A Zhangzhou puppet show, an ancient performing art with over 1,000 years of history, was staged in the French capital of Paris on Friday as part of the cultural activities being held in France to celebrate Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, and the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France.

The show, kicking off the "Zhangzhou Minnan Cultural Week" at the China Cultural Center in Paris, was presented by the Zhangzhou Puppet Troupe from east China's Fujian Province.
Zhangzhou is a historic city that is an important cradle of Chinese culture, boasting a diverse range of folk customs and traditions rooted in the ancient history of the area.
The cities of Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, and Xiamen in Fujian are the birthplaces of Minnan culture, also known as Hokkien culture, one of China’s significant ethnic cultures.
On Chinese New Year's Eve, over 130 French pupils were treated to a lively puppet show where skilled artists brought classic and humorous stories to life, to the delight of the young audience.
The event also featured paper-cutting and woodblock New Year picture demonstrations, representing some of Zhangzhou’s intangible cultural heritage.
The year 2024 also marks the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism.