French medieval town meets with 2700-year-old Chinese town

Updated:2014-11-21 14:45
By Fang Sha ( chinadaily.com.cn)

French guests from the city of Provins visit the old town of Pingyao county in Shanxi province, Oct 17. [Photo/pingyao.gov.cn]

Gillan Bray discusses a historical site with Wang Dongguang, in Pingyao county, Oct 17. [Photo/pingyao.gov.cn]

The city of Provins, a medieval town in central and northern France, sent a delegation to visit Pingyao county in northern China's Shanxi province on Oct 17, headed by the vice mayor of the city, Gillan Bray.

Provins, which was home to a medieval Champagne fair crucial to the development of the European economy at the time, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001, as well as becoming twinned with Pingyao county. On their visit, the French delegation learnt of the heritage preservation and development of the cultural and tourism industry in Pingyao county.

The French guests toured the old county council, a Qing Dynasty currency exchange shop called 'Ri sheng chang' (1644-1911), the old city walls and many other sites. Touring these sites gave the delegates a first-hand experience of the rich historical and cultural achievements of Shanxi merchants in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The French team enjoys a local exhibition in Pingyao county, in the company of Wang Dongguang, vice county mayor, Oct 17. [Photo/pingyao.gov.cn]

In a seminar after the tour, the two sides discussed steps to build more ties and promote mutual development between the two countries. The French team also thought highly of the way Pingyao county balances both the protection and development of its heritage, as well as its efforts to establish a culture preservation system.

Wang Dongguang, the vice county mayor of Pingyao, accompanied the French team throughout the whole process.

Talks between the twin towns, Provins and Pingyao, in a seminar room in Pingyao county, Oct 17 [Photo/pingyao.gov.cn]