjoy reciting Chinese poems," said Vernay.

"At least students who come here to study are willing to learn about the real China without bias. I'm glad that I can help them better understand China. They use the Chinese they learned to analyze events more independently. This will have an impact on more French people around them," said Zhou Yuan, a Chinese language teacher.

In addition to the language, rich cultural relics showcased at the National Museum of Asian Arts Guimet in Paris showcases the charm of ancient China, attracting crowds of local visitors.

As the year 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic ties, the museum plans to roll out a series of exhibitions with museums in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Xi'an City, northwest China’s Shaanxi Province.

"This special year between France and China should be a special Chinese year in Museum Guimet. We are so lucky to have a very rich collection of Chinese cultural relics from different dynasties, different types of objects. So, it's really a way for European people to discover what is China," said Yannick Lintz, president of the museum.

Lintz says she hopes that visitors can experience Chinese culture and creativity to better understand contemporary China. For China and France, culture is a golden business card, building a bridge for diverse interactions and mutual learning between the two peoples.

Chinese culture sees increased appeal in France amid growing exchanges

San Francisco is eager to promote cooperation in air travel, green transition and more areas with China, and is anticipating to welcome a pair of giant pandas from the other side of the Pacific Ocean, said San Francisco Mayor London Breed.

Last month, Breed led a delegation to China's Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai to deepen friendly cooperation between the U.S. city and China.

In an interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) in San Francisco, Breed highlighted the outcomes of the trip, outlining potential areas for increased cooperation between the two sides.

"The technology and also the desire to have a more significant impact on the climate, the electric vehicles and the electric vehicle infrastructure," she said.

The mayor also emphasized that expanding flight options would make San Francisco more accessible, fueling tourism growth and its contribution to the local economy.

"It appears the airlines there were very much interested in adding more flights, and we know that San Francisco also has incentives for landing fee waivers and other things. So we're ready to go. But there are some, you know, real challenges with the department of transportation, and there are things that are way above my level. But we are being very aggressive about encouraging more flight options to San Francisco from China, not just because of the relationships of the people who live here, but because of the economic impacts," she said.

During Breed's visit to Beijing, an arrangement was reached under which two giant pandas will have a temporary home in San Francisco from next year.

On the last stop of her eight-day official trip, Breed also visited the giant panda sanctuary at the Shanghai Wild Animal Park.

Mayor Breed concluded by discussing the local community's excitement surrounding the arrival of the black-and-white bears.

"We are really hopeful and optimistic that we can actually receive the pandas, hopefully early next year and at the latest maybe sometime summer of 2025. We are super excited about welcoming them here to San Francisco," she said.

San Francisco eager to increase cooperation with China, welcome giant pandas: mayor