Paris – on May 29, two cultural events focused on exchanges between China and France were held in Paris. Both events were guided by the Information Office of the Shaanxi Provincial People’s Government. Among them, one was hosted by the Information Office of Xi’an Municipal People’s Government, and the other was co-hosted by the Information Offices of Xi’an and Tongchuan Municipal People’s Governments.
The events drew more than 100 guests from various sectors, including Mehrdad Shabahang, Head of UNESCO’s Silk Roads Programme, and Marie-Pierre Boucher Hollier, special adviser to the UN World Tourism Organization.
At the “Silk Road Civilization: Tang Poetry Culture and Shaanxi Intangible Cultural Heritage Day” event held at UNESCO Headquarters that morning, representative works of Shaanxi intangible cultural heritage, including dough figurines, tie-dyeing, paper-cutting, and Yaozhou porcelain, were displayed, immersing guests in the craftsmanship and cultural traditions of Shaanxi.
During the event, Chinese and French guests engaged in discussions on “The Contemporary Value of Tang Poetry and Mutual Learning Between Chinese and French Cultures,” sharing perspectives on the natural imagery and humanistic spirit reflected in Tang poetry, as well as the French literary and artistic treatment of nature and humanity.
That afternoon saw the Shaanxi Culture Day and “Eternal Dialogue: Cultural Heritage Protection and Urban Renewal” Exhibition. Structured around three sections, “Deep Roots of Civilization,” “Safeguarding Cultural Heritage,” and “Renewal and Rebirth,” the exhibition highlighted preservation cases like Xi’an City Wall, Yaozhou Kiln and Yan’an revolutionary sites, and folk art innovations such as Huxian County peasant paintings and Fengxiang clay sculpture.
In addition, the exhibition featured images documenting China-France cooperation since 2014 on restoration projects including Gongshutang painted murals, Maoling stone carvings, and Notre-Dame de Paris, highlighting the joint efforts of both countries to protect our shared cultural heritage.
Outside the venue, Paris residents and visitors were drawn to the vivid colors and rich imagery of Huxian County peasant paintings. Many picked up brushes to add color to the artworks, resulting in a jointly created “China-France edition” blending elements of both cities’ peasant painting traditions. One Paris resident said, “The colors are captivating. Here in Paris, I’ve become part of an artwork from Xi’an.”