TAIYUAN, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Michele Termine Schuppon plans to showcase 35 pictures of the ancient Chinese city of Pingyao at an antique shop in Carpentras in the south of France, retracing her career as a photographer.
She hopes to celebrate the coming Chinese Lunar New Year by introducing the people of Pingyao to the French.
Pingyao, included on the world cultural heritage list by UNESCO in 1997, is located in north China's Shanxi Province and is famous for its well-preserved ancient city walls.
Thirteen years ago, the city was twinned with Provins, a town of medieval fairs that is a one-hour drive from Paris.
Schuppon neither lives in Pingyao nor Provins, but spent 33 years in Beijing before returning to Paris in 2015. She has settled down in Carpentras since September last year. Nonetheless, she has played an indispensable role in connecting the two ancient cities.
"I feel honored to be able to do something for the cultural exchange between Pingyao and Provins," Schuppon said. She currently teaches a few French people Chinese language and gives travel tips to those about to visit China.
Schuppon came to China in 1982 to study, and she worked in human resources in Beijing after graduation. She visited Pingyao in 2006 and photographed over 120 inhabitants of the old town.
Schuppon became a good friend of Pingyao after she participated in Pingyao International Photography Festival in 2013 and 2014 to demonstrate her photo collection named "My Pingyao Home."
She served as an interpreter when Christian Jacob, then mayor of Provins, visited Pingyao.
With the invitation from Jacob, Schuppon made her first visit to Provins in 2015, bringing with her the pictures she took in Pingyao, and was later commissioned by Jacob to present the ancient city of Provins at a tour operators conference held in China.
"I heard about Provins through Pingyao and know Pingyao better through Provins," Schuppon said.
Exchanges between the two sister cities span both economic and cultural spheres. In Pingyao, a big screen is showing the scenes of medieval knight performance of Provins. In the Saint Ayoul abbey of Provins there is also a demonstration zone promoting Pingyao.
Pingyao welcomes more than 120,000 foreign tourists annually, at least 30 percent of which are French. The local government of Pingyao is organizing shop owners and tour guides to study French.
A Provins-style cafe is under construction in Pingyao, with a number of trainers being sent by Provins to help with the preparation for the business.
"Provins is actively participating in cooperation with Pingyao, which reflects the charm of China's development," said Hou Shijun, an official with Pingyao tourism management authorities.
Hou also expressed gratitude to Schuppon for her contributions in promoting Sino-French cultural communication.
Pingyao and Provins signed a cooperation memorandum in 2013, and the two cities will sign a new one in March.
This year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France.
