French director hails 20 years of ties with Chinese operas

The performances drew over 22,000 spectators, and more than 7,000 French students participated in the workshops on Chinese opera makeup and body gestures.

Sommier expresses his hope that the audience truly understand the beauty of Peking Opera instead of just watching it with a "tourist gaze", focusing on the "exoticism" of the art.

"Theater is not a product to consume but a real cultural meeting and an approach toward what we do not know. Apart from pleasure, it should intrigue people to make a bit of effort to understand unfamiliar things."

In 2010, Sommier extended his cooperation with the BVCOA and brought the newly created version of the Chinese classic The Water Margin to the stage.

Over the years, he has continued to discover and promote different Chinese operas. In the southeastern city of Quanzhou in Fujian province, he was fascinated by Liyuan Opera, which he says was the best he'd ever seen.

In 2014, on the occasion of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties, Sommier took Liyuan Opera to Paris and many other European cities on tour.

Last year, he published his book, Ximi (Theater Enthusiast), dedicating a significant portion of it to recounting his experiences with Chinese operas.

Noting that "theater constitutes another step" toward Chinese culture and that "the image of China is underrepresented in the world", he says, "the differences between Chinese operas and French theater enrich the public's view and thus enrich the image of a country".

The year 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. It's also the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism. Numerous bilateral cultural events, including theater shows, are scheduled.

Having served as a cultural courier between both countries for two decades, Sommier hopes that the French and Chinese will impress each other with high-quality shows.