At 1:30 am on July 27, 2024 (Beijing time), the opening ceremony of the 33rd Summer Olympic Games kicked off on the Seine River in Paris, France. On this occasion, a "Multicultural Integration" series event themed "A Free Talk about Olympics: Chinese and French Culture Exchange" was held in Zhuhai's Nanping on the morning of July 27, to enhance the participants' understanding of Olympic culture.

More than 20 Chinese and French friends, including members of the Greater Bay Area China-France Connections, French-speaking friends in Zhuhai and people with a keen interest in French culture, were invited to join the event to share and exchange ideas about the Olympics and Chinese and French culture.

The event started with a short video of the opening ceremony to help the participants feel the strong atmosphere of the Olympic Games and the enthusiasm of people from all over the world. Then, Bai Ge, a French teacher from the Greater Bay Area China-France Connections, introduced the history of the Olympics and some elements of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, including the mascot, torch, slogan, medal design, representative athletes in major sports events, and some related French expressions. His sharing in both Chinese and French was lively presented, drawing everyone's attention and making the scene full of laughter.

In the following part, the theme song of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, "Parade", was played on the spot. In the beautiful melody, Chinese and French friends immersed themselves in the music and felt the strong atmosphere of the Olympics, as if they were on the scene. Then, Ms. Ye Zi, a Guzheng (Chinese zither) teacher from Muyintang (a Guzheng training center), played the theme song of the Beijing 2008 Olympics Games, "You and Me," and the very familiar song, "Welcome to Beijing," as well as the French classic song "La Vie En Rose" and the Chinese classic song "High Mountains and Flowing Water." The blending of French culture and traditional Chinese musical instruments allowed friends at the scene to experience the charm of traditional Chinese music while feeling the cultural atmosphere of the Olympic Games.

On the day, the participants also enjoyed the special cold-brewing tea from Nanping Fine Life Tea Space and tea snacks from Papa Romantic, a well-known French bakery in Beishan. Chinese and French friends actively communicated with each other, cheerfully sharing their understanding of the Olympics and their stories with it.

Marble, the owner of Papa Romantic, said, "The opening ceremony was just held in the early morning, and now we are here to talk about it and feel the atmosphere of the Olympics together. It's so amazing!" Sophia from the Greater Bay Area China-France Connections said, "This activity let me know more about this year's Paris Olympics Games. Meanwhile, the Guzheng performance is so special, making us experience the glamour of the Chinese traditional instrument. The integration between Chinese culture and the Paris Olympics is really impressive."

This year marks the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations, and the Olympic Games this year were held in Paris, France. The event not only enables Chinese and foreign friends to further understand Olympic culture but also promotes the exchange between Chinese and French culture.

A group photo of the event. [Photo/GDToday]