Chinese exhibition opens in Paris to close 2024 year of tourism

A new exhibition focusing on China's Tang dynasty has opened in Paris, at the National Museum of Asian Arts. The exhibition is one of the final features for this Franco-Chinese year of tourism.

This year marked 60 years since Paris and Beijing formalized diplomatic relations, and several events have been staged over the last 12 months to celebrate, from Chinese president Xi Jinping's visit, to cultural collaborations.

Some of the most important treasures of the Tang dynasty are part of the newly-opened exhibition in the French capital.

Hundreds of works are on display from more than 30 Chinese cultural institutions.

"This exhibition is the first in France to be really highlighting a dynasty that is 300 years old," said Arnaud Bertrand, the exhibition director. 

"The interest of it is that we can bring together more than 207 objects which come from 10 different provinces and to bring new highlights about how the Tang dynasty worked, progressed in time, and discuss different types of artistic materials.”

Art explosion

There was an explosion of artistic output in the Tang period, which ruled in China from the year 618 to the year 907 Common Era.

Sculpture, painting, pottery and poetry all flourished during the dynasty. The works at the Guimet Museum also evoke the culture of tea, the splendor of banquets, entertainment, and women's fashion.

"Now we are really looking at everyday life in the Tang capital which is in fact the biggest city in the world at this time," added Bertrand.

"We talk about people, we talk about calligraphy, poetry, painting, dressing, different costumes and vessels, and this gives us an idea of what it is to live within this China in full transition in the preparation of what we call modern-time China."

The French and Chinese presidents wrote prefaces to the exhibition, highlighting the importance of bilateral cultural exchanges, with further joint exhibitions planned for next year.