2009 Sino-French Cultural Spring is underway
By admin on 2014-12-17

Unveiled on March 27, the 2009 Sino-French Cultural Spring will last 100 days, including more than 100 events in 20 major cities across China.

The Festival commemorates the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France, and is sponsored by the French Embassy and the French Cultural Center in China.

Since it was successfully launched in 2006, it has received more than 240,000 spectators

Now in its fourth year, it will feature 100 different events ranging from dance and theater to music, photographs and art exhibitions in more than 20 cities around China. Alluding to this year's additional events, French ambassador to China Herve Ladsous said: "We are promoting communication between the two countries. Both of our countries have rich cultures. The festival will not only present traditional cultures, but also modern and futuristic ones."

Highlights

The festival will bring the French lifestyle closer to the Chinese, and also strengthen people to people ties with artists of both countries working on the same projects. For example, the participation of French stars like Juliette Binoche and Isabelle Huppert are highlights of the festival.

Two French graffiti and street art groups will also send their most famous pieces to China, to give people here a feel of French-style graffiti. Sanlitun Village in Beijing and Babu Gallery in Shenzhen will host the works of Surface Active and TT Crew works on May 23 and from May 25-29.

Surface Active collects major figures of French street art, including Jef Aerosol, Speedy Graphito and Jean Faucheur, each of whom has his own unique style.

TT Crew will bring four of France's top graffiti artists, who will join their Chinese counterparts to demonstrate their work on site.

Elsewhere Yann Tiersen, a French multi-instrumentalist, will perform at Yugongyishan in Beijing on June 19 and 20; at Yuehu in Wuhan, Hubei province the very next day; and at the Shanghai Concert Hall on June 23. Tiersen's soundtrack for Jean-Pierre Jeunet's film ‘Amelie’ won him many Chinese fans and much acclaim.

The Festival will also have Beijing band Yin San'er and French band Big Red come together for an exceptional urban music fest. Their hip-hop concert will be held at Yugongyishan on May 23.

Timetable

In 2005-- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao proposed to hold an “Everlasting Sino-French Culture Year”. In response, the French Embassy in China suggested to Chinese Ministry of Culture that China and France co-found an annual large-scale Sino-French Culture and Arts Festival: "Sino-French Cultural Exchange Spring".

2006-- the first "Sino-French Cultural Exchange Spring" began in April, which was the only large-scale French cultural event in China. It was identified as a long-term event in Sino-French Joint Declaration signed by French president during his visit in October.

2007-- "Sino-French Cultural Exchange Spring" held 100 activities in 14 cities in China the first time.

2008-- "Sino-French Cultural Exchange Spring" took part in the opening performance season of Chinese National Grand Theater with the opera ”The King” and the dance “Rameau's Thinking World” performed in the opening and closing ceremonies. "Sino-French Cultural Exchange Spring" extended to 18 cities.

2009--"Sino-French Cultural Exchange Spring" promises to be a not to be missed spring pageant on the Chinese cultural stage.