A grand dance performance of chime bells was presented by China Arts and Entertainment Group (CAEG) at Theâtre Mogador in Paris of France on the night of May 20.

The special dance performance was an integral part of a cultural exchange program called "Image China", which introduces China's traditional culture and contemporary arts to the world. It drew the attendance of Zhang Hua, wife of the Chinese Ambassador in France Deng Li; Chen Li, minister counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in France; Chen's wife; Wang Yin, cultural counselor of the Chinese Embassy in France; Wang Meng, chief of China Cultural Center in Paris; Hu Xianzheng, deputy Party secretary and board member of Bauhinia Culture Holdings Limited; Liu Haijun, executive deputy director of the Publicity Department of Hubei Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC); Li Wenxia, general manager of Hubei Performing Arts Group; officials from French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, French Association for Energy and Environmental Technology; local residents and overseas Chinese.

"The dance show was a great success. Its costumes and dances were extremely beautiful and elegant, and the display of Chinese martial arts was majestic, comprehensively showcasing the prosperous development of the Chu State during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). The fine traditional Chinese culture has gained more recognition and respect from the European audiences," said Zhang at an interview.

"Chinese performers have met warm response from the French audience with their extraordinary show. It has further carried forward the popularity of the China-France Cultural Tourism Year in 2024 and promoted the China-France cultural exchanges to a new height in 2025," said Chen on the sidelines of the dance performance.

The dance show was produced by Hubei Provincial Opera &Dance Drama Theatre under the supervision of Hubei Performing Arts Group. With the presentation of the firm patriotism behind great poet Qu Yuan from the Chu State as a core, it adopts such artistic forms as singing, music and dancing and brings together dozens of replicated musical instruments like chime bells, stone chimes and drums excavated from Zenghouyi (Marquis Yi of Zeng State) Tomb to recreate the harmonious scene of eight specific tones and portray the Chu State's culture, arts, traditions and customs.

Since its debut in 1982, the dance show has been presented at home and abroad for over 1,000 times with widespread praise. It has also become a specialty cultural brand of Hubei and one of repertoire shows in China's state-level foreign cultural exchange activities.

The "Image China" cultural exchange program has brought the dance show to Europe again and made further improvement of its script structure, music composition, dancing show and stage performance after its success in Portugal and Spain in last year. The newly-adapted dance show comprises four chapters, which are titled "Eternal Echoes," "Musical Dance Paths," "Harmony of Eight Tones," and "Chu Charm Through the Ages" respectively. With rich flavor of the Chu State's music and dance as well as exquisite costumes and scenery, it brought the audience back over 2,000 years to China's Warring States Period, unfolding the magnificent scenes of the Chu State and sparking the European audience's imagination of the splendid ancient Chinese civilization.

The dance show earned high acclaim from the audience. Many people said that they had never watched such an extraordinary performance, which boasts a magic power to bring them to ancient and mysterious China.

Nicole, an 80-year-old retired star dancer with the Opéra National de Paris, said that she has grasped a deep understanding of ancient Chinese people's life and emotion from the dance show. "I am a performer of classical Western dance and fully understand ancient Chinese dance, though there are lots of differences between them. Both the musical composition and dance design are marvelous. I like each chapter, especially the long-sleeve dance at the end showing royal dancing styles. It is a sound experience to watch the play of ancient musical instruments with a history of over 2,000 years old," she added and disclosed that she had made a decision to visit China after the show.

According to many other audience from China and other countries, the dance show is not only a visual and auditory feast but also a bridge of Chinese and French culture, helping the French people gain a deep understanding of Chinese culture.

The dance show is a flagship performance in the CAEG's "Image China" cultural exchange project. Since its establishment in 2009, the cultural exchange program has organized over 30 Chinese art troupes with more than 40 classical works to present 600 shows in American, European and Oceanian countries. Previous performances in France, which included Kunqu Opera "Floating Life," dance dramas "Silk Road, Flower Rain" and "Dream Pursuit," as well as folk and symphonic concerts, met warm response from local audiences.
After the conclusion of its tour in France, the dance show will visit Germany.