City's historic connection to China acknowledged

When President Xi Jinping arrives in France on a state visit on Tuesday, he won't be headed to the Elysee Palace; instead, his first destination will be a humble university residence in Lyon.

The choice may seem puzzling, but those familiar with Lyon's historic connection with China will understand immediately.

The Sino-French Institute was located there from 1921 to 1946. It hosted nearly 500 Chinese students who had gone there to study in the hope of modernizing their own country by learning from the West.