On September 18, a commemorative event marking the 35th anniversary of the establishment of a friendship province-region relationship between Hunan and France's Centre-Val de Loire Region, as well as the 10th anniversary of the inauguration of the Historical Museum of French-Chinese Friendship (Musée Historique de l'Amitié Franco-Chinoise), was held at the Lezhi Bookstore on Orange Isle in Changsha. More than 40 people attended the event, including David Jacquet, vice president of the Centre-Val de Loire Regional Council in charge of the Economy and Innovation; Julien LE LAN, consul general of France in Wuhan; and relevant officials from the Publicity Department of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee, the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee, and Hunan Publishing Investment Holding Group; as well as representatives from all walks of life in China and France.

Located in central France, the Centre-Val de Loire Region governs six departments (administrative subdivisions). As one of France's core regions, it boasts profound humanistic heritage and robust industries. In October 1991, Hunan Province officially established a friendship province-region relationship with the Centre-Val de Loire Region in France. The region shares deep historical ties with Hunan Province. Montargis, a city under its jurisdiction, serves as a "red" bond linking Hunan and France in their century-long friendship. A group of young Hunanese, including Cai Hesen and Xiang Jingyu, participated in the Work-Study Movement in France in the 1920s, where they sought truth for national salvation and convened the renowned Montargis Conference, sowing seeds for the Chinese revolution. On the basis of this history, Hunan established the Historical Museum of French-Chinese Friendship (Musée Historique de l'Amitié Franco-Chinoise) in 2016. This has become an important venue for people-to-people exchanges and mutual visits of youths between the two countries.

At the event, Chinese and French guests together enjoyed cultural performances celebrating China-France friendship and watched a commemorative documentary. Guests from both sides delivered speeches in turn, reflecting on friendship ties and discussing visions for cooperation. Guests from both sides expressed hope for higher-quality mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as economy and trade, culture and tourism, science and education, and agriculture and water conservancy.

This event was an important part of the 2026 Hunan International Friendship Cities Economic and Trade Exchange Event. The launch ceremony for the French edition of The Youthful Years in Montargis (Les Années de Jeunesse à Montargis) was held simultaneously, with Chinese and French guests jointly unveiling the new book and exchanging books as gifts. The book systematically reviews the century-old exchanges between China and France witnessed by Montargis and vividly recreates the journey of Chinese progressive youth who went to France for the work-study movement and sought truth for national salvation.

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Xiao Juan

Chinese source: Hunan Daily