As Americans dislike French more day by day, I like them more and more<g>.France honours China with Champs Elysees new year parade
PARIS: Two days before the arrival of President Hu Jintao on a state visit, France is affording China a rare honour when it opens up the Champs Elysees in Paris for a traditional dragon-and-drums new year parade.
In what promoters say is the first time the celebrated avenue has been devoted to a foreign cultural event -- wartime German march-pasts excepted -- the procession marking the start of the year of the monkey will be led off at 2:00 pm (13H00 GMT) by a 14-metre-long (45-foot-long) goldfish.
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Altogether some 7,500 costumed participants and 54 giant floats will move down the tree-lined concourse from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place du Rond Point near the Elysee palace. Twelve giant totems designating the animal signs of the Chinese zodiac will line the route.
Divided under four themes entitled "Best wishes from Beijing," "The golden bridge of friendship," "The glory of the Chinese of France, and "Olympic glimmers," the procession will include teams of folkloric dancers, bicycle acrobats and martial arts specialists sent over from the Chinese capital.
A 110-metre undulating red-and-gold dragon -- billed by organisers as the longest in the world -- has been sent over in container-ships from Shanghai and after being assembled in workshops outside Paris will form the highlight of the parade.
Overhead the skies will fill with balloons, kites and banners as the Chinese community of Paris celebrates the Spring Festival or Chunjie, admittedly two days after the actual date. As darkness falls, eyes will shift across the river Seine, where the Eiffel Tower will pay its tribute -- bathed in communist red.
Organised by the cities of Paris and Beijing with the help of 45 associations representing the Chinese community in France, the event has cost around 480,000 euros (610,000 dollars) and is meant to symbolise the network of ties and interests that increasingly bind the two countries.
Starting on Monday, Hu's visit marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and the new communist government, and is seen by both countries as an occasion to strengthen a growing diplomatic and economic relationship.
The new year parade forms part of a cultural "Year of China in France," which began in October and includes art exhibitions, concerts, films and sports events. It will be followed from this October by a "Year of France in China."
Not all of Paris's estimated 150,000 strong Chinese community -- who mostly arrived in the last 25 years -- are happy with the parade, many saying they would have preferred their regular celebration in the Chinatown of the capital's 13th arrondissement, or district.
"It is not Chinese. It is not a good beginning for the year. The new year is sacred. People are going to watch the parade and afterwards eat French pastries?" said 32 year-old Estelle Chang. Some said they could not attend the procession because it is on a regular working day.
Members of the spiritual Falungong sect, which has been banned as an "evil cult" in China, have also complained that they are banned from taking part in the procession.
"Following pressure from the Chinese embassy, the organisers of the Chinese New Year celebrations have refused to authorise the Association France Falungong to join the parade," it said. "The French motto includes the word 'equality'. We wish that the French authorities would put this into practice."
- AFP
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