Traditional Chinese arts like silk art and Yue Opera, often seen as pastimes of older generations, are experiencing renewed popularity as they transcend cultural boundaries and captivate new audiences. This month, these two art forms from Hangzhou have garnered widespread appeal in Paris.

Yue Opera, China's second-largest opera genre, is deeply rooted in Zhejiang culture and boasts over 100 years of history. On the evening of Oct 21, at the century-old Théatre du Gymnase Marie Belle, artists from Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Theater traveled thousands of miles to share the finest Chinese melodies with the Parisian audience.

The performance featured renowned plays such as Butterfly Lovers, A Dream of Red Mansions, The Orphan of Zhao, and Peony Pavilion, showcasing literature and drama with global influence as well as the pinnacle of Chinese romanticism. With its gentle singing style, elegant script, and exquisite costumes, the performance vividly brought classic scenes from Chinese literature to life, concluding to thunderous applause.

Roads connect, civilizations blossom. The "2024 Silk Road Week" concluded with a flourish on Oct 14 in Paris, featuring the opening of the exhibition Charm of the Silk Roads: Chinese Silk Arts in Paris.

Paolo Meroni, Director of Istituto Marangoni Paris, noted in his speech that Chinese silk, with its exceptional quality and craftsmanship, has long laid the foundation for incomparable elegance in fashion, enriching the materials of the French fashion industry and enhancing the brilliance of its finest designs.

Jin Jiahong, a National Master of Arts and Crafts in China, showcased her unique Hangzhou-style embroidery, kesi weaving, and gold printing, all of which were well-received by visitors.

The fashion show, Sino-French Fashion Appointment: Silk Road Heritage Innovation Design, draws inspiration from auspicious motifs of the Tang Dynasty’s Silk Roads. Design contributions were sourced from fashion designers worldwide, including Prof. Ji Xiaofen, Director of the China National Silk Museum. Over 40 sets of costumes were showcased by 20 models from Zhejiang Sci-Tech University.