Showcasing a dynamic era

It's an important cultural activity to celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France. President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron have respectively written a preface to the show when it opened in late November.

Xi says that he believes the exhibition will help the French and other European audiences gain a more vivid understanding of the brilliant, open and confident atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty and experience the unique charm of Chinese civilization. Macron, for his part, says that the exhibition is of historic significance and demonstrates once again the vitality of cultural exchanges between the two countries, which will continue to play an important part in the development of bilateral ties.

The Guimet museum hopes the show can attract audiences of all ages, especially young people, sparking their interest in Chinese history. Tsao says some visitors told her that they still remember the grand show, 10 years ago, featuring Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) artifacts also held at the museum.

It makes her believe that an excellent exhibition can inspire more Western people to become curious about Chinese civilization.

When the Han Dynasty show was held in 2014, Xi and then French President Francois Hollande also wrote a preface for the exhibition. Now, the Tang Dynasty show is a response and echo of the grand exhibition a decade ago.

Luo Lijun, co-curator from Art Exhibitions China, says that the Han Dynasty show attracted more than 85,000 visitors in three months. This success gives them confidence to continue their cooperation with the Guimet museum for this year's exhibition.