“Today there are nearly 300 million people learning to play guzheng (a Chinese plucked zither) in China, but the number of people learning konghou is less than 500,” Wu Qian said. Thus by contrast, konghou, a multi-stringed plucked instrument of the harp family, proves to be the one only for a selected few.

In the western suburbs of Xiahe County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province right at the foot of the Fengling Mountain lies the exquisite Labrang Monastery. A world renowned institution of higher learning for Tibetan Buddhism, it is one of six major monasteries of the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism.

With a history of at least 600 years, Tibetan opera has been dubbed “the living fossil of traditional Tibetan culture.” Having been inscribed on both the national intangible cultural heritage list of China and UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list, the ancient opera has gained many modern devotees.

Antonino Scordo, a 38-year-old Italian, is an executive sous chef at Jinling Hotel’s Restaurant Pacific Grill in Nanjing. He is affectionately called “Nino” by his friends. Having a passion for culinary arts, he often walks out of the kitchen and interacts with the diners. For him, cooking is more than just a simple act of preparing a dish. More importantly, it helps express the emotion of the chef and his or her unique understanding of the world. During Nino’s days of living and working in China, the warm-hearted people around him have made him feel quite at home.

In recent years, traditional Chinese art forms have caught the attention of more and more young Chinese, due to their innovative nature. One of the most popular among young people right now is Suzhou pingtan, a folk ballad about the art of story-telling.

On November 25, 2020, the late French sculptor Jean Cardot’s artwork Taureau lumière [Cattle in the Sun], donated by Académie des Beaux-Arts of France to the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC), was set up and unveiled in the Sculpture Park of the latter.

With the arrival of spring rains, the mountainous Nujiang Grand Canyon in the northwest of Yunnan Province is covered in clouds of mist. The blending of mist and mountain scenery creates a mystical ambiance that heralds the change of seasons.

Jade enjoys a high cultural status in China. It is regarded as a symbol of virtue and nobility. A popular proverb says, “For a man of true nobility, it’s better to be a broken piece of jade than a whole tile.” It means that a man would rather die in glory than live in dishonor.

Emperor Xuanzong (685-762) of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) has been renowned for his versatility, particularly in music. There are many anecdotes about the talented emperor.

“Today there are nearly 300 million people learning to play guzheng (a Chinese plucked zither) in China, but the number of people learning konghou is less than 500.”

In 2000, when I first arrived in Paris, there were limited French products seen on the Chinese market, and vice versa. Fourteen years later, when I started Bonjour Brand, French products had deeply penetrated the Chinese high-end market. As an organizer, volunteer or visitor, I’ve participated in many initiatives to promote Chinese culture in France.

The first edition of the Modern Dutch-Chinese Dictionary was published in 1995 and an updated edition was published by the World Affairs Press in 2020. More than 8,700 new entries have been added to the dictionary compiled by a senior Chinese diplomat. The whole book contains a total of 67,000 entries and nearly 100,000 definitions, covering vocabulary from 60 different industrial fields. It is currently the largest Dutch-Chinese bilingual dictionary in China.

Pipa is a Chinese version of the European lute, with a history of more than 2,000 years. Pipa made its first appearance in China during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), reached its peak of popularity in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and then became an indispensable element of Chinese folk music.

Once upon a time there was a kingdom that flourished in ancient China called the Nanzhao Kingdom (738-902). It prospered and was influential throughout Southeast Asia, during the years of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Various ethnic groups thrived in the kingdom, but the one that held the most power in government was the Yi people. They governed the large region containing hundreds of rivers and integrated the political, economic, military strengths and folk customs of other ethnic groups.