Children's choirs unite in harmony

Singing groups from Hainan, Paris forge unlikely friendship, advance cultural understanding, exchanges

Children from ethnic villages in the tropical rainforest of Hainan province have formed an unlikely friendship with their peers from cosmopolitan Paris — their liaison forged by the unifying power of song.

During French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to China in April 2023, the French children's song Si j'allais en Chine (If I had the opportunity to go to China) went viral online.

In 2024, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France, the Parisian children's choir Le Choeur des Polysons, performed the song and shared Lunar New Year greetings with China via a television broadcast.