Paris celebrated the poetic spirit of the Chinese New Year as the "Odes to Spring" Sino-Foreign Poetry Exchange took place at the China Cultural Center in Paris on Feb 21, 2026.

Nearly 100 guests from the Chinese and French art worlds, cultural institutions, and media gathered to witness the intersection and resonance of poetry across different cultures.

In his opening address, Wang Meng, director of the Paris Chinese Cultural Center, emphasized the significance of hosting the poetry exchange during the Spring Festival season. He said that the event aimed to showcase the aesthetic spirit and cultural vitality of contemporary China to the international community.

"The emotions and imagination carried by poetry embody our best wishes for a vibrant and striving new year, resonating perfectly with the enterprising spirit of the Year of the Horse," Wang Meng said.

He described the event as both a contemporary expression of fine traditional Chinese culture and a profound intercultural dialogue, allowing the audience to experience the mutual appreciation between Chinese and French cultures through the fusion of poetry and music.

The event focused on the fusion of poetry and music. Poets Ouyang Jianghe, Shu Cai, and Xu Jiumei presented the diverse facets of contemporary Chinese poetry. They were joined on stage by three French poetry enthusiasts, Sophie Tedeschi, Elise Leledy, and Georgies Srour, allowing the poetic flow to move naturally between French and Mandarin. A highlight of the evening was a special moment when the celebrated poet Adonis and Ouyang Jianghe recited one of Adonis's poems dedicated to Shanghai in Arabic and Chinese respectively, their voices creating a profound dialogue.