China Cultural Center in Paris celebrates 20th anniversary with concert

PARIS, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- The "Sound of Classics" concert was held Monday evening in Paris to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the China Cultural Center in Paris.

During the concert, Chinese and foreign artists performed classical Chinese and foreign musical pieces, including "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai" (The Butterfly Lovers) and "Carmen."

Lu Shaye, Chinese Ambassador to France, said that over the past 20 years, the Center has become a window for the French public to discover Chinese culture and a bridge for cultural exchanges between the two countries, contributing to the deepening of mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

He stressed that the people-to-people and cultural exchanges would always be the strongest pillar of Sino-French relations.

Josiane Gaude, first deputy mayor of the 7th arrondissement of Paris, said that all the rich and varied activities of the Center have contributed to the development of Sino-French relations in the fields of culture, art, and education.

Inaugurated in 2002, the China Cultural Center in Paris was the first cultural center set up by the Chinese government in the West. Through organizing various activities, it has become an important platform for the Sino-French people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cooperation, She Mingyuan, director of the Center, said.