Chinese culture expo a page-turner at Paris book fest

A Chinese culture-themed exhibition made its debut at the Paris Book Festival, which ran through Sunday, offering French and European audiences a window into contemporary China through books, art and cultural products.

Titled "Encountering China", the exhibition opened at the Grand Palais in Paris, ahead of World Book and Copyright Day, which falls on April 23, and China's National Reading Week, marked in the fourth week of April each year.

The opening ceremony saw the participation from Sylvie Bermann, former French ambassador to China; Chen Li, minister at the Chinese embassy in France; and Julien Papelier, representative of the Paris Book Festival organizing committee and CEO of Media-Participations.

"Books serve as a bridge to present the contemporary significance of Chinese knowledge and the diversity of Chinese culture," said Gao Anming, editor-in-chief of the China International Communications Group, at the ceremony.

He said China's new 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) has placed greater emphasis on international cultural exchanges, encouraging more cultural institutions and products to reach global audiences.

Bermann highlighted cultural exchange as a key pillar of France-China relations.

"This exhibition offers French readers and publishing professionals a valuable opportunity to better understand modern China and appreciate the richness of Chinese culture," she said.

Chen said the exhibition is becoming an important platform for French audiences to learn about China's history, culture and contemporary development, adding that hosting it during the Paris Book Festival allows Chinese publishers to present the diversity and inclusiveness of Chinese culture on an international stage.

Papelier welcomed the Chinese delegation and praised the exhibition series.

"It has become a cherished cultural event for French audiences," he said.

The Paris Book Festival is evolving into a comprehensive platform integrating publishing, media and tourism, Papelier said.

Connecting civilizations

Qiu Xianqing, chairman of Tsinghua University Press, while addressing the event, emphasized the role of books in connecting civilizations.

"Books are carriers of human civilization and an important bond for mutual understanding between cultures," he said, adding that Tsinghua University Press has long promoted international academic and cultural exchange through multilingual publications.

More than 260 items are on display at the Chinese booth, including over 210 books and periodicals, as well as cultural products, illustrations and handicrafts.

Highlights include knowledge series such as China Keywords and Decoding China's Discourse. French-language editions of literary classics, including works by Lu Xun, one of the most widely read Chinese authors ever, are also featured.

The book festival, formerly known as the Paris Book Fair, is one of Europe's major annual cultural events, emphasizing public engagement and cross-cultural dialogue.

This year's festival attracted about 450 publishers, more than 1,200 authors and over 114,000 visitors from France and across Europe, underscoring its role as a global platform for cultural exchange. French President Emmanuel Macron also visited the event, where the exhibition areas saw a steady flow of visitors, reflecting strong public interest.

Meanwhile, a cultural exchange dialogue was held on Friday afternoon at the China Cultural Center in Paris, bringing together scholars, publishers and industry representatives from China and France.

Focusing on technological innovation, knowledge dissemination and cross-cultural communication in the age of artificial intelligence, the event featured a panel discussion exploring new opportunities and challenges for people-to-people exchanges.

Participants shared insights on topics including digital publishing, AI-driven cultural interaction and the global communication of Chinese narratives, highlighting the growing role of emerging technologies in shaping future cultural dialogue between the two countries.